Start Menu Could Return to Windows in Spring 2014
That's probably wishful thinking.
Last week, there was talk that Windows would receive two key user-interface changes in an upcoming update. One of these is the ability to "float" Modern UI/Start Screen apps on the desktop, and the other is supposedly the return of the classic Start Menu.
According to sources close to the Windows team, the Start Menu goes by the codename "mini-Start" because it won't fill the entire screen like the tile-based Start Screen. There's also talk that unlike the new Start Button introduced in the Windows 8.1 update, this Start Menu will only reside on the Desktop. A link will likely take the user to the full Start Screen, as seen with third-party apps like Start8.
So what will this Start Menu look like? How will it work? The name seems to imply that the Start button will pull up a miniature version of the Start Screen, which will have Modern UI app tiles and tiles for desktop applications. This may be where the "floating" aspect comes in. Click on the miniature Facebook tile and launch a "floating" app on the desktop.
That said, then why would Microsoft need the Start Screen if the Start button launches a miniature Modern UI menu? Remember, this is an operating system built for different form factors; the Start Screen is better equipped to handle touch on tablets and touch-based hybrids. Of course, this is all mere rumor and speculation anyway, so take it with a grain of salt.
Microsoft may be adding the Start Menu back to Windows because it wants customers to upgrade from Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft doesn't want these specific customers to shy away because it looks too unfamiliar. The Start Menu made its debut in Windows 95, meaning customers have grown accustomed to launching the Start Menu to access their programs and system tools for eighteen years.
So when will this new Start Menu make an appearance? That may happen during the Update 1 wave reportedly coming in Spring 2014, as Microsoft may be wanting to address the issue as soon as possible. Then again, the company may hold off on adding this feature until the larger "Threshold" wave, which is expected to bring the operating system up to version 8.2.
i wish microsoft made metro optional and regular desktops. at least give users to choose instead of forcing metro on them.
No one here is arguing for a return to XP in the literal sense, they simply think Windows 8 is a bloated monstrosity. Linux supports multi-core CPUs and SSDs just fine yet requires far fewer resources and storage space than Win 8.
Microsoft's problem isn't user interface, it's business model. As free alternatives gain ground in terms of user base and functionality, the paid OS model is going to be defunct and Microsoft doesn't have anything else profitable to fall back on. They need fundamental change and they need it fast.
And the biggest problem with 8 was never really the start menu, it's the lack of flexibility that came along with it. No one wants to be told that they have to use a tablet interface and full screen apps on a 27" non-touch monitor. Microsoft's arrogance for thinking they can dictate what is best for everyone was a huge blunder.
Just spend time to give us a quick and unbloated operating system, with a classic interface. Even XP loaded with updates and patches is so much responsive than the newer versions of windoze.
Let have a smarter, quicker, classic OS, not a bloated, dumbed down, limited OS.
Nor do I want to engage those Windows 8 people who claim that anyone who is interested in a old style Start Menu is stupid and do not know how to use their PC. I am running Windows 8.1 and am uninterested in other people's opinion on how I prefer to organize my PC.
i wish microsoft made metro optional and regular desktops. at least give users to choose instead of forcing metro on them.
i wish microsoft made metro optional and regular desktops. at least give users to choose instead of forcing metro on them.
It's not going to happen nor should it. I spend 98% percent of my time on the desktop, yet I see no reason why MS would reinforce the idea of a wholly non-Metro PC.
I view Metro/Modern UI on the PC as the keystone of the shared Market/Store push. MS has every reason to stay the course and look towards acclimatizing people over time to using Metro applications, especially as a shared Market across platforms comes to fruition.
Besides M$ are too stupid to get people to adopt win8 because of one reason & one reason only. Give up ? Its that win8 is toooooooo expensive. M$ should revert back to $29.99 for a full stand alone OS not a watered down upgrade, before I reconsider.
For the idiots who like win8 it appears that you are to few for anyone to care. And to think M$ made windows more compatible with Intel is a never ending list of disasters this company has brought on the public !!!
The switch to an optional metro interface and gadets would actually make it an option for us to migrate workstations to windows 8 due to no training needed for our users. We have better things to do than respond to trouble tickets of people that don't know how to use the interface because it is different from what they're used to.
This is a huge win for Microsoft if they pull it off and if they had this from the beginning then windows 8 would've been a huge success.
Just spend time to give us a quick and unbloated operating system, with a classic interface. Even XP loaded with updates and patches is so much responsive than the newer versions of windoze.
Let have a smarter, quicker, classic OS, not a bloated, dumbed down, limited OS.
I got a 4 year old PC and it's awesomely quick with win7 x64, and I'm developer which writes native multithreaded apps that some of them handles run time data of more than 4GB of RAM, so I AM pushing it to the limits. I don't know what you're talking about. Your bottleneck is in your HW, believe it or not.
FYI - I got an i7 920, 4 year old entry level Radeon card and 3X2GB of standard RAM.
OS installed on a 4 year old Intel X25M 80GB SSD.
It's still blazing fast.
I use Win7/XP/Linux Mint, but XP is still my favorite. I understand fan bois like to re-buy their old software if it is packaged in a new shiny box with a new year added to it. Enjoying microsoft office 2014? Just wait you can spend another 200 dollars on microsoft office 2015 in a few months, with new features such as increased loading time, and hard drive bloat.
I use Win7/XP/Linux Mint, but XP is still my favorite. I understand fan bois like to re-buy their old software if it is packaged in a new shiny box with a new year added to it. Enjoying microsoft office 2014? Just wait you can spend another 200 dollars on microsoft office 2015 in a few months, with new features such as increased loading time, and hard drive bloat.
If you ain't got an SSD than it would explain why your PC is lagging.
Using a PC like yours without an SSD is like buying a Ferreri with a cube shaped concrete wheels.
Metro = New Coke