212 replies to this topic 5 votes

[+ViperAFK]

There already is a wonderful Start menu for Windows 8 its called Start8 by Stardock!

Start8 is getting better with every new release and it is actually even better then the Windows 7 start menu.

Start8 with Windows 8 make it the best Microsoft OS yet in my opinion!

If you want the best of both worlds use Start8 with Windows 8!!!

Start8 still lacks several features that the windows 7 start menu had, such as drag and drop to the desktop or superbar. In addition its kind of buggy, it likes to randomly crash explorer and the search results sometimes bug out.

After trying start8 it made me realize that I actually like the start screen (as a start menu replacement, I think that the current metro apps are pretty terrible (almost beta quality), and am not a fan of it being a closed platform)

That said the start screen could certainly be a lot better, it lacks several features that could make it much more enjoyable to use. For example, re-arranging the tiles in the way that I want is freakin' impossible! moving one tile will make one move where I don't want it to etc... its a mess. And why can't we manually make/customize tile groups and such? It could be pretty nice if they allowed more customization IMO.

[LaP]

Sorry, not even CLOSE. relatively a LOT went back, but not even close to most, not even close to half.

You greatly underestimate the number of desktop PC in the corporate world running WIndows XP but having a Windows Vista license sticker on the top or side of the case.

[Tyler R.]

You greatly underestimate the number of desktop PC in the corporate world running WIndows XP but having a Windows Vista license sticker on the top or side of the case.

...and 7 computers. We have to shoehorn XP on to modern hardware everyday.

[Shane Nokes]

This ^^^^

My new slogan for Windows 8 is:

'Windows 8, there's a third party app for that'

I would say nice attempt at a slam there but I would be lying.

The problem with your statement is that regardless of platform almost all apps are made by a third party.

So you might want to apply that to all of those Apple commercials as well...if you're going to go that route.

[HawkMan]

Really your going to insult my intelligence and say i dont know the difference between numbers when you obviously dont understand that sales figures mean nothing?

Except the number I use, of Millions (it was 4 millions after a few days, should be way past that now) was sales of upgrade licenses of Windows. not pre-installed OEM licenses or WinRT Surface installs, so sorry, what where you saying.

[jamieakers]

And here we go again. Yet another pointless thread about the Start screen. This is getting so old. We get it, some people like it, some people hate it. How many times do we need to have this thread repeated on Neowin???

[HawkMan]

I would say i look forward to your next post but i'll be honest im not going to even read it.

Of course you're not, then you would actually have to admit you're wrong and don't have anything to stand on.

[LaP]

...and 7 computers. We have to shoehorn XP on to modern hardware everyday.

Yep but 7 will be the next XP of the corporate world so those 7 computers will run 7 one day if it's not already done

[HawkMan]

It's much easier on a touch screen. On larger monitors and multiple monitors it's cludgie and unintuitive. Metro was designed for touch screens in mind--If it not, then why are they pushing ultra books and aio's with touch screens so hard?

Having used it on a touch screen, no it's not, at worst it's just as easy to use on both. But it works excellently with a mouse and keyboard, in many ways better than on touch.

[Mikeffer]

Thankfully this wont happen.
It's not in the vision hat MS have for the future no matter whose coming and going in the company.

The Start Screen does everything the old Start Menu did and for me it's better so i'm happy with it.
For those that aren't happy with it, there perfectly decent third party apps out there for you.

[HawkMan]

You greatly underestimate the number of desktop PC in the corporate world running WIndows XP but having a Windows Vista license sticker on the top or side of the case.

No I don't but that number isn't even close to most of the vista sales, as I said, there was a lot of corporate installed that got downgraded, but not even remotely close to most.

Yep but 7 will be the next XP of the corporate world so those 7 computers will run 7 one day if it's not already done

The thing is, corporates have this thing called upgrade cycles. The reason a lot didn't use Vista as because XP had been around for at least two upgrade cycles, and there was major compatibility issues between the XP and Vista+ OS'.

but not, corps use everything from XP(though shrinking now thankfully) to Vista, to 7 and now a lot are even moving to 8 since they are in the upgrade cycle now. there was a surprising high percentage of corps that had actually decided to switch to 8 in the recent article, and an even more surprisingly high number of corps who where considering it.

[Dot Matrix]

cluster**** how so? Start8 seems to have done it just fine

Creates an even bigger discontinuity. Windows is moving to the Metro side of things, slowly but surely. You certainly shouldn't need to go through one to get to the other.

It's much easier on a touch screen. On larger monitors and multiple monitors it's cludgie and unintuitive. Metro was designed for touch screens in mind--If it not, then why are they pushing ultra books and aio's with touch screens so hard?

Dot--let's have a mature conversation about Metro and the desktop. We want more options and more polish on the desktop. We want more features in the default apps that were killed in the the previous version--aka "simplifying the UI by removing good features". Microsoft did a hack job on the desktop part of the UI, which is where most of the disappointed people, like myself spend most of their time. It's goofy having two control panels, it's goofy having two IE's, It's goofy having two ways to listen to music (WMP and Music apps), it's goofy how Metro and desktop apps don't talk to each other. (I make a bookmark in Desktop IE--why doesn't it show up in Metro IE? You stated before that they are different api's. I'm not a programmer, but couldn't they write an api to talk to the metro and desktop api's?), amongst other things you've probably heard before. If it was truly an immersive experience, I'd rarely have to touch the desktop. I should be able to rip a CD as FLAC, WAV or mp3 in the music app, or transfer a file to my hard drive (metro windows explorer) , there should be only one IE, or at least 2 that talk to each other, there should be only one control panel that forces companies to drop their legacy code and rewrite it for the future or make people stop useing old programs--like Boarman. Why can't I have 1 app on each monitor in a multi monitor setup? Because it was made for tablets--tablets have one screen. Are you starting to understand what we mean by "cludgie" and "unintuitive"? If Microsoft fixes this in Windows 9, I'd be more than happy to buy a license. Don't get me wrong: Metro brings lots of new features to the table that are awesome, but some things need to be fixed before some of us adopt it. Thanks Dot.

I am being mature. Even if you don't use Metro apps, and only pin Win32 icons, the Start Screen is still a bigger and better experience than the old Start Menu. You still have beautiful tiles laid out the way you want to and not hacked and thrown together in a kludgy, hard to see, menu.

[Tyler R.]

And here we go again. Yet another pointless thread about the Start screen. This is getting so old. We get it, some people like it, some people hate it. How many times do we need to have this thread repeated on Neowin???

It's not a start screen thread. It's a news thread about Microsoft bringing back the Start Menu, albeit of topic.

Having used it on a touch screen, no it's not, at worst it's just as easy to use on both. But it works excellently with a mouse and keyboard, in many ways better than on touch.

I'm not arguing. What I stated is what I believe. Everyone has their different view---if you like it use it! If you don't, use 7 like me and all the others here. But out of curiosity, what works better on the desktop than on a tablet?

[MajinDark]

This ^^^^

My new slogan for Windows 8 is:

'Windows 8, there's a third party app for that'

Don't quit your day job, if you have one.

[+Ichigo+]

I was like WFT when I first tested the start screen, but then I got used to it. Things change and we need to learn to move ahead. The new start screen make is easier for people to find what they want, and because of the live tiles have updates to the things that interest them that they did not have before. I did not see this much complaining when ISP decided to drop dial up in favour of highspeed. If you don't like it thats fine, keep it to yourself and don't use windows 8. I don't like toast, but do you see me going all over neowin complaining about it.No you don't.