Start8 Questions

By MorganX
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

MorganX

Posted
Posted

For those who have tried Start8, apparently there are millions, when you search from the Start8 menu, can you right click and perform context actions on the search result?

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1131796-start8-questions/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

MorganX

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It's well worth the $4.99 - worked out at around ?3.20 for me.

I installed the trial. I'll buy it. I've been OK without the start menu, but just can't deal with Modern UI's clumsy search anymore. What a nice piece of software. Very well designed.

I don't care what anyone's usability tests show, Start8 makes Windows 8 better. Search efficiency has returned. It's nice to have Metro apps in the start menu, and I love the hold for half-second opens start page feature.

Nice to have browse Computer as menu from Start Menu back as well as Recorded TV. Windows 8 is highly recommended with Start8 for just about everyone. If you have a Windows Phone 8 you can use Windows Media Player classic for syncing everything, real syncing. Surface is still without hope. Unfortunately Zune doesn't support Windows Phone 8.

With Start8, I don't see why you would stay on Windows 7. No reason at all that I can see. $39.99 or $14.99 to MS, $4.99 to Stardock. Not bad at all.

Really nice piece of software.

PS: Though I'm in heaven to have start menu search back, there is one minor omission; when hovering over search results it does not show a tip with the location. Rarely needed, but definitely of value.

Community Regular

syobon999

Posted
Posted

Its a shame start8 gets all the attention, IMHO STartIsBack is the defacto windows 7 start menu to windows 8 and the only program i'm aware that introduces no extra load, all to render the start menu is from windows 8 itself, classic shell and pokki are anotherterrible example of bloat.

Guest xiphi

Posted
Posted

I prefer StartIsBack. Tried Start8 a few times, but even the most recent update it still loves to make my system sluggish after a while for no reason at all. StartIsBack has a free trial, as well. They're both good, but Start8 loses out due to performance issues.

Rookie

Oni Ray

Posted
Posted

StartIsBack can do the same thing and is cheaper too.

Using SiB myself. For the uninitiated, it's the actual Windows 7 start menu that the developer Tihiy (Stanislav Zinukhov) has re-introduced to Win8 with a hook(?). Unlike Start 8, it's not a start menu replacement or emulator - it is the original Windows start menu itself a part of Microsoft's own code from Win 7. :D And since it's MS's own code, it works, feels and looks exactly as like the real deal - and that's 'cuz it is :)

Also, since it integrates itself into the core, it doesn't have any trailing processes or services. Doesn't schedule any tasks. Just loads a single extra dll to integrate into the explorer shell. So no performance lag or start screen flash at the start. I'll highly recommend to anyone who is dissatisfied with the Metro/Modern UI to give it a try (30 day full function trial) before settling on one solution or another :think:

Costs $3 for 2 PC's BTW. For 5 bucks, you can get a 5 PC license ($1 per PC). Not too shabby for the real McCoy, eh? :yes: Start is Back website - Softpedia review - Arstechnica review

EDIT: I'm liking it so much that I've become a bit of an evangelist :p

  • goretsky and syobon999
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Fraud OS 11

Posted
Posted

classic shell and pokki are anotherterrible example of bloat.

Don't spread FUD about bloat. All Start Menu replacements inject themselves into Explorer.exe so it's the memory usage of Explorer.exe that you should be watching. The memory usage is identical. Not a problem on even any slower system. Not that StartIsBack is bad or anything, it's excellent. :D

Community Regular

syobon999

Posted
Posted

Don't spread FUD about bloat. All Start Menu replacements inject themselves into Explorer.exe so it's the memory usage of Explorer.exe that you should be watching. The memory usage is identical. Not a problem on even any slower system. Not that StartIsBack is bad or anything, it's excellent. :D

what i'm saying is that classic shell loads a service of its own and the code to the menus is entirely new, its bloated compared to StartIsBack, but not a bloat itself.

Mentor

YanksOnTop

Posted
Posted

Its a shame start8 gets all the attention, IMHO STartIsBack is the defacto windows 7 start menu to windows 8 and the only program i'm aware that introduces no extra load, all to render the start menu is from windows 8 itself, classic shell and pokki are anotherterrible example of bloat.

I used classic shell and it was always laggy on my system. I also tried start8 and wasnt really impressed either. I actually started to use Pokki yesterday and have had pretty good results. I feel its faster and doesnt look too bad either. Just my opinion. And Im not really sure what bloat your talking about. It does have apps that ou can load but its not really obtrusive. So far its the one thats worked the best for me.

Community Regular

syobon999

Posted
Posted

I used classic shell and it was always laggy on my system. I also tried start8 and wasnt really impressed either. I actually started to use Pokki yesterday and have had pretty good results. I feel its faster and doesnt look too bad either. Just my opinion. And Im not really sure what bloat your talking about. It does have apps that ou can load but its not really obtrusive. So far its the one thats worked the best for me.

look, I love Windows 8, its snappier and a more vivid experience than windows 7, everyone call feel this, but start menu is vital to me, i want something identical to windows 7 not more or less, more = bloat.

Rising Star

mzta cody

Posted
Posted

look, I love Windows 8, its snappier and a more vivid experience than windows 7, everyone call feel this, but start menu is vital to me, i want something identical to windows 7 not more or less, more = bloat.

Having used both, I can see what you're saying. I would also say that Start8 is very much a high quality product. However, StartIsBack has a certain essential "purity", for lack of a better word. Therefore, in the end, a bit more elegant of a solution than Start8.

  • Oni Ray and syobon999
  • Like 2
Veteran

Colin.B

Posted
Posted

So I'm likely installing Windows 8 tomorrow...If I understand correctly StartisBack and Start8 don't really change the features of Windows 8 and isn't as drastic as running a custom ROM on my Android. They simply bring back the start menu?

Grand Master

Brandon H Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

So I'm likely installing Windows 8 tomorrow...If I understand correctly StartisBack and Start8 don't really change the features of Windows 8 and isn't as drastic as running a custom ROM on my Android. They simply bring back the start menu?

you are correct
Grand Master

MorganX

Posted
  • Author
Posted

what i'm saying is that classic shell loads a service of its own and the code to the menus is entirely new, its bloated compared to StartIsBack, but not a bloat itself.

I have an i7 with 32GB RAM so if it is adding any load I'm not noticing it, plus I'm not in the Start menu "that" much. But when I am, it's much preferred tot he Start Page especially search. I also like all the options. I'd rather have this than just the regular Windows 7 Start menu. I have not tried the others you mentioned and I'm sure they are fine, but this is just very well made, feature filled, and does what I want. No performance or bloat issues but like I said, I wouldn't notice any minor issues anyway.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Epic Games says Unreal Engine 6 will help developers "build content faster" using AI models

      By +pmrd · Posted

      Which game runs at 20fps with framegen?
    • Epic Games says Unreal Engine 6 will help developers "build content faster" using AI models

      By +pmrd · Posted

      The problem isn't with Epic, it's with the platform holders like Steam and Nintendo, they should be a lot more strict in their review process.
    • Nvidia 610.62 driver lands with big bug fixes and Empulse support

      By goretsky · Posted

      Hello, Installed here without issue. Regards, Aryeh Goretsky
    • Microsoft updates Visual Studio Code with easier language model discovery and in-app search

      By zikalify · Posted

      Microsoft updates Visual Studio Code with easier language model discovery and in-app search by Paul Hill Microsoft has released Visual Studio Code 1.125, its latest weekly release. This week, the company has focused on discovering and installing extra language models via the Marketplace; searching the web and securely browsing over remote connections without leaving VS Code; choosing how long VS Code waits before installing extension updates; and delivering managed Copilot settings through existing device management tooling. In older versions of VS Code, extensions could contribute their own model providers, but to find these extensions, you needed the right tags to search for in the Extension view. Now, the Language Models editor gives you an Install Model Providers button that opens the Extensions view, which is filtered to extensions that contribute model providers, making it easier to find and install them. Once you install a provider, its model will appear in the model picker. If you use the integrated browser much, you can now look up information without leaving VS Code by typing a query into the integrated browser’s address bar. It will use your configured search engine, the same way a standalone browser does. You can use workbench.browser.searchEngine to pick a search engine. When the browser is opened in a remote workspace, it's now possible to proxy HTTP(S) traffic via the remote connection. This allows you to connect to any ports or services that can only be accessed from the remote machine. If you read our coverage from two weeks ago about VS Code 1.123, you might have seen that extension updates have a two-hour delay as a safety measure. In this update, Microsoft is giving you the ability to configure the time of the delay. You can find it under extensions.autoUpdateDelay. Finally, with this update, admins can deliver managed GitHub Copilot settings through native device management (MDM) channels on Windows and macOS, in addition to account-based enterprise settings files. Settings delivered via MDM appear as policy-enforced in VS Code and can’t be overridden locally. Future updates will extend the supported policy keys across Copilot surfaces. You can download the update from the Visual Studio Code website now.
    • Microsoft will finally let you sign in to Edge with a Google account

      By monterxz · Posted

      "it opens up new doors for people who prefer using Edge, but cannot be bothered to configure a Microsoft account" You already have a Microsoft account if you are using Windows 11, because you can't set it up without one.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Classifyskilleducation earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      eurospharma62 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      With What earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      Harris Gilbert earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Vincian earned a badge
      One Month Later

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      543
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      171
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      84
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      64
    5. 5
      neufuse
      64
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!