The Start Page - Not So Bad, Really


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I personally, never cared much for the Start Page. Mostly because it was obtrusive, and requires cleaning and organization. But to be honest to those who would deny the power and efficiency of the old Start Menu, without cleaning and organization, and easy properties configuration, it isn't all that orderly and efficient either.

I actually hardly ever see my Start Page with Start8 installed, and I only used the Start Menu a lot to browse the computer and quickly access Favorites, top level of my Personal Folders, Recorded TV, and to quickly get to devices and printers. I can live without most of the browsing (though with Start8 I don't have to) and LL corner power menu with a quick right-click is actually faster access than available in Windows 7. It's a boring and ugly, iconless menu. I guess all things labeled "power" are that way. Or maybe it seems that way because the Modern UI is anything but "boring". Though it's plenty flat :/

So, all-in-all, and keep in mind I don't see it much, with proper attention, the Start Menu isn't that bad, especially if looked at as a launcher. In fact, most of my displeasure is because it is tied do search, which I think is abhorrent. With Microsoft rumored to be fixing Modern UI search, even this should go away soon.

So with that, While being able to label and select custom and large icons for tiles is a much needed built-in feature, remember to label your Start Menu categories, and take a little time to clean it up, it won't be so bad.

A properly organized Start Menu attached if I may say so myself ...

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Yes, built in customization would be a boon to the start page, as would the micro tiles.

I've never understood the outcry over losing the start menu, it's essentially just a specifically formatted Explorer window. It seems bizarre if you've used Linux or OSX, where applications are more top-level.

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Here is mine. I also organize it.

Nice. You reminded me I haven't installed Visio at home since building new PC. Guess that's a good thing but I better take care of that.

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Yes, built in customization would be a boon to the start page, as would the micro tiles.

I've never understood the outcry over losing the start menu, it's essentially just a specifically formatted Explorer window. It seems bizarre if you've used Linux or OSX, where applications are more top-level.

I don't mind it so much now. I still cannot stand Modern apps though. The way I use it now, it isn't much different than this:

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If you don't pin any modern apps to it I think it looks quite tidy, all the random colours of the modern apps mashed together just looks a total mess to me.

Although I don't use it anymore I like my start screen layout, however I do think the modern games I've pinned to it look cluttered.

15yvl80.jpg

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Morgan are you crazy? Posting something level headed, sensible and mature about Windows 8, well that's just insane cool! ;)

Rarely used -

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If Microsoft were to put the start menu back, it would look like this! This is my concept of a Windows 8 start menu that i created. The windows 8 start screen is much cleaner and more organized though than the start menu! This picture of the start menu I created is like a hybrid of the start screen and the start menu!

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I don't mind it so much now. I still cannot stand Modern apps though. The way I use it now, it isn't much different than this:

I think it would be very nice if the Start Page faded andblurred the desktop into the background and just superimposed over it until you were done. Less distracting.

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I think it would be very nice if the Start Page faded andblurred the desktop into the background and just superimposed over it until you were done. Less distracting.

I could see Apple suing for that ;)

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LL corner power menu with a quick right-click is actually faster access than available in Windows 7.

I was called a fanboy for saying that closer to Win8 release, I forgot who said that. :/

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I find that I only use the Start screen mainly to access Modern apps (which I seldom use) in my few months of using Win 8.

Most of the time I'm on Desktop.

Frequent programs are pinned to Taskbar or searchable via Launchy.

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I've always said the start screen is a much better launcher then the start menu, as you have access to significantly more apps at once and (IMO) it looks prettier too.

I think the two biggest issues with Metro are people feeding off other people's negativity (without trying it themselves) and the fact that the Metro start screen, by default, looks like a convoluted mess pretty much. Most of the time, it's a 3x3-3x4 grid of Metro tiles which seemingly look placed in a random order. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, but this is what consumers see when they walk into a shop and see the Start Screen - a foreign, convoluted, unorganised mess of tiles, which is really bad.

If they had it organised like MorganX does, then perhaps it would appeal to consumers more! Microsoft should take note of this, 100%.

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Totally agree with you. I use to not like it but gotten use to it and cleaned it up abit to my personal preference.

Very nice, you're creating custom tiles (Photoshop)? What are you using?

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Very nice, you're creating custom tiles (Photoshop)? What are you using?

Yeah I used Photoshop to make the Office tiles. The PS tile was found on DeviantArt. Oblytile is the application I used to displayed them on the start screen :)
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