what do you need the start button for?

[Ashl]

I've come to the conclusion I would happily use Windows 8 on a tablet based device, however, yes everyone at home may now be running Laptops with only 2 significant screen filling Application running at a time perhaps a browser and a word processor at worst. In the business world where I expect the trend to shift towards laptops over desktop, but then with secondary monitors due to A. It being easier to complete work on a big screen over a small one and B. It increasing productivity in lots of professional based jobs. Metro just seems to counter this logical step by making dual screen working cumbersome.

[firey]

You can still do win+R to bring up the run dialog and do that.

And you can still run Windows 7 instead of changing to 8.

[migo]

I've come to the conclusion I would happily use Windows 8 on a tablet based device, however, yes everyone at home may now be running Laptops with only 2 significant screen filling Application running at a time perhaps a browser and a word processor at worst. In the business world where I expect the trend to shift towards laptops over desktop, but then with secondary monitors due to A. It being easier to complete work on a big screen over a small one and B. It increasing productivity in lots of professional based jobs. Metro just seems to counter this logical step by making dual screen working cumbersome.

You're not making any sense. With the trend towards laptops over desktops, which I agree with, you're losing benefit from having multiple programs open side by side, and you need to make the best use possible of what you have.

[Dot Matrix]

None of the "IT pros" posting here are in a decision making position for a major company, you can almost guarantee it. Any reasonably well run IT division will EVALUATE a new OS, be it ios on the ipad, android tablets or phones or Windows 8. And in its current state Windows 8 is still unfinished and no competent IT professional will be basing final decisions on a beta product, they will do that with at least the RC when all features are complete and the OS is considered finished or close enough to make no difference and proper testing can be done in a corporate environment. Anyone claiming that they wont be deploying Windows 8 is just blowing BS because no corporation is going to base rollout decisions on a beta OS, and corporations are now just starting to move to Windows 7 in numbers and will examine Windows 8 when its final and after testing will make a decision. Those claiming otherwise are just spreading FUD.

Sadly, there were "IT Pros" passing judgment as far back as the DP as if it were final code. Also, sadly, these are more likely to be the people that go around saying "XP is teh pwnz0rz"

[migo]

Ultimately, they're not going to be able to cause much damage. The average user will see that Windows 8 boots way faster, and that it has a system refresh function for when things get problematic, while still preserving user files. It'll see some pretty quick adoption, driver issues aside. Maybe not as quick as 7, but it won't be as slow as Vista either.

[migo]

And you can still run Windows 7 instead of changing to 8.

My mistake, I thought you were making a legitimate contribution to this thread.

[firey]

My mistake, I thought you were making a legitimate contribution to this thread.

I was, and I was stating why I need/use the start button/menu. I wasn't wanting to be told "use the run box" to have a similar experience. Which really isn't the case anyways.

[Ashl]

You're not making any sense. With the trend towards laptops over desktops, which I agree with, you're losing benefit from having multiple programs open side by side, and you need to make the best use possible of what you have.

If you read I say laptops with a secondary monitor(so effectively a Desktop) which will definitely be on the increase in the workplace due to the productivity benefits, Windows 8 is completely contradictory to that concept and will become quite annoying with having to use corners on a certain screen to access things. What they should have been focusing on is implementing functions to solve this problem built in like duplicated startbars as an option for duplicated screens.

On another aside, can you 50/50 split or am I stuck with this weird 80/20 where you can't read anything in the 20 in for example a web browser making it not really 2 useful things on the screen? If you use the desktop as the right of these 2 splits, is it just me or should the replacement right click menu(containing run, search etc) work on the left bottom corner of the desktop(ie where the start button would have been) as well as left bottom corner of the screen at this point? It seems pretty odd having stuff appearing in a window off to the right(like opening control panel etc) when your mucking about the a corner in your metro area of the screen.

[rfirth]

On another aside, can you 50/50 split or am I stuck with this weird 80/20 where you can't read anything in the 20 in for example a web browser making it not really 2 useful things on the screen?

Aero Snap... Microsoft made a bunch of commercials about this when Windows 7 came out... awesome easy 50-50 splits...

[Ashl]

Aero Snap... Microsoft made a bunch of commercials about this when Windows 7 came out... awesome easy 50-50 splits...

I like that feature in Windows 7, I mean within the Metro view on Windows 8 where you can multitask within that.

[migo]

If you read I say laptops with a secondary monitor(so effectively a Desktop) which will definitely be on the increase in the workplace due to the productivity benefits, Windows 8 is completely contradictory to that concept and will become quite annoying with having to use corners on a certain screen to access things. What they should have been focusing on is implementing functions to solve this problem built in like duplicated startbars as an option for duplicated screens.

I would imagine it wouldn't be hard for them to enable Metro for the laptop and Legacy for the extended screen.

On another aside, can you 50/50 split or am I stuck with this weird 80/20 where you can't read anything in the 20 in for example a web browser making it not really 2 useful things on the screen? If you use the desktop as the right of these 2 splits, is it just me or should the replacement right click menu(containing run, search etc) work on the left bottom corner of the desktop(ie where the start button would have been) as well as left bottom corner of the screen at this point? It seems pretty odd having stuff appearing in a window off to the right(like opening control panel etc) when your mucking about the a corner in your metro area of the screen.

I think at the moment it's just 80/20, but yeah, being able to set any split, as well as having top/bottom options.

There's a difference between the current implementation of Metro and what could be done with the UI.

[jakelou]

Why doesn't MS just give people the option to go Desktop specific or Metro specific? Outline it in a tutorial during a tutorial, so all normal consumers press Metro specific. Desktop Specific, all Metro apps will become invisible. If you manage to click on one (say through Explorer, etc), then a simple prompt will tell you to that you need to be in Metro mode for this functionality. Essentially, Windows 7 with a new login screen and boot logo.

It'll cut all this complaining from advanced users, while still maintaining the Metro ecosystem.

On a side note, the worst thing about Metro is the limited settings. Want to see more settings? The desktop control panel launches. This is a hacker solution. Silly MS.

[migo]

Better to start from scratch with a clean base and add features in slowly than do some weird hybrid hack that has some legacy junk. At the moment having Metro with legacy as backup is a better long term solution.

Apple did the same thing with offering Classic mode for OSX.

[Dot Matrix]

For an OS that's "unusable", I sure have gotten a lot of work done these past two days of using nothing but Windows 8. :/

[migo]

Yeah, while there are certain functions that are slowed down a bit in Windows 8 compared to 7, there's nothing you can do in Windows 7 that you can't do in Windows 8, and in a lot of ways it's faster. Of course, you could also do a lot of the things Windows 8 has still using the start button and menu, but that's a minor thing.

[psreloaded]

In Metro UI you just start typing. No need for the start button on keyboard. Just start typing.

but to get to the metro UI you need to press the start button from desktop once...

My problem with the start button not being there is simple... The old start button was tailor made for mouse input and works great on Windows 7. To me, metro on desktop seems to be a regression when compared to aero. We don't design a car like a boat to make it work on both places. They should have kept the option to disable metro. This is just my opinion. Someone might have an opposite opinion from me and I am fine with it. At the end it won't matter, the final version will more or less look like the CP and possibly the start button is never coming back. I'll perhaps stick to win 7 as long as I can.

[migo]

Yes, the start button was designed for a mouse, but many people already use a touchpad instead of a mouse, and Metro is much better for that.

[exotoxic]

is there any real logical reason NOT to have it?

Money... If they don't change the UI then people will think its the same as windows 7 and not upgrade. Its only changed for the sake of change.

The reason why the start menu is needed is because it work with no fuss, its easy to use and everyone is used to it. The "progress" argument is just silly... if it works with no problems why change it?? Who had problems using the start menu??

Keep touch UI to touch devices.

[Daedroth]

I enjoy the start bar, and I've become very dependant on the start bar search facility to quickly find applications or files.

[migo]

Money... If they don't change the UI then people will think its the same as windows 7 and not upgrade. Its only changed for the sake of change.

The reason why the start menu is needed is because it work with no fuss, its easy to use and everyone is used to it. The "progress" argument is just silly... if it works with no problems why change it?? Who had problems using the start menu??

Keep touch UI to touch devices.

Lots of people had problems with the start menu. As simple as people like to say it is, navigating it isn't always easy.

[UncleSpellbinder]

After using Windows 8 as my primary OS since it's release, I have no need for a start button. I just see no need.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

After using Windows 8 as my primary OS since it's release, I have no need for a start button. I just see no need.

Windows 8 was released?!?! where can I buy a copy?

lol I had to :p

[UncleSpellbinder]

OK...OK

Should of said Customer Preview.

:laugh:

[mrp04]

I have 4 screen's what about me? What about People who have a 30 inch monitor?

I have a 30" monitor + 23" in portrait next to it. Windows 8 works just fine on it. I don't spend more than 2 seconds in the start screen when I need to launch a program. I also do not need to look at some other window while my start screen is open, and neither does anyone else. I press start, type a few letters in, and press enter. Same as Windows 7 but I get all the new features of 8.

The start screen is actually pretty awesome. I have weather pinned on it. All I need to do is hit the start button and it updates the weather on there. Hit the start button again and I'm back to where I was. More and more things will integrate into there and I will be able to just hit the start button to see any notifications, then hit it again to go back to where I was. I find this very efficient.

[migo]

The start screen is actually pretty awesome. I have weather pinned on it. All I need to do is hit the start button and it updates the weather on there. Hit the start button again and I'm back to where I was. More and more things will integrate into there and I will be able to just hit the start button to see any notifications, then hit it again to go back to where I was. I find this very efficient.

It seems MS will finally get what they were going for when they made Active Desktop with IE4.