Start8 brings the Start Menu back

By LightShadow
in Microsoft (Windows)

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CentralDogma

Posted
Posted

Adds option for WinKey to show fullscreen Metro desktop

Unless I'm missing something, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Edit: OK, looks like that's not an option for classic style menu. Definitely sticking with Classic Shell.

This version of Start8 is only intended as a Beta and will stop working on October 1, 2012.

That's unfortunate. Looks like I'll be sticking to Classic Shell until they finish.

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

That's unfortunate. Looks like I'll be sticking to Classic Shell until they finish.

I believe all this means is once October 1st comes, they will be releasing a version you have to pay for, just as they did with Fences, a Stardock program which I personally love as although I do not have a ton on my desktop, I do keep some stuff, and Fences organizes anything on the desktop brilliantly.

I think I am one of the only people on Neowin who has yet to even install 8. I just plan on doing so when it is finally released. I like to be adventurous. :laugh:

Grand Master

Chris123NT

Posted
Posted

This program has now officially become awesome. Earlier versions were pointless as it was just "mini-metro". This is the only fully functional win 7 start menu for windows 8, especially if you look at the start search capabilities.

Ahh now I can type and actually have it search files or settings right there without me having to click the damn category every time.

Veteran

Darrian

Posted
Posted

I liked Start8 before, but now I love it. Now they just need to let us customize it a bit. I desperately need to be able to add links to videos and downloads, as well as expand the control panel into a menu instead of a link to it, in order for this to feel truly complete. This is just brilliant, thank you Stardock (and I don't say that very often these days)!

Grand Master

Arceles

Posted
Posted

Lol, Windows 8 has suddenly made the very start menu immortal, thanks to 3rd party applications, the one that mimics it the best is Start8 right now, so much for trying to eliminate a legacy way to access program, their very arrogance to impose metro will pretty much allow the start menu to find its way through any windows thanks to this...

Grand Master

Boo Berry

Posted
Posted

Yeah, it's looking like you'll have to pay for Start8 come October, which is worth it. They'd sell me on it right now over Classic Shell if they port every single Customize Start Menu feature over from Windows 7, especially "Number of recent programs to display" and "Number of recent items to display in Jump Lists" where you can change the size (20 and 20 is fine) and the "Use large icons" toggle that Windows 7 has.

P.S. The only reason I'd need a start menu restored is a quick way to shutdown/restart the PC, instead of the hoops you have to jump through otherwise.

Grand Master

Arceles

Posted
Posted

Yeah, it's looking like you'll have to pay for Start8 come October, which is worth it. They'd sell me on it right now over Classic Shell if they port every single Customize Start Menu feature over from Windows 7, especially "Number of recent programs to display" and "Number of recent items to display in Jump Lists" where you can change the size (20 and 20 is fine) and the "Use large icons" toggle that Windows 7 has.

I pretty much would do the same, I can't believe how fast now fells navigate through windows 8... and just by this single program, impressive.

Mentor

abysal

Posted
Posted

Yeah, it's looking like you'll have to pay for Start8 come October, which is worth it. They'd sell me on it right now over Classic Shell if they port every single Customize Start Menu feature over from Windows 7, especially "Number of recent programs to display" and "Number of recent items to display in Jump Lists" where you can change the size (20 and 20 is fine) and the "Use large icons" toggle that Windows 7 has.

P.S. The only reason I'd need a start menu restored is a quick way to shutdown/restart the PC, instead of the hoops you have to jump through otherwise.

Yep. I'd also like control panel settings items to be indexed for searching.

Grand Master

Chris123NT

Posted
Posted

man isnt nice to know how many people cant use windows without a start button.. people if u cant use 8 without a start button go back to 7

I have no problem with the BUTTON not being there, but I like the option to have a menu so i can quickly open something without taking focus off what I am working on. Windows 8 isn't all about Metro, there are many improvements on the desktop as well, and now having an app that lets you work on that desktop uninterrupted is a huge bonus.

Veteran

CentralDogma

Posted
Posted

I believe all this means is once October 1st comes, they will be releasing a version you have to pay for, just as they did with Fences, a Stardock program which I personally love as although I do not have a ton on my desktop, I do keep some stuff, and Fences organizes anything on the desktop brilliantly.

I think I am one of the only people on Neowin who has yet to even install 8. I just plan on doing so when it is finally released. I like to be adventurous. :laugh:

Oh, I don't have 8 either. I tried it on the RC I have running on an old PC.

Start8 is nice, it fixes one of my main annoyances with Classic Shell: Classic Shell doesn't actually use the built in Windows list of frequently used programs, it creates it's own list from programs you open using Classic Shell. Start8 seems to use the built in list, which is nice.

But, I'm not willing to pay for just that, so I'll probably just stick with Classic Shell.

Grand Master

bandit_liberty_rumble

Posted
Posted

Windows 8 actually starts to feel like a sane operating system again once you've installed this, set it to go directly to the desktop (although that seems to work only intermittently?),enabled the classic style start menu, disabled Windows 8 hotspots and removed the Metro app file associations.

Plus, you still have the option to enter Metro-land whenever you feel so adventurous. And the hotspots continue to work fine in Metro (and make a lot more sense there). The Metro start screen will now be reserved purely for Metro apps.

post-5569-0-10850600-1346336080.png

Grand Master

Fraud OS 11

Posted
Posted

This new Start8 beta is quite impressive. Beats Classic Shell in some key areas:

- Recent Jump lists (Classic Shell has unified Recent Items list)

- Launch Metro apps (Classic Shell lets you Shift+Winkey or Shift+click to go the Start screen to launch them)

- Highlighting newly installed apps (Classic Shell doesn't have this)

- Search (Start8's search still needs some work, but nevertheless, it searches apps and files, not settings, Classic Shell searches apps and settings, not files)

- Shows system MRU/MFU program list (Classic Shell uses its own MRU list)

Classic Shell has some catching up to do in some areas, in many areas like classic menu functionality, total customization, skinning, Explorer and IE fixes it's already far ahead. :)

Experienced

Mugwump00

Posted
Posted

I was starting to get used to the Start Screen, but boy do I miss a MRU-apps and occasional-apps-with-jumplists menu. If MS has just ported those features over, I would denounce this as retro-nonsense, but as it is, my first 5 minutes are very pleasing.

Any word of the $$??s?

They need to sort out the awful old chroming of the Power-control button and user's image. Looks cheesey.

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