Do you want the start menu in Windows 8?


Do you want the start menu in Windows 8  

631 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you want the start menu in Windows 8?

    • Yes
      351
    • No
      280


Recommended Posts

Funny, thats more akin to what the removal did that the opposite. Bad metaphor.

If all we 'needed' was search and an app launch we'd have chosen a Mac FFS. That Windows went beyond such simplistic hooey is why its the dominant Desktop platform.

It's hard, from the grammar and/or misspellings and lack of articulation, to divine exactly what your point is... If you're saying that the Start screen is like a large dial and that the menu was like digital buttons in the limited terms of an app launcher, I'd disagree. The Start screen is more like a full screen menu.

:blink:

Have you ever used a rotary phone before? I would love to hear about these "special cases" that are quicker with a rotary phone than a dialpad.

Have you ever used a rotary phone before?!?!? (spittle flying) :D I grew up in the '80s. So, of course I've used a rotary phone.

Here is a special case, it's cold and you've got gloves on. It's much easier and faster to dial a rotary with thick gloves on than to dial on a digital pad.

There are several more special cases that I could make, and each of them is as silly and specialized as the arguments that the Start menu is faster than the Start screen.

If you believe that the menu is quicker, that's your opinion, but my opinion is that that is ridiculous, unless it's cold out and you've got gloves on...

I used version 2.1.39.0 but the failure seemed to occur using the stock Windows driver as well. My particular controller is the uPD7200200A, latest firmware. I'm not sure what the USB3 issue is, all I know is that it makes Windows 8 unusable for me. I even disabled the USB3 chipset and used the board's USB 2.0 controller and the same problems even happened there.

There's no choice because Microsoft felt ready for a new step in pace. They're ready for something new. Whether you want to follow that or not is up to you, but there's dozens of new technologies out there, that can't play nice with the desktop UI. Point and click was great in the 90's but today, there's more than that, and it where people want to go. You have touch, motion, augmented reality, etc, while other technologies have yet to be invented.

You say you don't see an advantage, but I do. Metro and Windows RT have opened up more doors for Microsoft than continuing with the dull desktop GUI (Just look at Surface). If you want to hide behind windows full of code, that's great, but the vast majority of users don't want that. They want something quick and easy to use, so they can be on with their day. Again, My keyboard works great with Windows 8. It's not going away at all, but this notion that we have to spend our days pointing and clicking away at 10px x 10px UI elements is old and tired.

Where is Windows update on this list? With the Start Menu, it would show up, but not on here. Thus proving the fact that the Start Screen is not faster than the start menu.

Requiring somebody to click Settings means it is slower.

post-249286-0-27821000-1360968812.jpg

How is this "great"? Look at all my wasted space here that is just a solid color. How is that better than a little start menu that shows search results?

How do I get to the desktop Windows Update without going to control panel first? The only way I can tell is selecting the option "Install Optional Updates" AFTER you click Settings.

Metro and Windows RT have opened up more doors for Microsoft than continuing with the dull desktop GUI

What is so boring about the desktop UI? You can have (if you have the screen estate) dozens of windows open and VISIBLE at the SAME DAMN TIME. Do not want boring? You can watch dozens (again if you have the screen resolution) videos at the same time. Want to be notified about emails? Outlook has had that for years.

How is the desktop so dull? The Start Screen is what is dull. These flat colors are what is dull.

but this notion that we have to spend our days pointing and clicking away at 10px x 10px UI elements is old and tired

Right invisible hot corners are a MUCH MUCH better solution than providing a visual cue.

  • Like 2
I'm not sure what the USB3 issue is, all I know is that it makes Windows 8 unusable for me. I even disabled the USB3 chipset and used the board's USB 2.0 controller and the same problems even happened there.

Maybe it is something to do with the BIOS then since people have said updating that fixes the issue. Who knows why...

Where is Windows update on this list? With the Start Menu, it would show up, but not on here. Thus proving the fact that the Start Screen is not faster than the start menu.

Except with the start screen things are organized logically. With Windows 7 you'd just get a giant list of applications, files, and settings.

If you're searching for something uncommon like Windows Update (chances of you having files and programs calle d that are 0) then yes you'll just get one option. But say I was looking for explorer, on my computer I have:

2 apps called explorer

5 settings that include explorer

18 files that have explorer

Right invisible hot corners are a MUCH MUCH better solution than providing a visual cue.

They are. Just requires Microsoft to explain them a bit more when the user first boots into Windows 8.

What is so boring about the desktop UI? You can have (if you have the screen estate) dozens of windows open and VISIBLE at the SAME DAMN TIME. Do not want boring? You can watch dozens (again if you have the screen resolution) videos at the same time. Want to be notified about emails? Outlook has had that for years.

And you can still do that in Windows 8...

I might have been one of the proponents to bringing back the start menu, but first, it's obvious that Microsoft has no intention to do so, and second, I find Start8 to be even better than the native start menu because it's even more customizable and otherwise works the same. The only negative to Start8 is that sometimes the menu items will appear with the .lnk extension, but that is an extremely minor glitch and hardly worth mentioning. So, no, Microsoft is done with it, it's time to let other developers do it better. Or just move on to the new Start Screen (personally I prefer to use the Start8 menu on the desktop and fill my Start Screen with only metro apps).

Sheesh. I wonder how many of you all complained when Microsoft moved the log off/shutdown options from a single click in XP and Vista to multiple clicks in Windows 7.

That's still the same amount of clicks :

XP : I click Start button, click log off or shutdown.

Win7: I click Start button, click shutdown or point to > and click log off.

That's still the same amount of clicks :

XP : I click Start button, click log off or shutdown.

Win7: I click Start button, click shutdown or point to > and click log off.

It added a click:

XP: Start > Shutdown/Log Off

7: Start > (depending on your button settings) Shutdown/ Log Off (OR) > (Arrow) > Shutdown/Log Off

Sheesh. I wonder how many of you all complained when Microsoft moved the log off/shutdown options from a single click in XP and Vista to multiple clicks in Windows 7.

It looks like you may be getting low. Let me help replace some of them. Here ya go!

straws.jpg

CLOSE this THREAD already. Beaten to death is an understatement. User should SEARCH the forums to get peoples opinion on the Start Menu. Also, if you want the Start Menu back, go get START8

Close please

I've loaded this garbage OS three or four times in a virtual environment to give it a chance and try to change my perspective/opinion. Same result each time. Sorry *** attempt by MS to merge into the Android, iPhone OS market. Maybe if they can put out a marketable phone first and then follow up with W8 OS might make more logical sense.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTI-gk2-8y7A9FMhQkPsij67CJBCUmcddBsBGjx3x17Pq5c3cnnQw

Maybe it is something to do with the BIOS then since people have said updating that fixes the issue. Who knows why...

Already running the newest bios for my machine

What I don't understand is they already had a Tablet OS it's called "The Windows Phone Operating system". Why couldn't they have put that on a tablet? Apple put their phone OS on their tablet and it looks like they are doing pretty good.

What I don't understand is they already had a Tablet OS it's called "The Windows Phone Operating system". Why couldn't they have put that on a tablet? Apple put their phone OS on their tablet and it looks like they are doing pretty good.

Ok I can get the ad-nauseum start screen bashing... but I'd really like to hear what's wrong with running not only the lightweight tablet oriented apps but also the exact same OS and software as the desktops? Personally they can keep the RT devices, if I wanted a "yet another lightweight consumption device" I'd just pick an Android off the pile (or iPad if you're into the Apple thing).. but whats your problem with the Pro and other devices in that class? Personally I've been using Windows based tablets since XP Tablet Edition and later 7, there's just no comparison. Why screw around hoping some random app can sync with this program, dealing with missing/crippled features, weak web-apps, etc etc versus just installing the exact same software and have productivity skyrocket? Linux your thing? Fine, install it. Just 1000% more flexible. A no brainer.

What I don't understand is they already had a Tablet OS it's called "The Windows Phone Operating system". Why couldn't they have put that on a tablet? Apple put their phone OS on their tablet and it looks like they are doing pretty good.

Maybe because Windows RT/8 is more powerful than Windows Phone?

For me. I don't mind that I will have windows 8, because I can understand them very well since Windows 95. it is easy to use in Windows 8. I went to Bestbuy in Jan 2013 to test Windows 8, and I liked it. I will buy windows 7 for heavier gaming like SWTOR. I will use windows 8 for light game like age of empries online or others.

if you don't like it go back to windows 7 for goodness sake you knew when upgrading the start button had gone

So nobody has the right to express their opinions anymore? Why do we have ANY product reviews of ANYTHING then? Do no like a movie? Fine, just do not write a review about it.

If we do not fight something, it will not change anything. If enough people want the start menu back, it will come back.

  • Like 2

If you're saying that the Start screen is like a large dial and that the menu was like digital buttons in the limited terms of an app launcher, I'd disagree. The Start screen is more like a full screen menu.

Here is a special case, it's cold and you've got gloves on. It's much easier and faster to dial a rotary with thick gloves on than to dial on a digital pad. If you believe that the menu is quicker, that's your opinion, but my opinion is that that is ridiculous, unless it's cold out and you've got gloves on...

Hmm, lets see, which is the more precise control mechanism again? Which one requires a larger hit target? Is calling the SS a full screen menu (NSS) anything but painfully obvious? Funny, seems pretty clear that RT is the glove that makes Desktop users feel analog.

More powerful, lol. Name one app that fits the bill since that was an epic fail on claiming full Office support. OneNote is easily one of the best RT apps yet still pales to its Desktop sibling. I've yet to see a single app (nor do I expect any in the relavent future) buck this trend. Hence support for one of the few things I'll give credit to Apple for, scaling up its mobile, and not squishing down the Desktop which is the tree MS has been barking up (wrongly) for a decade.

Its really the same argument the console/appliance types have always used against the Desktop, they are more than happy to dilute our experience since it doesn't effect their own low expectations.

in which case, "Sadly" Windows 8 will never become a mainstream O/S as the majority of desktop/laptop uses boycott it

+1 - I am usually an early adopter of technology, but when I tried the WIn8 previews and the "desktop" was hidden under the crappy metro interface, and the "start button" was missing, I lost interest in using it.

When the retail version was released, and it was the same, it became the first version of Windows I have never upgraded to (and never will).

in which case, "Sadly" Windows 8 will never become a mainstream O/S as the majority of desktop/laptop uses boycott it

+1 - I am usually an early adopter of technology, but when I tried the WIn8 previews and the "desktop" was hidden under the crappy metro interface, and the "start button" was missing, I lost interest in using it.

When the retail version was released, and it was the same, it became the first version of Windows I have never upgraded to (and never will).

Exactly the same reason. If only it looked better and was made with a PC in mind and not a tablet or phone.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • BATorrent 3.0.2 by Razvan Serea BATorrent is a lightweight, open-source BitTorrent client built with modern C++ and Qt 6, offering a clean, fast, and privacy-focused alternative to traditional torrent apps. It supports magnet links, .torrent files, resume data, sequential downloading, per-file priorities, and even imports from qBittorrent. Power users benefit from integrated RSS auto-download with regex filtering, duplicate detection, and automatic tracker lists from Stremio. Streaming is seamless thanks to auto-detected players like VLC and IINA. BATorrent includes robust VPN tools—interface binding, auto-detection for WireGuard-based services like Mullvad and NordLynx, kill switch, proxy support, and IP filtering. A full WebUI enables remote control, while integrations with Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby automate library updates. With themes, speed scheduling, system-tray alerts, and cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS, BATorrent delivers a polished, high-performance torrenting experience. BATorrent features: Core .torrent file and magnet link support Resume data — picks up where you left off after restart Import torrents from qBittorrent Create .torrent files from any file or folder Sequential download mode Per-file priority control (skip, low, normal, high) Seed ratio limits with auto-pause DHT, PEX, UPnP, NAT-PMP RSS Auto-Download Subscribe to RSS feeds — automatically download new torrents as they appear Regex filters — match only what you want (e.g. 1080p|720p, S01E\d+) Per-feed settings — custom save path, check interval (5–1440 min), enable/disable Auto-download — matched items are downloaded automatically in the background Supports magnet links, .torrent URLs, and tags Tray notifications when items are auto-downloaded Duplicate detection — never downloads the same item twice Stremio Stremio Addon System pre-installed — works out of the box Auto tracker list from ngosang/trackerslist Streaming Play while downloading — stream video files before the download is complete Supports mp4, mkv, avi, mov, wmv, flv, webm, m4v, ts Auto-detects installed players (VLC, IINA, system default) VPN & Privacy Interface binding — lock torrent traffic to a specific network interface (e.g. tun0) Auto VPN detection — identifies VPN interfaces (tun, tap, WireGuard, Mullvad, NordLynx, ProtonVPN) Kill switch — automatically pauses all torrents if the VPN interface drops Auto-resume — resumes only the torrents paused by the kill switch when VPN reconnects Proxy support — SOCKS5 and HTTP proxy with optional authentication IP filtering — load P2P blocklists to block unwanted IP ranges Protocol encryption (enabled / forced / disabled) WebUI Remote management — control torrents from any browser at http://localhost:8080 REST API with JSON responses Add torrents via magnet link or .torrent upload Pause, resume, remove torrents remotely View peers and files per torrent Dark theme matching the desktop app HTTP Basic Auth with SHA-256 password hashing Configurable port and remote access (localhost vs 0.0.0.0) Interface 3 themes: Dark, Light, Midnight (bat/vampire aesthetic) Real-time speed graph Detailed panel with tabs: General, Peers, Files, Trackers Filter bar: search by name, filter by state (Active, Downloading, Seeding, Paused, Finished) Drag & drop .torrent files and magnet links Drag & drop reorder in torrent list System tray with notifications (download complete, kill switch events, RSS auto-downloads) Splash screen with bat animation Bilingual: English and Portuguese (BR), auto-detected from system locale Bandwidth Scheduler Alternative speed limits — set different download/upload limits on a schedule Time range — configure active hours (e.g. 01:00 to 07:00), supports overnight ranges Per-day control — choose which days of the week the schedule applies Automatically switches between normal and alternative speeds Media Server Integration Plex — automatically trigger library scan when a download completes Jellyfin / Emby — same automatic library refresh via API Configure server URL and authentication token/key in Settings System Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS Auto-shutdown — automatically shut down PC when all downloads complete (60s cancellable countdown) Auto-update system (AppImage on Linux, installer on Windows, DMG on macOS) CLI arguments: pass .torrent files or magnet: URIs directly Keyboard shortcuts: Space to toggle pause, Ctrl+A to select all, Ctrl+O to open BATorrent 3.0.2 changelog: Phone pairing & WebUI The browser WebUI was reskinned to match the desktop app — same dark palette, Inter font, flat surfaces, the real BATorrent logo (it was a random bat before), and a proper magnet icon. It now looks like the same product, not a separate dashboard. Pairing is one tap and zero typing: the generated WebUI password is now copyable, and the QR code carries the credentials — scanning it from your phone logs straight in (no typing the IP or password), then drops the credentials from the address bar. Search Two new providers: RuTor (CIS sources, no login, via a public TorAPI relay) and Torrents-CSV. Results are sorted by seeders (healthiest first), and each search now times out after 15 s so one dead provider can't hang the UI. Files & trackers Per-file priority is back: right-click a file in the detail panel to set Skip / Low / Normal / High. Rename an individual file inside a torrent (double-click or the file menu), separate from renaming the torrent. Remove a tracker from a torrent (the ✕ on a tracker row); adding was already there. Smart Paste on Ctrl+V — paste a magnet, a 40-char info-hash, or a .torrent URL straight from the clipboard and it's added immediately (text fields still paste text normally). Covers & titles Anime fansub naming ([Group] Title - NN) now resolves to the right show. Audio channel layouts in titles (DDP5.1, 7.1, …) are stripped so they don't pollute cover matching. Under the hood The legacy QWidget interface is gone. QML had been the only UI since 3.0.0 (reachable old code lived behind a hidden --legacy flag); with parity confirmed, the entire QWidget layer — main window, every dialog, the theme manager — was removed (~13,400 lines). The four restored actions above were features that backend already supported but the QML port had never wired. macOS: the WebUI password hash moved out of the keychain into app settings, so launching the app no longer pops a login-keychain password prompt on unsigned builds. The actual password still lives in the keychain. Cleanup: ~400 orphaned translation strings and a batch of dead code removed; internal duplication collapsed; an ARCHITECTURE.md added for contributors. Unit / security / memory tests and the ASan/UBSan/TSan sanitizers stay green. Download: BATorrent 3.0.2 | 30.5 MB (Open Source) Download: BATorrent Portable | 42.3 MB Links: BATorrent Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • How about a global switch to turn the awful things off instead of a registry hack? Then everyone wins.
    • This doesn't strike me as so shocking when... " IT admins do have some control over this rollout. If they choose to opt out, devices in their tenant won't automatically get the dreaded Copilot app"
  • Recent Achievements

    • Mentor
      grik went up a rank
      Mentor
    • Dedicated
      JKR earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Year In
      CHUNWEI earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      FBSPL earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Week One Done
      I2D earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      468
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      257
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      60
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!