tolham :
I haven't used windows 8 yet, but now that I think about it, I hardly ever use the start menu on my windows 7. I only use it when I need to access the control panel, admin tools and the shutdown/restart button. if I had shortcuts for those things, I would never need the start menu.
In 8 all you have to do is right click in the lower left hand corner, or on 8.1 the Start Button and everything is there set with admin rights by default.
Its like a cut down start menu with things most people ever go to the start menu for anyways.
Most customers machines I work on are a mess on the desktop because that's what they use. The don't use the start menu as much as others do.
Overall 8/8.1 is fine. This software is extra load on the OS itself and acts as a API which takes over Metro which is still running. Its extra power being used. Sort of annoying.
But whatever it takes for Lenovo to get sales. I personally prefer a clean OS install be it 7 or 8 anyways.