Microsoft May Bring Full Start Menu Back in Windows 8.2

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Now that you've used it a while, have you realized any advantage using Windows 8? Is there anything that makes your experience better than when you ran Windows 7?
 
I'm Sys Admin and have run Windows Server from NT to 2008 and now... 2012 is absolutely HORRIBLE!! I'd rather run Server Core (powershell mode) rather than try and find my way around the some dumb-arse Engineers design of trying to streamline the GUI that closely resembles Win8, confusing as he77, GUI interface. Server Admins do not need consumer grade streamline windows version running on Server O/S's. I waste more time navigating to find **it on all our 2012 servers. Bring back the typical Full Start Menu for Servers O/S's too!!
 
It's about time.

Forcing a tablet-centric interface across the board on Windows 8 was a serious fumble on Microsoft's part. Tablets are great for their niche uses. But they are NOT a 1-size fits all solution.

Popularity =/= superiority. Most computing and work tasks are still faster and more efficient on a PC or laptop. And the interface needs to match the device, or in the case of tablets that convert to laptops, the way the device is being used at the time.

Changing Windows 8 to allow users to chose the interface that best suits their current use scenario is the best solution. Large tiles with touch support for tablet mode. Start button with keyboard and mouse while typing / working.
 
I don't understand why people have been so dead-set against Metro. I have seen peoples desktops that have been completely occluded by icons, and I think that's what MS is going for here, just a different way, having your desktop completely obliterated by tiles.

Still, I agree with the poster who said that it should be a toggle. If you want Metro, you can have it. If not, traditional Start. That's a good idea. 🙂
 


Because sometimes eye candy is not better than a simple list view. In fact with the tile interface, if you don't know exactly where your icon is, then you'll have to do more scanning and processing of picture information in your brain to find the application you're looking for. It's simply not the most efficient method of doing things. At least with a list view in the start menu, you can find thing logically through alphabetical order. The most common programs you use will be on the desktop and you can memorize exactly where they are.. It's a far more efficient way of doing things.


It just seems like microsoft went totally in the wrong direction by trying to make the OS easier to operate for new computer buyers. They should be paying attention to how many mouse clicks and scrolling, and eye scanning time it takes to find something. Make it more efficient, so even if people don't like it, they can get used to the increased productivity and speed, so they'll eventually adopt it. I tried windows 8 for a few months, then swapped back to windows 7. I did the same thing when vista came out, and switched back to XP.
 
I'm Sys Admin and have run Windows Server from NT to 2008 and now... 2012 is absolutely HORRIBLE!! I'd rather run Server Core (powershell mode) rather than try and find my way around the some dumb-arse Engineers design trying to streamline the GUI that closely resembles Win8, confusing as he77, GUI interface. Server Admins do not need consumer grade streamlined Windows version running on Server O/S's. I waste more time navigating to find **it on all our 2012 servers. Bring back the typical Full Start Menu for Servers O/S's too!!
 
The entire point of the Metro UI was to force people to get used to that interface for their xbox system, tablets, and home entertainment system. It is completely impractical for business applications and is completely pointless on a desktop. When it was shown that no business would even think to upgrade to that mess they thought it better to go back to the original desktop design. Until they revert back to the old design, I will continue using win 7.
 
Microsoft produced Windows 8 as a way to get more app developers to work on MS-related apps for phones, tablets, desktop apps, and, probably, to get people into the habit of purchasing Windows apps. That probably worked. (Any other argument fails to be convincing. If the old-style desktop was so bad, why is it that Apple and Linux were in no hurry to overhaul theirs? If any company could be expected to make a major change in a desktop OS, it would be Apple, who made no such change.) Unfortunately for MS, enough people rejected Windows 8 to cause Ballmer to lose his job and to cause PC sales to slump badly. Some people are just waiting for Windows 9, hoping that it will be a winner (as in “Windows ME & Vista déjà vu”). However, plenty of people are deciding this is a good time to switch to Apple or Linux. (Imagine what MS must be expecting when Dell, HP, etc., call--perhaps something like, “If you guys don’t come up with a decent OS soon, we and you are all toast!”)
Reviews of Office 365 are, surprisingly, fairly positive. Xbox must be pretty successful. Enterprise and server operating systems and services are robust, so MS isn’t incompetent. Skype and Bing are at least functional.
What is MS to do? I really don’t know. Perhaps the desktop OS is now mature enough that there’s little profit to be made from incremental improvements, and MS must concentrate on its other product lines to maintain profits. (Wouldn’t it be cool to see MS hand over the Windows 7 desktop code to the open source community?)
 
Funny thing this... When windows 8 first came out, there was an option to bring back the start menu. Microsoft disabled it because they are out of touch with their customers. only NOW after it has started to hurt their wallets in a major way are they "considering" putting it back... The whole WaRTy OS business is also a huge teller of how out of touch the company is. Burn all the hardware OEMS by charging them an arm and a leg for the OS and release your own tablet that no other OEM can compete with due to BOM costs. OEMS have to pay for the OS microsoft doesn't. I really doubt any OEM now has any incentive, even with a free version of WaRTy windows to make a tablet that addresses a miniscule market share with almost 0 app developer support.
 


Lol, I'm sure you're capitalistic framed mind wouldn't process a tough-love style attempt at steering you into a free, light, more functional alternative to a mainstream application.

In reply to your question, no, I did not, and I don't even use it myself, actually. Firefox does a fine job at ready PDFs all by its own (without a plugin) and it's enough for me. But if you must use a PDF reader, you'll be better off using good software. But this is offtopic and my remark was offtopic in the first place. I apologize.
 
In Windows 8.1, Microsoft brought back the Start button, and now rumors have it that Microsoft is bringing back the full Start menu in the Windows 8.2. Start Menu had been since 1995, until Windows 8 comes. Here is some more news... http://techtimes.co/news/microsoft-may-bring-back-full-start-menu-windows-8-2/
 
I recently bought my 80+ year old mother a new computer for Christmas. Her current PC runs XP, and with XP not getting any more updates after April 2014, I had to do something to keep her current. I bought a new PC online and bought it with Windows 7 Pro and not Windows 8.x because the Metro UI is just to much of a change for her. I don't want to spend a year teaching her how to work the new UI. I can make Windows 7 look like XP and that makes things easy for me who will have to support her.
 
When I open an Acrobat reader file from the desktop, it takes me to the metro edition.
Click to expand...
You could just do what people have always done when they want to associate a file type with a program, set it up as the default program. There is no way for the OS to know which program you want to use to open a file if you don't tell it.
 
Microsoft needed to provide the classic start menu with Windows 8, with a simple way to enable the Metro UI if users wanted it. Unfortunately Microsoft is creating a trend of not listening to their customers until sales numbers decrease!
 
Well, it doesn't really matter what you and I think. I think this change will be brought about by businesses. Corporations do not want to pay to retrain their workers. So I am sure some pressure was put on MS "to bring the Start Menu back or else". When this is released, MS will sell so many copies, I am sure they will put out press releases about how Win 8.2 is the fastest selling OS of all time and they will break their arm patting themselves on the back.

If they would have only listened in the first place.
 
There is no reason why metro apps can not appear on the normal desktop much like in the way windows 7 gadgets did, they could simply flick the desktop to the left or right to access additional desktops like with android.
 
I can't believe the endless debate and criticism of Microsoft. go play with Linux if you want to design every aspect of an OS yourself. or calm down and leave it to the professionals. they have a lot of money invested in getting this right. yes it's annoying that we keep having to reinstall our programs, that's why they're introducing the cloud. it sux that there's software bugs, security flaws, and inefficient usage of hardware in xp, vista, and 7. but hey. welcome to earth. also sux that we weren't born 50 years into the future when mankind achieved world peace, solved famine and disease, and provided us all with biomechanically immortal cybernetic bodies. a day in the near future, when everything is intuitive and the mouse is our telekinetic brain, UI aesthetics will blow anything today out of the water, and we'll all look back and realize how banal and pointless this trolling is. I understand that feedback is required for them to improve their product but geeze guys. don't lose sleep over it. seems like a lot of ppl are way too upset.
 
I'm the opposite of most people. I never really used the Start Menu much until Vista and Windows 7. Before these versions, my desktop was an unruly, jumbled mess of icons (like the Start Screen in 8 can be).

When I could pin programs I use most to the menu and leave all extraneous stuff I never/rarely use in "All Programs", plus pin folders to the Windows Explorer icon in the taskbar, I loved it!

My desktop was cleaner and everything I needed was available to me in one or two clicks of my mouse. I also love Aero Glass and the 3D effects that give Windows 7 a sophisticated, clean, modern feel.

This is all because of a little button that happily sat in the lower left corner of the Taskbar. Windows 8.0 I was lost in at first, but figured it out. I still preferred my Start button *and* menu as getting all touchy-feely, gropey with my monitor is not appealing to me. The Modern UI really didn't thrill me being a non-touch device user.

Windows 8.1 was more manageable with the Start button, desktop/Modern wallpaper sharing, and ability to boot to desktop. Added Classic Shell and it's more conducive and pleasing to use. Miss Aero though.

All I ever wanted was a choice in Windows: a traditional desktop version with a Start button/menu or go all-in on Modern. It was offensive being shoved into a hybrid world of both, then a little more separate-but-together in 8.1.

Here's hoping 8.2 divorces the two environments while implementing a choice between the two. For traditional desktop users, if Windows 8.2 operates and looks like 7, but with the improved underpinnings of 8.x, Windows 8.2 will be one of, if not the biggest seller yet.
 
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