The First Glimpse of the Windows 8 Start Menu

[DSpider]

Reminds me of a minimalistic LiteStep theme I had back in '08 just for gaming. Except this one doesn't blend well with the rest of the interface.

Two clocks? Were they deliberately aiming for a "wtf is this shіt" reaction?

 

[malphas]

Looks unfinished, but I'm glad they're doing something to modernise the Start Menu as well as introducing the Metro UI. The amount of mass whining based on a small screenshot is hilarious, the exact same thing happened during the early previews of Windows 7, yet now everyone is claiming they're going to stick with Windows 7 forever. Some people are just irrationally resistant to change, I guess.

 

[anony2004]

What the hell? These smartphones and tablets are ruining my beloved all-powerful PCs.

 

[hetneo]

Looks very dumbed down, hope there will be option to use old style start menu.

 

[schmich]

[citation][nom]the_krasno[/nom]It looks like a minimalistic Win7, I kinda dig that style.[/citation]
You mean the useless style? Where everything is just 13593 clicks away instead of 1.

 

[Guest]

Finally, a minimalistic and cleaner start menu - the old one was really too bulky. I'm throwing up at the sight of ribbons in win. explorer though. Gues I'll be using Directory Opus as I've been doing for years.

 

[damianrobertjones]

[citation][nom]nww02[/nom]Windows is becoming a torture for non-techies to use. Probably why they're all going to Android.[/citation]

Not so here in the UK as not ONE PERSON has Android on their desktop where I live

 

[stridernz]

I reckon that it's context sensitive.. It have obviously been brought up with the windows key or another keyboard combination.. Do people really believe that they will just abandon the existing start menu with all of it's many options, for something with just 4 options? I doubt it.

 

[cookoy]

are windows users getting dumber or the developers are?

 

[c0oim4n]

Didn't they originally include the Start Bar so people could easily find files, applications, etc? Why would they dumb it down and completely destroy the original purpose?

 

[back_by_demand]

I guess these comments go to show only one thing, that you can't please everybody.

For those that hate it, simply change the appearance, the fact you have been able to revert to an older interface in every version of Windows for the past 13 years says everything you need to know.

 

[nebun]

personally i think that there will be a way to make it look and function like win7...just like how you could make vista look and feel like and xp version....we just have to wait and see....then again if you don't like it , don't buy it, or you could just get the Lion, lol

 

[killerclick]

What's happening with Microsoft is like when you have a pregnant fly and you spray it with bug spray. It starts panicking, convulsing and giving birth to maggots in a last ditch attempt to do something useful. Microsoft is dead, it just doesn't know it yet.

 

[megiv]

But why Ribbon...WHY????

I hope they make a classic/No Ribbon options available....

 

[Rizlla]

Windows 7 is going to be like XP, everyone is going to use it for years to come. Windows 8 = Vista, complete waste and useless.

 

[CaedenV]

so long and good riddance to the start menu! Really, when was the last time you used it for 'convenience'? I only use it when I need to open a program I dont normally use, and even then it feels like the Harry Potter "Room of Requirement"; a sloppy catch-all that must be sifted and sorted through to find what I want to get at. Most programs that you use all the time are in the quicklaunch bar (XP), or the superbar (win7). Most programs are opened contextually by opening a file. My computer is set up to open a viewer by default, and if I want to edit something then it is just rt click -> open with, and select the editor I want to use. In fact the only programs I use that are not this way are my internet browser, windows media player, the calculator, and a small handful of games that I play on a regular basis. Everything else is through windows explorer, it is way easier to use than the start menu (unless you have no concept of file management and don't know where you put anything in which case you should probably be using a Mac... they dont want you to find anything on the hard drive).

I mean really, who sits there scrolling through the start menu trying to remember what the folder is for the developer name in order to find the program they are looking for, then wait for the program to load, and select file -> open and then browse for the file you are looking for? That is soooo backwards! Granted, needed for new people, but you reading this site are not new to computers!
Also, my bet is that the start menu shown here is temporary as it has the metro UI scheme instead of the desktop theme. It may have the same options in the end, but nobody is dumb enough to keep a black color scheme on one small item when it clashes with everything else.

 

[CaedenV]

oh, and no, I don't use the start menu to shut down either. the laptop closes and goes to sleep/hybernate, and the desktop has a power button on the keyboard which puts it to sleep. Pressing the power button on either shuts the machine down on the rare occasion that it needs to turn off all the way.
I did realize that I do use the start menu to get to control panel, but once the computer is set up I dont generally use that very often.

 

[christop]

Bring on the beta please..

 

[genghiskron]

I still prefer the Windows XP start menu, which allows you to put both programs AND SHORTCUTS TO FILE LOCATIONS on it for convenient access. why was this feature taken away....

 

[zak_mckraken]

I still can't believe how "tech savvy" users here have so much resistance to change. We claim we want innovation, but when we have it we switch back to "classic". It's really paradoxical.

 

[RipperjackAU]

[citation][nom]deksman[/nom]Meh... I think change should be embraced[/citation]

Might as well, its not like we have much choice in the matter. Besides, most people will never see this, as they are still on Windows XP!

 

[dickcheney]

[citation][nom]zak_mckraken[/nom]I still can't believe how "tech savvy" users here have so much resistance to change. We claim we want innovation, but when we have it we switch back to "classic". It's really paradoxical.[/citation]

I never asked for any innovation whatsoever.

I just want small UI tweaks. If its not broken, dont fix it. Ignorance on the part of the end user is not a reason to change the UI.

My Windows 7 has quick launch icons, a normal tray icon zone and nothing is ever pinned. I launch all my applications from the quick launch bar or the start menu.

Adding layers of crap to make it ''look cleaner'' is not innovation btw.

 

[dickcheney]

[citation][nom]genghiskron[/nom]I still prefer the Windows XP start menu, which allows you to put both programs AND SHORTCUTS TO FILE LOCATIONS on it for convenient access. why was this feature taken away....[/citation]

Its still in Windows 7.[citation][nom]caedenv[/nom]so long and good riddance to the start menu! Really, when was the last time you used it for 'convenience'? I only use it when I need to open a program I dont normally use, and even then it feels like the Harry Potter "Room of Requirement"; a sloppy catch-all that must be sifted and sorted through to find what I want to get at. Most programs that you use all the time are in the quicklaunch bar (XP), or the superbar (win7). Most programs are opened contextually by opening a file. My computer is set up to open a viewer by default, and if I want to edit something then it is just rt click -> open with, and select the editor I want to use. In fact the only programs I use that are not this way are my internet browser, windows media player, the calculator, and a small handful of games that I play on a regular basis. Everything else is through windows explorer, it is way easier to use than the start menu (unless you have no concept of file management and don't know where you put anything in which case you should probably be using a Mac... they dont want you to find anything on the hard drive).I mean really, who sits there scrolling through the start menu trying to remember what the folder is for the developer name in order to find the program they are looking for, then wait for the program to load, and select file -> open and then browse for the file you are looking for? That is soooo backwards! Granted, needed for new people, but you reading this site are not new to computers!Also, my bet is that the start menu shown here is temporary as it has the metro UI scheme instead of the desktop theme. It may have the same options in the end, but nobody is dumb enough to keep a black color scheme on one small item when it clashes with everything else.[/citation]

Grats on failing to use the start menu properly for all those years. You should put all your shortcuts, using the ''small icon'' feature. You hide everything that you dont use.

I guess you use a wall of icons? lol

 

[rohitbaran]

So, they seem to have changed the start button to the old style again from the round button in Vista and 7.

 

[Guest]

i find it amazing sometimes that users dont really think about their actually usage pattern, since win7 i have rarely ever needed to dive into all programs, those that i use most often are pinned to the taskbar, if it's not on the taskbar i just punch the windows key type in the first few char of the name and the search functionality is pretty fast in giving me what i want

between pinned items, search functionality and desktop icons (of which i try my hardest to minimize the numbers) i dont think im going be missing the all programs any time soon