This Windows 8.1 Demo Actually Uses Mouse, Start Button

[exfileme]

Microsoft demonstrates who the Start button and wallpaper unifies the desktop and Modern UI experience.

This Windows 8.1 Demo Actually Uses Mouse, Start Button : Read more

 

[ingtar33]

so basically they replaced the "spot" in the taskbar where the start button was, which if you clicked it would take you to metro... with a button, which if you clicked takes you to metro.

sounds like zero change to me~ no start menu in win 8.1, about the only change i can see is you can set the background for the metro screen.

this looks like a fail all around

 

[codo]

if you're complaining about W8, you're an old crook who hasn't used it and is resistant to change. its great, its fast, its fluid and secure. I dont miss the start button at all, but I'm glad to now have my wallpaper apply to the start screen.

 

[unknown9122]

The new start menu is fine. People may say, "If something works, dont change it". Yes, but MS is reluctant on pushing the new start menu, and the start button is the best solution. Change is good.

 

[chriswong]

The mouse and keyboard navigation is not news? Mouse and keyboard navigation works in Windows 8 today; it just takes one extra click to get to the All Apps screen...

 

[BSim500]

No thanks. Staying with Windows 7. It's the ergonomics, stupid. The reason why the Start menu has existed for almost 20 years (Windows 95 to W7 and Classic Start Menu in W8), and is well liked, is quite simply because it works so well with a mouse and keyboard. As do hierarchical menu's which "just make sense" (and make even more sense the more you have installed).
As to the usual stupid "resistance to change" emotional kneejerk responses like codo's - would swapping a QWERTY keyboard for an obscure DVORAK layout then telling everyone they're stupid or "hate change" improve typing speeds? No. That's just change for the sake of change which isn't down to user or ergonomics, it's a marketing ploy that only the gullible fall for every time (remember Vista's "Sidebar"? LOL)...

 

[Krisk7]

Who was clapping? Microsoft employees again like during the XBOX reveal?

 

[pcichico]

Did you hear the standing o in the video? If only this had been the way it was released in october, then I think they could have avoided the bulk of the complaints, except from you toms trolls. Of course you still have to set it to share the wallpaper and possibly boot to the desktop–its not the default. I don't think I'll give up start8 just yet but this is pretty compelling. Also I think startisback is better than start8 for those want the total exclusion of metro. Here come the thumbs downs even though I've presented a non fanboy balanced comment that even includes suggestions for people who don't like metro.

 

[computerguy72]

Lots of people are really vocal about their microsoft hatred but the new menu really is a step up from the win7 start menu. I have both and my Win7 start menu is chock full of dead or dormant shortcuts, failed un-installs that couldn't remove the old shortcuts, it breaks down the list into program files "all" and whoever the current user is. The win7 start menu is old and terrible in many ways but it's just really really familiar for some people. I hope MS continues to improve the Win8 menu as it obviously has lots of room for improvement but sheesh compared to the old start menu c'mon now.

 

[chriswong]

I don't see touch navigation with computers as change for the sake of change. I initially used Win 8 for about 5 months on a traditional laptop and after switching to a touch machine, Win 8 is much better with touch. I also think the resistance to change argument is valid to a point. You don't see anyone arguing that we should all go back to horse-drawn carriages at this point, yet there was big resistance to automobiles at the start. Another issue is that many of the apps we rely on are designed for mouse and keyboard. In another few years, when touch versions of apps are primarily used, none of this will matter...

 

[JOSHSKORN]

So let me get this straight. Microsoft adds a button to the Taskbar, which is finger-friendly, which takes you back to their finger friendly start screen?
Well, I'll say this. I never liked the Start Menu for a couple of reasons. First of all, applications will add folders to the Start Menu. You'd have to click on the Start Menu, navigate to the folder, expand the folder, sometimes even subfolders just to find the EXE (or whatever file) you're looking for. That kind of was a PITA. Secondly, I don't think I've liked the Start Menu since Windows XP. With Vista/7, it's very similar to 95/98/Me. You have a single column list you have to scroll through. The way I see it, you can much more easily customize this start screen, see bigger icons and not have to navigate through folders or scroll through a list as much. Of course, with a Start Menu, you could also cut out the crap, or even do what I do, make a Quick Launch toolbar. If I ever do get Windows 8.1 (and to be honest, now I think I will with my new build next month), I will be making a Quick Launch toolbar.

 

[flyflinger]

I dunno... I'm starting to think I should stick with Classic Shell after seeing this demo.

 

[linkgx1]

Shut up complaining. Microsoft is pushing is foward into the future. They are forcing change...I might not like it but...I'm getting used to it. Had to get used to iOS...so...meh!

 

[shikamaru31789]

Windows 8.1 looks good enough to me that I'll probably upgrade my XP computer to it instead of to Windows 7. I can understand why people want the old start menu back, it's familiar and therefore easy to use, I like it too. But metro does seem like an upgrade to me, and it can only improve more with each yearly update. It would be fantastic to have things like weather and email right there on my screen when I turn on my PC without having to open a web browser, and switching between metro and desktop is as easy as single click of the mouse. I'm also thinking that Windows 8 will last longer for gaming than Windows 7, looking at games now, several no longer support Windows XP, and I think some no longer support Vista. In a few years time, Windows 7 might not allow the playing of the latest games, but Windows 8 should last a few years longer.

 

[afrobacon]

Great, now for those that are too lazy to press the windows button on the keyboard, they have conveniently add clutter to the desktop.
This is by no means beneficial and in no way brings back the functionality of the start menu that is needed. Let me add tiles that link to device manager, computer management, or whatever else I want to get to with ease.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

"Unfortunately, it's not the one we've come to know, love and depend on since Windows 95,"
Loved ? No way ..... the start button cumbersome interface was simply replaced with a more cumbersome interface. Give me back HP's "Dashboard" or PowerDesk's "Coolbar" for ergonomics.

 

[bluestar2k11]

Change for the sake of change is irrelevant. (Like metro for non-touch displays)
Change for the sake of progress is useful. (Like the automobile)
Windows 8 interface for desktops is not useful, it's kind of a hindrance, at which point, it's change for the sake of change. Perhaps for tablets it's outstanding, but desktop is pointless. And there's no reason microsoft couldn't include the start menu as it's been since windows 95. Improve it and clean it up? Yes, but removing it has no value to the user, it's just change for the sake of change.
Change for progress like the automobile, jets, the computer, the smart phone, all those were practical changes to make life better for consumers, name one way windows 8 is such a change as to make life better for the consumer?
It's faster? I guess. if a second or two really matters to you. But then you'd buy an SSD instead, a much greater improvement then any OS could give. Not really making life better. Give me an computer/OS that boots my PC from a cold boot up, to in game (A modern game) in less then 20 seconds and I'll label it life changing. Right now with an SSD, it takes about 2-3 minutes combined. Mostly because the game takes forever to load.
It's more secure? I question that. Nothing is secure these days. Saying this OS is more secure then this one, is like saying Ford cars take less damage in a crash then Honda. When both are pretty equally smashed after impact. Again not really a life changing event.
When windows does something that truly changes the way a consumer does something, and that means, better then the old way, then it will be change for progress. But thus far, microsoft hasn't done that since they invented the start menu. All i've heard even from users of W8 is it's a hassle to work with even for industry veterans.
Maybe Windows 9 will do what 8 "should" have done.
If not, Linux is starting to pick up a bit in the gaming community, perhaps it will do better.
(Plus being open source, anyone can change an aspect they don't like all the way down to the core of the OS, by installing a new element or re-coding the original ^^)

 

[DarkSable]

Can I disable the "start button" then?
Even before windows 8 came out, I would make my start button invisible because it looked cleaner - the fact that windows eight lets me just use the windows key and start typing was actually a PLUS for me.
I know I'm in the minority, but if this is as much forced for me as not having a start button was with normal W8, then windows is just setting up another comedy of errors.

 

[beoza]

While I dislike Win8 currently (I've had very little hands on experience with it) I will be buying a separate hard disk and Win8 just to play around with it on a dual boot system. I have to know how to support it for work so actually getting it makes sense from a support perspective. I definitely do not like the modern ui, it feels clunky and I have an extreme dislike for tiles/icons covering my desktop unless I place icons there, that's why I used the start menu and pinned apps to the task bar. I'm sure once I get accustomed to the new gui I'll feel more comfortable with it, after all I grew accustomed to the last gui over the last 2 decades coming from using the cli on old (read ancient) computers that only ran basic/dos based programs and of course the many different Linux OS flavors. Definitely staying away from touch screens unless they're the tablet/phone stuff...can't stand finger prints on my desktop monitor(s)!

 

[squirrelboy]

This is just Ubuntu 11.04 all over again. The difference between Win8 and Ubuntu is that on Ubuntu (or any other distro) you can easily install a different interface if you don't like the default one, and it won't try to lure or force you back to Unity.

 

[ingtar33]

i like all the paid microsoft blogged spamming this thread.

 

[Phil Williamson]

Microsoft!
Stop trying to make your OS look like a Mac. It we wanted that, we'd buy a copy of the Mac OS (because it's dirt cheap as well), buy the prober hardware and build it.
Maybe we could call it a "Hackintosh"? ;-)

 

[mortsmi7]

I've used win8 for about 3 months now. It does have some nice features, but they are severely overshadowed by other negatives. The apps just irritate me to no end, they serve no real purpose for the desktop and greatly complicate navigation. I almost immediately replaced all of them with their desktop counterparts. I miss the weather widget being in plain view on my desktop. The UI scheme for win8 is very plain, flat and muted. Win7 has a polished look to it. It's like they replaced diamonds for cheap rhynestones. Basically win8 is to win7, as a console port is to real PC game. Everything from the controls to the graphics quality feels subpar.

 

[chechak]

microsoft ruin there windows in win8 and they are trying to backup there planes by 8.1 don't make me laugh

 

[InvalidError]

Making the Metro launch page more accessible helps a little but does nothing to improve one fundamental usability issue: using Metro with a mouse requires several times more mouse-travel to use than the Start Menu does.
With Metro, you need to move the mouse from end-to-end of the screen to navigate. With a reasonably well organized Start menu, all your most frequently used programs can be reached within 1/4 of a screen width/height if they aren't directly on the Start Menu itself.
At the very least, I wish the Metro taskbar still had quicklaunch. Not every program is compatible with Metro's "pin" feature.