With Sinofsky Gone, Start Menu Could Return to Windows 8

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Tried Win8 for a few days (still do on secondary PC) and getting the start-menu back with another app (classic shell open source) was the first thing I did.

The modern UI is pretty much unusable without a touch screen and with mouse it becomes a chore. I'm glad classic-shell adds the start menu button as well as hides the modern ui on user-login.

Besides this, win8 is pretty solid, just like the tried and tested win7 that i still love. There are a few software hiccups with win8, like my vpn app needs to be reconnected after login/come-back-from-sleep but its not bad at all, after all its win7+more features.
 
Call me an optimist, but I still think by the next version, the Modern UI will be easier to use and more functional while "PC" users will see some advantages in the new UI while liking the idea of running the FULL Windows OS on a phone with FULL size apps. Not castrated, watered-down, lame mobile versions.
The software should be flexible to auto-detect touchscreens AND mouse & keyboard (default to the currect interface) - as well as easy to attach a HDMI, mouse & keyboard to a mobile device. So you CAN run apps well on the mobile device, desktop, or using the phone like a desktop.
My phone out-performs my 10 year old notebook and I don't want to go back to the WML days of tiny screens that can't to much more than view phone call logs. Want to run a Siri type app locally on your phone - OFFLINE?
 
[citation][nom]AbbasJin[/nom]Tried Win8 for a few days (still do on secondary PC) and getting the start-menu back with another app (classic shell open source) was the first thing I did.[/citation]

Thanks for that pointer.
The stupid UI has been driving me nuts...shutdowns take 4 clicks and lots of mousing. I can't find apps I installed without going into the install directories and linking to each of the app executables, took a while to find the Services app. I'd quit if I were Sinofsky too...this makes the lives of Win7 upgraders hellish 😛
And I don't use the metro UI except for login...it's cutesy, but looks like it belongs on a phone.
 
[citation][nom]kenyee[/nom]Thanks for that pointer.The stupid UI has been driving me nuts...shutdowns take 4 clicks and lots of mousing. I can't find apps I installed without going into the install directories and linking to each of the app executables, took a while to find the Services app. I'd quit if I were Sinofsky too...this makes the lives of Win7 upgraders hellish 😛And I don't use the metro UI except for login...it's cutesy, but looks like it belongs on a phone.[/citation]

For Shutdown:

1. You can always do ALT+F4 in the desktop mode, if you're in the Metro, Windows Button (or switch to desktop) -> ALT+F4

2. Move mouse cursor to Top or Bottom right (no mouse click) -> Settings -> Power -> Shutdown

(Note: Windows 7 has the ALT+F4 or Start -> hover over power options -> Shutdown)

Windows 8 has 1 extra step if you go the long way.


For finding Apps:

I really like the Search -> Apps, lists everything in alphabetical order, will files grouped by program.
Easily can scroll with the mouse across letters, and its always sorted unlike my Start Menu.

I find pinning my main apps to the Start (Metro UI), and having them there as opposed to the bottom taskbar or icons in my desktop like the old windows style a lot nicer. Clicking Windows Button, then seeing the program icons I have setup in a nice clean way always in the order I leave them in is really nice. 98% of the programs I open are "Pin to Start"
 
[citation][nom]enewmen[/nom]Call me an optimist, but I still think by the next version, the Modern UI will be easier to use and more functional while "PC" users will see some advantages in the new UI while liking the idea of running the FULL Windows OS on a phone with FULL size apps. Not castrated, watered-down, lame mobile versions.[/citation]

Who would want to run full size apps on a phone? The interface is the problem, there are some things that just aren't suited for a small touchscreen. And the difference between say a 24" screen and a smartphone screen is such that it's silly to have the same (or even similar) interface for both.
 
Searching for programs means loading up the Charms bar stored off-screen to the right -- or typing "Windows key + Q" to pull up the search function -- instead of simply clicking a button
Click to expand...

Just for future reference, you don't have to go through the charms bar to access the search function. Searching in Windows 8 works exactly the same as Windows 7. Throw your mouse down to the bottom left corner, click, and start typing. Bam. Search. How is this not easy?
 
[citation][nom]enewmen[/nom]Call me an optimist, but I still think by the next version, the Modern UI will be easier to use and more functional while "PC" users will see some advantages in the new UI while liking the idea of running the FULL Windows OS on a phone with FULL size apps. Not castrated, watered-down, lame mobile versions.[/citation]

Sounds like a nice idea. Why do WP8 and RT exist then? The needs of a phone/tablet and PC just differ too much to make one OS that performs the same way across the board.

I still find it odd that Sinofsky, who did not agree at all with Windows 8 and was confrontational about the changes, wanted the start button removed. Ever have your boss tell you to write something even though you didn't want to, and sign your name to it? I mean, Ballmer is the boss regardless, he could have said no, he didn't. Ballmer is still responsible as CEO for approving this horrible decision.
 
Really I think to most people the lack of a Start Menu means very little. The average user when they want a program closes open window then open the program or file they wanted and do the same thing every time they want to change a program. Because they have absolutely no idea what is going on with a computer. The only way they can get to anywhere on the computer is from the same blank slate of a desktop. They can't switch between windows let alone a start button.

If the screen does not look exactly as they expect it to they can't do anything on the computer. Without at least a great deal of effort.

The much bigger deal is booting to Metro. For the average computer user. They will have absolutely no idea as to what to do. They will be completely lost and not be able to do anything until someone shows them a procedure of screens and clicks to memorize.

Which is something I think people that understand technology don't get when dealing with most users. They don't understand how anything is working. All they know is the procedure they memorized. Then they can work in a very limited scope outside of what was memorized.

Which is why I don't understand what Microsoft hoped to accomplish with Windows 8 and alienate a great deal of customers. Whom now may look at Mac OS X since they have to relearn everything anyways. It won't be Linux even the easiest Linux is far too complex for the average user.
 
I find it amusing the few people that come on here and keep trying to convince people how nice and easy the new Windows 8 is, while millions are telling you they don't like it. Do these few people work for Microsoft?
 
[citation][nom]enewmen[/nom]Call me an optimist, but I still think by the next version, the Modern UI will be easier to use and more functional while "PC" users will see some advantages in the new UI while liking the idea of running the FULL Windows OS on a phone with FULL size apps. Not castrated, watered-down, lame mobile versions.[/citation]it wont be until someone come out a device to replace keyboard mouse, may be giant touch pad with build-in keyboard function.
 
I think sinofsky was smoking something when he desided most people pin everything the only thing i pin is the internet explorer everything else i use is on the start menu most of them are on the first area since its windows 7 and it shows your most uses stuff


even if i am one of the VAST minoraty that does not mean you remove fuctions

after all the windows explorer as far as i know is only used by just a few people and its been there for ever
 
[citation][nom]rickl7069[/nom]I find it amusing the few people that come on here and keep trying to convince people how nice and easy the new Windows 8 is, while millions are telling you they don't like it. Do these few people work for Microsoft?[/citation]

No, some people love the walled garden but hate Apple, so they love Microsoft when they start behaving like Apple. I have no trouble believing a lot of PC users like Metro, especially if they're laptop users and they run everything full screen anyway.
 
[citation][nom]AbbasJin[/nom]The modern UI is pretty much unusable without a touch screen[/citation]

That's the type of comment I'd expect on Mumsnet from an Apple soccermom, not on a tech forum. I get that some people may not like the change to a Start page instead of a Start menu, but when people make comments like this I wonder whether they have actually used Windows 8.
 
[Call me an optimist, but I still think by the next version, the Modern UI will be easier to use and more functional while "PC" users will see some advantages in the new UI while liking the idea of running the FULL Windows OS on a phone with FULL size apps. Not castrated, watered-down, lame mobile versions]

That's simply wishful thinking. Mobile devices are so far down in performance curve any Windows OS variant that actually run on phone will be a scale down version for sure. And therefore, the apps run on it will also be watered-down and lame. Nothing will compare to the desktop equivalent until someone figure out how to make high performance CPU with low power consumption.
 
Getting rid of the start menu was an obv mistake on soo many levels. The start menu made navigation much more easy, without it you have to easter egg hunt for charms which is an waste of time and gets on your nerves. Classic shell brought a lot of ease to the pain in that area in Windows 8. Which makes the desktop a motr more tolerable and even though it can only do soo much to bring back the feel of a start menu an actual start menu itself wuould be better. Now if only they can give you the option to turn metro off and enable aero then we will be talking. Doubt that will happen in Windows 8 so here's top Windows 9!
 
I too downloaded stardock , It gave me back the freedom I had with Windows as I know it , Windows 8 without the start button was a big mistake. There are many users out there that still use a mouse on a desktop, not all of us use tablets.
I hope MS hears their customers feedback and returns the start button in a service pack or as a downloadable pack for desktop users.
 
why not just try something that gives you options? Ubutnu is a great operating system that give plenty of different flavors of the desktop. You can run it alongside windows run it as a live operating sysytem not making any changes to your pc just install it on a usb, It costs nothing to use and I hav been using it for years. Never have to worry about viruses malware or the likes. All Im saying is why force yourself to use windows 8 If there is a better option. here is a good place to start
http://ubuntutheotheros.webs.com/gnome
or you can just watch how to set it up on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEREE0J-XJ4
 
Almost everyone I've read over the past couple of week, those that hate the new UI, seem to me to not be very adaptable. They would rather tear something down than spend about 5 minutes to master the new UI. They fight it the whole time because it isn't Windows XP. However, I agree the radical difference between desktop and Metro is jarring at first, but in just a few minutes I grew to love it because finding things, starting things up, and the SPEED is much more productive.
I agree 5 minutes of training for the standard Drones out there is probably too little, you might need 15 minutes, but that would be LONG for those who already use Windows 7. For those of you who are reading this post are rather technical people, who understand computers and should give it a chance.
Learn a few keyboard shortcuts (there are many), and spend a few moments thinking about how you work, and I believe you may change your minds.
Now, could MS have done differently, like make the Start button an option. Yeah. And maybe they will, but you DO NOT NEED IT!
 
maybe people at microsoft start having arm pain when using their win8 touchy interface.. so starmenu with mouse is still a good deal. startmenu in win7 is still not perfect tough, and kind of annoying too (i am using classic shell which is better than win7 default). so if you want to implement startmenu again, better to redesign it as well, startmenu today is still lacks of clean look and unorganized.
 
The OS is useless without one-click access to all of your apps. Sure some dipsticks only use desktop shortcuts and I pin some most used apps to the taskmenu, but you still need ALL of your apps at times and switching screens just to open an app is so freaking stupid. Don't even get me started on the START page that is forced. There could EASILY be an option to choose your preference with that, MS screwed that up badly. Lot's of stupid problems that didn't have to be.
 
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