According to numerous rumours, but not yet confirmed by Microsoft, the ubiquitous Start button will no longer be available in Windows 8 Consumer Preview, aka Windows 8 Beta.
The useful and well-known Start button, with its Windows Flag, appeared 17 years ago. It’s one of the pillars for successful computing and why on earth has it been given the flick.
The well-known blogger, Paul Thurrot, confidently states in a recent blog that the “. . . hardware button replaces the Windows button, and it will be present on all PCs and devices that come with Windows 8 preinstalled.” So can we assume that you will be able to access the Start Menu using the Windows key on all current computer keyboards?
Now, if you’ve downloaded and tried out Windows 8 Developer you’ll have come across the Orb Menu, the obvious replacement for the earlier Start Menu. While it hasn’t worked perfectly in the Preview version it has real potential. Maybe Microsoft replaced the Start Menu with the Orb Menu to break us into losing the old Start Menu. Personally I’ve not been too bothered and haven’t missed the Start Menu at all.
Other bloggers claiming to be in the know, state that Microsoft will, in an effort to appease the detractors, provide some form of access to the Start menu by hovering your mouse over the region where it once was. This method is known as using the “hot corner”. Goodness knows what you’ll see! Will it be the “Orb” menu current in Windows 8 Preview or something else?
Is this a sop for those thousands of users, dare I say millions, currently happy with the old Start menu?
All this remains as pure speculation at this stage, so really we’ll have to wait until Windows 8 Consumer Preview is released at the end of the month. You can bet there’ll be a furore or two when it becomes available for one reason or another!
I still want the start menu like it is in Windows 7. If I can’t get that, along with the option to use the Windows 8 desktop mode as the default, then I’m not getting Windows 8. I’ll stick with XP, Windows 7, or even switch to Ubuntu. That OS actually isn’t that bad.
You will always have a choice except for OSX X because Apple won’t release it as a stand alone instalible. Maybe now with Steve out of the way that might change.
Yet, I said the same thing and had to leave my games behind with Win 98.
I said the same thing and had to let my games behind AGAIN with Win XP and DX 10.
Win 7 is extremely well made but still lacks a few of this and that but 3rd Party apps make it workable to what I need.
Win 8 is not all that of a radical departure but sooner or later I suspect we will feel like Scotty when he was on the Enterprise D.
My kids have no knowledge of the same Disney World I grew up with using a packet full of tickets. Meaning all these changes aren’t necessarily for me but future generations.
It’s nice that people keep posting the same gibberish over and over.
Yes, the Start Menu is gone in windows 8 and Yes you can reinstall it and get rid of that god awful ribbon.
Metro UI has no business in a desktop environment even if you DO have a touch screen.
Seriously, who is going to reach across a desk and tap on a screen all day.
Unless you are working with a tablet or table display then you have no use for metro UI.
So no matter what Microsoft does to screw up an already working model there are hackers ready and willing to return it to a working model.
Get rid of the bugs and update the system for security and modern technology but leave the damn interface alone why don’t you.
People keep doing irritating things just like that retarded slide out advertisement thingy in the lower right hand corner of this website.
Did you know that I make it a practice to NOT purchase anything that pops in my face on a website? Even if it’s going to save my mothers life.
Aside from that have you ever wondered why people use Firefox more than IExplorer, because Microsoft should be in the business of developing their operating system instead of third party applications.
Look what a mess they did with Windows Media Center.
It looks and acts like it came from someone who doesn’t use Microsoft products.
Don’t you just love my rants, I’m just fed up with the whole damn thing.
I agree. Love MS, but I don’t like it when they try to force a new interface on you like Metro, which is not and never will be made for a desktop. Aero was a part of Windows Vista and was more of an upgrade to the UI, but still had all of the underlying features still there. I would even love if they brought Luna back.
grrr, I love when you can’t edit posts. —> installable.