Start Button returning in Windows 8.1?

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Klipspringer

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#116255 23-Apr-2013 12:57

Microsoft is preparing to revive the traditional Start button it killed with Windows 8. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans have revealed to The Verge that Windows 8.1 will include the return of the Start button. We understand that the button will act as a method to simply access the Start Screen, and will not include the traditional Start Menu. The button is said to look near-identical to the existing Windows flag used in the Charm bar.

Microsoft's change of heart follows another recent planned change for Windows 8.1: a boot to desktop option. We understand Microsoft will add an option to allow users to boot directly to the traditional desktop environment in future builds of the upcoming Windows 8 upgrade.

Source: The Verge

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#804277 23-Apr-2013 13:00

If this is true I wonder if its going to become available to existing Windows 8 users. Will Windows 8.1 be an upgrade that needs to be purchased?

And before people start jumping for joy. This is just a new start button. It does not look like its going to be a "start menu"

billgates

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#804284 23-Apr-2013 13:04

Well there is a start button already in the existing builds, it's just not visible. You click on the very bottom left of the screen and it will take you to to the new start screen.

Boot to desktop will be more popular with enterprises I suppose but you just tap on the 'desktop' tile and you are there.

The other goodies that will come with 8.1 (codename blue) will improve and add a lot more to Windows 8.

Do whatever you want to do man.

macuser

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#804285 23-Apr-2013 13:04

Hopefully can be turned off. The Windows Key on my laptop is very effective, and the Windows button on my tablet is also very effective for reaching the start screen.

The Start Menu (Win 7) sends you to hunt for your apps in folders, you could search like Windows 8, but I could never find what I needed.

vexxxboy

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#804288 23-Apr-2013 13:07

i doubt there will be charge, whats the point, there are plenty of programs already that cost only a few dollars that let you boot to desktop already so it will be nothing new .

Common sense is not as common as you think.

D1023319

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#804340 23-Apr-2013 15:09

start button i can live without.
its the lack of a close button in top right and open files ribbon at bottom of page that I really miss.

mattwnz

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#804870 24-Apr-2013 13:17

Certianly hope it isn't going to have to be paid for. They have moved to a more iOS platform, and apple doesn't charge for upgrades, and most of the changes / fixes will be metro related. I would think it would be more of a service pack. If they did charge, they couldn't charge much. Perhaps $20. Apple did initially charge some users for ios updates initially, and I think it was about $10 .

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Klipspringer

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#804889 24-Apr-2013 13:32

mattwnz: Certianly hope it isn't going to have to be paid for.

In the past service packs have always been free. But this is no service pack so anything is possible.

Will have to wait and see.

mattwnz

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#804892 24-Apr-2013 13:36

billgates: Well there is a start button already in the existing builds, it's just not visible. You click on the very bottom left of the screen and it will take you to to the new start screen.

Boot to desktop will be more popular with enterprises I suppose but you just tap on the 'desktop' tile and you are there.

The other goodies that will come with 8.1 (codename blue) will improve and add a lot more to Windows 8.

What you are talking about is the metro screen, which is like a full screen sized start screen, which isn't good to use for desktop users. If you right click int he bottom left, you do actually get a very simple text based start menu already in desktop mode. To prevent problems with the current metro system, they may need to put the start button somewhere else, such as the middle of the taskbar.

GBristow

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#804925 24-Apr-2013 14:14

Good. Goooood. Soon they will cave and just give us our ****ing start menu back.

Can I swear on Geekzone?

offworld

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#805025 24-Apr-2013 15:34

I used classic shell to restore the start button, menu and boot to desktop. Can highly recommend it if you can't wait for 8.1, also it's free or donate if you really like it.

John2010

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#805031 24-Apr-2013 15:43

GBristow: Good. Goooood. Soon they will cave and just give us our ****ing start menu back.

Can I swear on Geekzone?

My understanding is that when Windows 8.1 installs it will ask if you want the legacy Start menu or not. If you answer Yes, then Windows 8 will automatically uninstall itself, its key will be invalidated, and a slightly revamped version of Windows 98 will be installed with that key. The build name of that version of Win 98 is "Luddite".

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Bee

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#805046 24-Apr-2013 16:14

Start button yes. Start Menu? NO.

http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/leaked-windows-81-build-9374-disappoints-start-button-fans-216968

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

bigdipper

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#809719 1-May-2013 17:39

Bee: Start button yes. Start Menu? NO.

http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/leaked-windows-81-build-9374-disappoints-start-button-fans-216968

whats the good of a start button that just takes you to the Start Screen?

mattwnz

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#809740 1-May-2013 18:06

Exactly, but it gives the screen an anchor, and the current desktop just looks naked without the start button. Move you mouse a few pixels to the corner, and a start button charm appears, which is all the new start button will be. Metro is basically the start menu, but in full screen, which is a pain to use if you don't have a touch screen. I just can't understand why they can't give the start menu option back if someone wants to use it for desktop use, with multi displays. Windows 8 metro is poor on multiple displays, although I think windows 8.1 will fix this. I think windows 7 will continue to be used for businesses as a result.

My beef with windows 8 is that they have basically depreciated the desktop, so they are basically saying that the desktop will be phased out, as it has been dumbed down. eg no window transparency, no 3d flip, no xp mode, no start button. It is going back to the more flat windows 2000 interface. Yet some of windows settings and control panels will only open in desktop mode. It is like they never got around to creating metro version of them.
But the desktop is what most desktop users use, and is also what people who create things use. Metro is for consumption, not creation.

mandrazhoid

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#811125 4-May-2013 10:37

start buton is deviently the one i can easealy live without.
was nexer excited about the way start menu was designed.

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