PDA

View Full Version : Microsoft may backtrack on Start button



CWOJackson
April 17th, 2013, 06:40
Computerworld - Microsoft may recant its Windows 8 design theology, bloggers reported Tuesday, by offering Windows 8 users an option to bypass the "Modern" UI and by restoring the Start button and menu to the beleaguered operating system.


A pair of longtime Microsoft hands, Mary Jo Foley (http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-plan-blue-bring-back-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/) of ZDNet and Tom Warren (http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/16/4229900/windows-8-1-boot-to-desktop-option) of The Verge, citing unnamed sources and messages on Windows discussion forums, said Microsoft was considering those tweaks for an upcoming update, called "Windows Blue" by some and "Windows 8.1" by others. The upgrade, the first of a planned faster development and release tempo, is allegedly slated for an October debut.


Warren pointed to evidence that Microsoft might allow boot-to-desktop with Windows 8.1. Foley added that the Redmond, Wash., developer was also pondering a return of the Windows Start button and associated menu.


Analysts welcomed the news, assuming it's accurate.

More at http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238440/Microsoft_may_backtrack_on_Start_button_in_Windows _8

Odie
April 17th, 2013, 07:20
Computerworld - Microsoft may recant its Windows 8 design theology, bloggers reported Tuesday, by offering Windows 8 users an option to bypass the "Modern" UI and by restoring the Start button and menu to the beleaguered operating system.


A pair of longtime Microsoft hands, Mary Jo Foley (http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-plan-blue-bring-back-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/) of ZDNet and Tom Warren (http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/16/4229900/windows-8-1-boot-to-desktop-option) of The Verge, citing unnamed sources and messages on Windows discussion forums, said Microsoft was considering those tweaks for an upcoming update, called "Windows Blue" by some and "Windows 8.1" by others. The upgrade, the first of a planned faster development and release tempo, is allegedly slated for an October debut.


Warren pointed to evidence that Microsoft might allow boot-to-desktop with Windows 8.1. Foley added that the Redmond, Wash., developer was also pondering a return of the Windows Start button and associated menu.


Analysts welcomed the news, assuming it's accurate.

More at http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238440/Microsoft_may_backtrack_on_Start_button_in_Windows _8

There's a utility out now that puts the START button back and boots to the desktop. Caution: It's not a MS fix, but a 3rd party workaround. I'll update if I can refind the link, but it's out there now.

EDIT: Found it - http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57496506-292/how-to-get-the-start-menu-back-in-windows-8/

Ferry_vO
April 17th, 2013, 07:22
With computer sales going down the drain because of Win8 I guess they'll have very little choice than to make it work more like Win7...

WarHorse47
April 17th, 2013, 07:37
WHAT?? After all these weeks of trying to master Win8 on my desktop, and all the unnecessary mouse clicks to navigate to and from their start menu they're going to make it easier for us users? I'll believe it when I see it.

I sincerely hope their Start Menu changes includes a better way to shut down the computer.

CWOJackson
April 17th, 2013, 08:14
With computer sales going down the drain because of Win8 I guess they'll have very little choice than to make it work more like Win7...

Apple sales are also going down the drain. The lack of demand for PCs is probably more related to changing users and user preferences; many people can do everything they want with cell phone apps, tablets, etc.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lacking-demand-apple-skids-one-155304485.html;_ylt=AofPpv62Jpi4BJbFOeteQMeiuYdG;_ ylu=X3oDMTNycGc3N3NkBG1pdANGUCBUb3AgU3RvcnkgTGVmdA Rwa2cDYmQ2Yzc1YjktYzE3ZC0zN2JjLTg4ZWUtYWM4MmJkMzBj Nzc0BHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzA5ZDky

Odie
April 17th, 2013, 08:45
Apple sales are also going down the drain. The lack of demand for PCs is probably more related to changing users and user preferences; many people can do everything they want with cell phone apps, tablets, etc.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lacking-demand-apple-skids-one-155304485.html;_ylt=AofPpv62Jpi4BJbFOeteQMeiuYdG;_ ylu=X3oDMTNycGc3N3NkBG1pdANGUCBUb3AgU3RvcnkgTGVmdA Rwa2cDYmQ2Yzc1YjktYzE3ZC0zN2JjLTg4ZWUtYWM4MmJkMzBj Nzc0BHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzA5ZDky

CWO, I wonder, too, if the market is just at the point where the mobile users have their devices and the desktop users are keeping their PCs longer before replacing. I know
my internet PC is 10 years old and my gaming machine is going on 7 years. Granted, both PCs are Falcon-Northwest units so I overbuilt them to last, but they still do all
that I need them to.

CWOJackson
April 17th, 2013, 08:55
CWO, I wonder, too, if the market is just at the point where the mobile users have their devices and the desktop users are keeping their PCs longer before replacing. I know
my internet PC is 10 years old and my gaming machine is going on 7 years. Granted, both PCs are Falcon-Northwest units so I overbuilt them to last, but they still do all
that I need them to.

That's how things are looking to me as well. I still use one of my old PCs for CAD related work, for e-mail/database work and for my home music system. Last year I picked up an ASUS gaming laptop but PC gaming is becoming more and more limited. My wife has hardly touched her laptop since I got her an iPad.

Allen
April 17th, 2013, 10:27
It only took 80 days for Coke to know the bring back old Coke and it has been how long since Win 8?

Dumonceau
April 17th, 2013, 13:06
With computer sales going down the drain because of Win8 I guess they'll have very little choice than to make it work more like Win7...

Not only because of Win8, but mostly because of tablet sales soaring Ferry. PC's never have been a consumer product, but tablets are. Most people don't want machines like we want them to, they want easy to use wireless devices to surf, go on Facebook, twitter and all that crap. (excuse my French)

Gamers and flight simmers want powerful machines to run our stuff smoothly.

I will admit however that Windows 8 didn't do much good. Windows 8 was the confirmation of M$ operating system history: good-bad-good-bad...

Windows 7 64 bit is IMHO the best OS they ever released. It will be a cold day in Ouagadougou before I change over to Win8.

That is my opinion as someone who works in IT.

napamule
April 17th, 2013, 13:37
Classic Shell (start menu). That's all you need to 'fix' Win 8. And it's free and it's open source. www classic shell dot net. Also improvements for Win 7. Permissions is still a PITA, but that can be 'fixed'. Me? I am sticking with Win XP Home. I skipped Vista, 7, and 8. Fool me once....
Chuck B
Napamule

Allen
April 17th, 2013, 16:08
I'm still with napamule Win XP and SP2. Not updating SP3 AKA Vista lite... I have Win7 but is is NOT any better then my 10+ year old XP.

SSI01
April 17th, 2013, 19:23
Napa's right. Like one of my maintenance officers in the AF said years ago, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's why I'm running Win XP Pro on my home machine and refuse to upgrade to anything beyond that. The machine's used for simming and drafting the occasional document, and that's all. The wife's got all the new toys. I don't even have a cell phone, refuse to carry one . . .

Dumonceau
April 17th, 2013, 23:51
I'm still with napamule Win XP and SP2. Not updating SP3 AKA Vista lite... I have Win7 but is is NOT any better then my 10+ year old XP.

Then both of you are using 64 bit WinXP? I mean what's the use of having 8Gb of RAM with a 32 bit OS??

MaskRider
April 18th, 2013, 17:58
Classic Shell (start menu). That's all you need to 'fix' Win 8. And it's free and it's open source. www classic shell dot net. Also improvements for Win 7. Permissions is still a PITA, but that can be 'fixed'. Me? I am sticking with Win XP Home. I skipped Vista, 7, and 8. Fool me once.

Yes, this is a very handy fix for the Start button. I still have WindowsXP Pro on my simming computer. But I recently purchased a couple of new laptops- one for myself and one for my "ex" and they both came with windows 8 pre-loaded. The first thing I did with the ex's was restore the start button using Classic Shell and then set it up to always start with the desktop. Though it seems a tad jury-rigged and rube-goldberged I am OK with it. I hardly ever use the "metro" interface. Give XPPro 7 any day.

MR

Gdavis101
April 18th, 2013, 22:31
You think they would have learned after the VISTA fiasco, found something good with Windows 7 only to screw it up with 8.. Figures!

Dumonceau
April 18th, 2013, 23:38
You think they would have learned after the VISTA fiasco, found something good with Windows 7 only to screw it up with 8.. Figures!

Ever heard this one?

"The source code of windows Vista is probably the longest suicide note in human history"

Moparmike
April 19th, 2013, 19:52
Ever heard this one?

"The source code of windows Vista is probably the longest suicide note in human history"

Yeah...but I think they added a couple million more lines to that "tragic" letter and called it Winders8. :D



I'm happily running 7 on a couple machines, XP on a couple antiques, various flavors of Linux on all four. I also have two Linux only rigs but they're just household robots (file server and media center).
I have no plans on using 8. I hope MS follows their usual "every other version is decent" routine and whatever replaces 8 is something I can actually work with.

Dumonceau
April 19th, 2013, 22:47
Yeah...but I think they added a couple million more lines to that "tragic" letter and called it Winders8. :D



I'm happily running 7 on a couple machines, XP on a couple antiques, various flavors of Linux on all four. I also have two Linux only rigs but they're just household robots (file server and media center).
I have no plans on using 8. I hope MS follows their usual "every other version is decent" routine and whatever replaces 8 is something I can actually work with.

I agree 150%! Windows 7 64 bit is IMHO the best thing ever released by Micro$oft!