Windows 8 Start Menu

I think every one is missing the point. The Start screen is the start menu. Just set it up properly. Move your most used programs to the beginning of the screen, move the crappy apps to the end, it can actually be more efficient that the traditional start screen.

I tried this and found that it works quite well. It's a mind set thing... stop thinking of the "Metro" screen as something to bypass... just use it to your advantage.

The shutdown/restart menu however needs work.

 

I actually prefer the Start Screen.

I like to have a desktop free of icons, so I would normally access my programs one of three ways:

1) Start Menu
2) Pinned to taskbar
3) Open start menu and type the name of the program

Method #2 is the same in 7 and 8.

In the case of #1, in Win8, I just hit the Start button then click the icon. One keyboard click, one mouse click. In Win 7, I have to click Start, then All Programs, then sift through the folders until I find what I want, then click the program. Win 8 wins there.

As for #3, Win 8 is faster when it comes to searching through your programs. Win 8 wins there too.

So AFAIK, it's either the same or faster.

I did use Classic Shell for a few days, if only because I've been accustomed to the Start Menu since 1998. But eventually I started to use Metro and liked it.