Windows 8 will return Start menu

This is the most obvious dilemma with touch screens – reaching up to the screen in 'sitdown' situations. Touchscreens are great for hand held devices – great for public information terminals, and fine for 'tap' type situations, aka point of sale and the self serve outlets now appearing in large retail stores. But not too good for serious desktop work (read business\enterprise environments) where keyboards are required.

I remember all the hooha regarding RSI when wrist – forearm stress came to light from people sitting in front of a computer at work all day long banging away on keyboards.
I still can't believe how the boffins at Microsoft ignored the possible difficulties a touchscreen interface might pose in the corporate world when they decided on their marketing strategy for Windows 8. Surely they didn't think the Metro interface would be acceptable where keyboards are required?

The following link is somewhat outdated, but shows that 74% of computers sold in 2011 were for business! That's a hell of a big chunk of the computer hardware market. How could Microsoft have ignored such figures?

http://www.statisticbrain.com/computer-sales-statistics/

I fully agree with those who have already suggested that Microsoft should have provided a dual option on the installation of Windows 8 – Eg, Metro\Modern (whatever) OR Desktop. I'm sure this would have appeased users all round. Would it have been so difficult to do?

If Microsoft do go back to providing a Windows 7 type interface\startbutton, etc – it will be a massive kick in rear for their brains trust – and deservedly so!
In any case, Windows 8 as an OS, will still be sullied by this whole sorry business!

 

Maybe Bill should go back to CEO Hell, maybe they should hire me so I can start a new department called common sense lol

 

IDC: Windows 8 users want Start menu and booting to desktop

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Thanks for the share.

 

Actually, what I would love to have is something similar to the Metro idea, but in the form of more of a Start Menu. I'll try to describe it.

You'd have an icon like the Start Orb (no going all the way into the corner like Metro), and when you click on it a panel would pop up. This panel would be similar to the Start Menu but it would very large, taking up about 3/4 of the screen in each direction, with the desktop and taskbar otherwise intact. It would work similarly to Metro, with tiles but with the Aero look.

 

Thanks.


To be honest - I have been using Windows 8 Pro since August 2012 (now about 7 months). I really like the speedy, stability and security improvements and may be this is the reason I use it. First, it boots really fast unlike Windows 7 and it's much more secure (under the hood and visible improvements).

However, at work I use Windows 7 and I am not happy with some Windows 8 things:

• The ModernUI apps - all ModernUI apps I use (from time to time) are (PDF) Reader, Skype for Windows 8, Weather , Travel and Camera. However, I could easily not use them and change with something else (some site or some Desktop alternative).
• I don't use ModernUI IE because it lacks some functions and is not interactive with Desktop and other functions. The ModernUI IE is more secure by default with Enhanced Protected mode, however Desktop IE can also be run in Enhanced Protected Mode, so - no issues.
• I wanted but I don't use Mail app because it lacks some functions. I'd better open Outlook.com web site and have similar interface and a lot more functions
• Most ModernUI apps are OK but lack some functions we are used to
• I work 95+% of the time on the Desktop. So, I'd also prefer to boot to the Desktop. When I boot up it takes me more (about 3 more clicks/seconds) to go online than with Windows 7 -I have to open the Desktop, to active my PPPoE connection which in Windows 8 takes slightly more. And then start interacting with the browser/mail software.
• On Windows 7 I use the Windows classic interface - the one that resembles Windows 98. I really miss that in Windows 8 and I kind of dislike the big buttons and fonts.

Windows 8 brings some new great improvements and ideas. However, as more and more times passes, it seems to me that Windows 8 will be the new Vista (just like it was Windows ME, then Vista, now 8 ). They will have to publish one or two new OS versions which will have the best from Windows 8 and will fix some things such as adjusting the Metro/Start menu, etc

 

From a sales point of view it has done much less successfully than Vista. Windows 8 really is a failure. I hope MS come to their senses now & seriously improve it.

 

Once again, the coding for an identical desktop to win7 already exists in Win8, but is being overridden by Sinofsky's Folly (Metro).

Personally I think pressure to revert will come in Blue primarily driven by the Funds that own MSFT stock- note that MSFT trades at a virtually identical level (~$28/share) today as it was in 2001. I don't think that they will allow any fit of pique by Ballmer because people won't love Metro to continue to depress sales.

 

Im glad that guy got fired.

 

How close does Start8 come to what you are wanting?
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/features.asp

 

Well, recall that the initial Surface prototype was horizontal, about the size of a large coffee table, with multiple users/participants sitting around it.

If I were going that route, I'd just have a 30-40 cm by 70-100 cm surface about 5-10 degrees from horizontal, like a small drafting table. There'd be a virtual keyboard if I needed one, or I could overlay a real one for serious typing.

Isn't that obvious?

 

I doubt that the corporate world would rush out and replace their existing hardware with such a device (assuming such a device were even made!)

 

I recently saw a MS video featuring a large touch display that looked like a drafting table.

Execs do like their toys

 

Are you sure it wasn't a sci-fi movie prop from 'Avatar' or something?

 

Samsung SUR40 (note: this uses WES7, not the Metro crap).

 

I wouldn't mind if you got 100 million dollar bonus a year.
But seriously, I think it was just one guy at Microsoft who wanted to imitate Steve Jobs and tell everyone how and in what ways Windows 8 should be used.

 

I don't get the comparison.

 

Sounds like CSI Miami show where they have touch screens in the forensic lab.Giant clear see through touch screens.

 

He was no Steve Jobs though, obviously.

 

That's not bad; I'll have to check it out (assuming it also works in 7?).

Regarding the drafting table idea, my problem with that is that I like the monitor to be at eye level if at all possible. It seems to me that looking down at the monitor wouldn't work well for watching a video or playing a game (which might make it ideal for work environments!).

Also, I hate virtual keyboards for any kind of typing, but I wonder if it's because I've never made myself adapt to them.

 

No, most of the code required was removed.

Cheers, Nick

 

I doubt that. Example:

http://startisback.com/#faq-tab

 

That example confirms what I said in the first sentence after the question.

Cheers Nick

 

No it doesn't. Microsoft simply removed conventional ways of "access" to the start menu. Its code remains there.

 

Afraid you are incorrect.

From the author of startisback, http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/158666-start-is-back-202/page__st__20__p__1014489#entry1014489 :