StartIsGone for Windows 8.1

[Arthur]

This little program removes the Start button from Windows 8.1 so you have room for an additional icon on your taskbar.

 

Link: StartIsGone (Download)

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/EriIdeA.png

[SovietRussia]

Haha, we don't want to remove start!

[Michael]

Why has someone developed this? Absolute madness!

[LosOjos]

Haha, we don't want to remove start!

 

Why has someone developed this? Absolute madness!

 

Because the Start button in 8.1 simply opens the new Start Screen, it doesn't restore the original Start Menu like many hoped, rendering it pretty much pointless!

 

I'll probably leave it alone myself as, much as I hate to admit it, I'm used to all my shortcuts being in the Start Screen now anyway...

[SYNACK]

Why has someone developed this? Absolute madness!

 

Some people could cope without the redundancy of at least one windows key and a wasted corner of the screen and a slide out one from the right

Edited September 12, 2013 by SYNACK

[Michael]

Working with a HD resolution or more of 1366 x 768, I really can't imagine I'm going to lose sleep over an icon space!

 

I just find it ironic that Windows 8's biggest discussion is of the Start Menu, its icon, or something else related to it.

[SYNACK]

Working with a HD resolution or more of 1366 x 768, I really can't imagine I'm going to lose sleep over an icon space!

 

I just find it ironic that Windows 8's biggest discussion is of the Start Menu, its icon, or something else related to it.

 

Interesting, I get claustrophobic on anything less than full hd unless dealing with a phone or tablet, half the stuff we use here is developed for taller screens.

[CHR1S]

Because the Start button in 8.1 simply opens the new Start Screen, it doesn't restore the original Start Menu like many hoped, rendering it pretty much pointless!

 

Really? I've waited and struggled with 8 and 2012 just to get a button that takes me to effing metro, sorry, start screen?

[Michael]

Interesting, I get claustrophobic on anything less than full hd unless dealing with a phone or tablet, half the stuff we use here is developed for taller screens.

 

I have to agree, but weirdly different schools have different screens/resolutions so I just get used to it! HD one day and 1024 x 768 the next.

 

I think even Windows 8 tablets come with relatively high resolutions these days.

[LosOjos]

Really? I've waited and struggled with 8 and 2012 just to get a button that takes me to effing metro, sorry, start screen?

 

Yep, I'm afraid so. Microsoft are really sticking to their guns on this one.

[SYNACK]

Really? I've waited and struggled with 8 and 2012 just to get a button that takes me to effing metro, sorry, start screen?

 

I really don't get what is so difficult about it, it's equivalent to someone switching from list view to thumbnail view in the start menu, so you needed to find the start button on the keyboard, how many techs weren't using this in conjunction with the R key to get to run anyway. I get the silly jarring to full screen bit but functionality wise I don't get the issue.

[ZeroHour]

Really? I've waited and struggled with 8 and 2012 just to get a button that takes me to effing metro, sorry, start screen?

 

Yeah the button does but metro has a new setting which basically means when you hit the button the "all programs" is the default shown interface rather than the metro dashboard. The dashboard is still available I think.

I dont need the icon tbh so its wasted space but luckily my primary display is 21:9 so space isnt such an issue. I would like the icons centered though.

Edited September 12, 2013 by ZeroHour

[CHR1S]

Its added to the time it takes to complete a job quite a bit.

 

Try working on 3 virtual 2012 servers, doing that stupid hover thing in the corner to get to the start screen, having it fail 2 out of 3 times because I go outside of the VM window in haste. Then you right click and left click to get the full list of installed apps, then you have to scroll through every tile.

 

Perhaps its personal preference but I feel more productive on my 2010 workstation, and my home PCs are all downgraded to 7.

[ZeroHour]

Try working on 3 virtual 2012 servers, doing that stupid hover thing in the corner to get to the start screen, having it fail 2 out of 3 times because I go outside of the VM window in haste. Then you right click and left click to get the full list of installed apps, then you have to scroll through every tile.

I never even thought of that, my vm's lock the mouse in the window so it was never an issue but good point

[FN-GM]

ts added to the time it takes to complete a job quite a bit.

 

Metro makes things easier to find apps. Just press start and start typing the app name.

[CHR1S]

I never even thought of that, my vm's lock the mouse in the window so it was never an issue but good point

 

I use RDC Manager, always doing it

 

 

Metro makes things easier to find apps. Just press start and start typing the app name.

 

Didn't know you could do that! But once again it assumes you know what the thing your looking for is called and you can spell

[ZeroHour]

Didn't know you could do that! But once again it assumes you know what the thing your looking for is called and you can spell

Derp, that was added in vista lol.

You only need to know the first couple of letters really.

[CHR1S]

Derp, that was added in vista lol.

You only need to know the first couple of letters really.

 

Noooo, I mean I didnt know you could just type in the start screen, I always hovered right and clicked search.

[ZeroHour]

Noooo, I mean I didnt know you could just type in the start screen, I always hovered right and clicked search.

 

Ahhh I was going to say

[Roberto]

Metro makes things easier to find apps. Just press start and start typing the app name.

 

Except that this doesn't always work properly, and when it does, it assumes you already know the name of what you're looking for.

 

Now I know that my college has photoshop installed on all the computers but we have 1500 new users this year who don't know that, and yet would still like to edit a picture file. Of course, if they're editing a photo and start typing 'photo...' then they'll be fine but there are lots of places where instead of photoshop they'll be using the gimp or paint.net. The idea that search excuses all the problems with the start screen is very much a red herring

[LosOjos]

Except that this doesn't always work properly, and when it does, it assumes you already know the name of what you're looking for.

 

Now I know that my college has photoshop installed on all the computers but we have 1500 new users this year who don't know that, and yet would still like to edit a picture file. Of course, if they're editing a photo and start typing 'photo...' then they'll be fine but there are lots of places where instead of photoshop they'll be using the gimp or paint.net. The idea that search excuses all the problems with the start screen is very much a red herring

 

Also, anyone tried searching for "update" via the Start Screen?

 

Every program you own that has an update feature shows up in Programs, if you're lucky you know which program it is from the icon.

 

There are 2 different versions of Windows Update in Settings, not to mention any apps that managed to get their update icon in to the Control Panel.

 

The search really is far from perfect... I've got everything I *usually* need set up in groups on the Start Screen now.

[Norphy]

Metro makes things easier to find apps. Just press start and start typing the app name.

 

It may make it easier to find apps this way (but this is hardly new functionality, Vista could do this as well and that was still a god-awful OS) but overall, Metro is still functionally deficient compared to the old start menu. For example:

Quick lists in the Start Menu. In Outlook, new message etc. In Excel, word etc recently used documents. In IE and Chrome, recently visited pages. In the RDC client, recent servers. Useful functionality which has been removed for as far as I can see no real reason.

 

I have nothing against change so long as it actually gets you something. For the desktop user, Metro gives you nothing and takes away plenty.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Norphy

[Arthur]

Useful functionality which has been removed for as far as I can see no real reason.

@Norphy @CHR1S @Roberto. Right-click the icon on your taskbar...

 

http://i.imgur.com/QklsYto.png

 

The useful functionality you claim is missing, isn't missing at all.

 

http://i.imgur.com/36QWukq.png

Edited September 14, 2013 by Arthur

[LosOjos]

The useful functionality you claim is missing, isn't missing at all.

 

Even so, it's another example of how useless an "update" the Start Screen, which lacks this feature, is.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm used to using the Start Screen now, but I still don't see that it's an improvement. It's just different for different's sake (on a desktop PC)

[Arthur]

which lacks this feature

It wouldn't make any sense to include that feature on the Start Screen.