The Start Menu is back!

[Arthur]

Will this be enough to make the Windows 8 haters happy?

 

Source: Engadget

 

As a part of its Build 2014 announcements, Microsoft showed off an interesting twist on its classic Start Menu. Coming to Windows 8.1 in a future update, it has the look of the Start Menu Windows users have experienced for years, but adds the Live Tiles Microsoft has been pushing as a part of Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Terry Myerson made the announcement as part of an example of how universal Windows apps will be able to run in a window (and on Xbox), although users craving something familiar will probably just be happy to see their old Start Menu again.

 

 

Edited April 2, 2014 by Arthur

[Norphy]

It's what they should have done in the first place. I'd be much happier deploying 8.1 to my users with a start menu like that. Updating it without completely changing it.

[FN-GM]

Nooo!!! The Start Screen was great. That will be rubbish on touch screens.

[CAM]

That is how they should have done it. Metro apps are just that, apps. They should run windowed not exclusive.

[Michael]

If you can optionally turn the live tiles off altogether then this would be a good move. Microsoft have to accept that there are many customers who are simply not interested in Apps and are happy with the more 'traditional' method of installing applications.

 

Let's just hope this becomes the default for Windows 9. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have had a few noticeable GUI changes which you could argue may confuse users even more. At least with Windows 7 you're guaranteed everyone's desktop looks the same!

[Arthur]

Microsoft have to accept that there are many customers who are simply not interested in Apps and are happy with the more 'traditional' method of installing applications.

You don't have to use the apps, you know.

 

All of the tiles for the Metro apps can be removed and the Start Screen could be filled with tiles for regular desktop programs instead.

[Norphy]

Nooo!!! The Start Screen was great. That will be rubbish on touch screens.

 

Well hopefully Microsoft will have the decency to actually have a separate interface for touch devices and desktop devices now, i.e. give you a choice. Forcing that onto touch screens would be just as dumb as forcing the start screen onto desktop users. Trying to shoehorn the two together was a bad idea and whoever had it should feel bad. The thing I find most frustrating about Win8/8.1 is being dumped into the Modern interface when I least expect or in the case of the Surface, being dumped back onto the desktop.

[Michael]

You don't have to use the apps, you know.

 

All of the tiles for the Metro apps can be removed and the Start Screen could be filled with tiles for regular desktop programs instead.

 

I understand your point and Microsoft have made a good move here merging the two platforms, but you should still have the choice of removing them altogether - be it by script, GPO or manually (on a standalone machine) altogether. Tiles do not work on a desktop/notebook. Microsoft are still struggling to grasp this concept.

 

Put it this way, I've not come across a single (non technical person) yet who gets or understands what tiles are all about - they just want a clean desktop, however at the same time they do get how the iPad works. The iPad you could argue is more straight forward in layout with big icons, but the tiles are varying in colour and shape... and merged together. It doesn't work as well at all.

[bushby]

i refuse to update now for 8.1 u1 i like my metro interface for my gaming rig, it feels so nice and i know where all is,

 

however i can see this working in corparte/education

[sted]

I understand your point and Microsoft have made a good move here merging the two platforms, but you should still have the choice of removing them altogether - be it by script, GPO or manually (on a standalone machine) altogether. Tiles do not work on a desktop/notebook. Microsoft are still struggling to grasp this concept.

 

Put it this way, I've not come across a single (non technical person) yet who gets or understands what tiles are all about - they just want a clean desktop, however at the same time they do get how the iPad works. The iPad you could argue is more straight forward in layout with big icons, but the tiles are varying in colour and shape... and merged together. It doesn't work as well at all.

 

the kids at the school im at love windows 8.1. Whuile i was upgrading the suite pcs to dual boot 8.1/7 they were all but fighting to sue the 8.1 pcs. They just got it straight away

[Gatt]

Just to re-iterate a point that may get lost here....

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING IN WINDOWS 8.1 UPDATE 1!!

IT IS FOR A "FUTURE" UPDATE - POSSIBLY UPDATE 2 OR WINDOWS 9/THRESHOLD

That is all

[Michael]

the kids at the school im at love windows 8.1. Whuile i was upgrading the suite pcs to dual boot 8.1/7 they were all but fighting to sue the 8.1 pcs. They just got it straight away

 

Well that's great if they did, but statistics say that globally Windows 8/8.1 are selling badly - first impressions count and as I say, most people do not get it. If I'm wrong Microsoft wouldn't be re-introducing the Start Menu now would they?

 

What they've created would be a good way of moving forward, but no doubt it'll be for Windows 9 as @Gatt wrote which would make more sense. I think Windows 8 is a great OS (it is generally faster than 7), but they just need to tweak the interface.

[LosOjos]

the kids at the school im at love windows 8.1. Whuile i was upgrading the suite pcs to dual boot 8.1/7 they were all but fighting to sue the 8.1 pcs. They just got it straight away

 

I would argue that this is because kids get excited about new "stuff" rather than any actual preference for Windows 8. that said, it's a good sign that kids still get excited over a new OS, I remember a similar situation when I was still at school in an IT suite full of Windows 3.1 machines fighting for the Windows 95 PC and before that, in a DOS suite fighting for the new 3.1 PCs. Encourage their enthusiasm!

[themightymrp]

From what I read about the Update 1 (gizmodo), when doing a fresh install it will customize the experience on if it detects a touchscreen or not. With all the options then being possible to switch on or off to suit your tastes. Ergo, in the future update 2/Win 9 it will probably leave the start screen on for touchscreen and enable the classic start menu for mice enabled PC's. But you could then presumably switch it to whatever you like?

[zag]

They took their time, but got there in the end

 

Lets hope this makes it into Windows 9!

 

From the event I went to at Microsoft a few days ago, it seems Group Polices are on their way out...

[mrbios]

From the event I went to at Microsoft a few days ago, it seems Group Polices are on their way out...

 

 

One would hope that would mean the group policy system would be replaced by something equally as powerful but more functional and not just dropped altogether?

[sted]

 

One would hope that would mean the group policy system would be replaced by something equally as powerful but more functional and not just dropped altogether?

 

i thing gpp was the first step in that direction ie make your own damn policies lol and the fact they ditched the ie maintenance section in ie10+

[themightymrp]

Group Polices are on their way out...

 

God I hope not!

[Gatt]

 

One would hope that would mean the group policy system would be replaced by something equally as powerful but more functional and not just dropped altogether?

 

I can't see them phasing GP out all together - its one of the fundamental parts to AD!

[X-13]

From the event I went to at Microsoft a few days ago, it seems Group Polices are on their way out...

 

So, businesses* are going to run Win7/8.1 into the ground, just like XP, because there's no way to manage Win9+...

 

Then Microsoft will lose the business* sector entirely to Apple/Linux/Android? when it goes EOL...

 

 

 

Yeah, can't see that happening.

 

 

[*Including Education. In this case business = not personal use.]

[sted]

I can't see them phasing GP out all together - its one of the fundamental parts to AD!

 

i suspect the thinking is more and more devices will be byod and data lives in the cloud do you need ad anymore when $company$ can rent you the storage etc and charge you every year

[Norphy]

i thing gpp was the first step in that direction ie make your own damn policies lol and the fact they ditched the ie maintenance section in ie10+

 

Group policies and group policy preferences are two different things though. A group policy is a policy, i.e. it defines a setting and enforces it whether the user likes it or not. A preference however defines a default for a user but allows them to change it.

[sted]

Group policies and group policy preferences are two different things though. A group policy is a policy, i.e. it defines a setting and enforces it whether the user likes it or not. A preference however defines a default for a user but allows them to change it.

 

thats my point long term i suspect gpp will be the ONLY way to apply settings to a bunch of computers

[zag]

Yes they were looking at extending cloud based solutions such as intune and moving towards more of a BYOD design.

 

Apparently with group policies you have no way of knowing if its applied (they have a point). So it will be interesting how this develops.

[Gatt]

From the event I went to at Microsoft a few days ago.

 

Hang on - this wasnt on 01/04/2014 per chance?