No START button 8.1 so far...

[Shinma]

Hands-on with Leaked Builds of Windows Blue 8.1

With several leaked builds for Windows Blue hitting the web in rapid succession, it seems as though Microsoft is as leaky as a sieve these days. A leak for build 9364 made its way to the internet last March, and two more leaked builds (9369 & 9374) have hit the Internet in the weeks since.

...Well, there's no sign of a Start Button on the builds we've tried out.

Full article,
Click HERE

 

[DanceMan]

So Start is Finished?

 

[Flash]

FWIW....... There is a recently improved third party fix for Win 8 that reportedly give you a start button and program menu much like win 7 .

From the info......
"StartMenu8 not only brings back the convenient Start Menu to Windows 8, but also allows you to bypass Metro screen on start of Windows 8 and boot to desktop directly".
It also allows you to easily switch between it and the default metro desktop with a hotkey.

So, the question of if MS fixing it may be moot after all .

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Start_Menu_8_d7934.html
http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php

 

[DanceMan]

Thanks for the tip. I've tried Start8 (hope I have that correct) but wasn't completely satisfied. For one thing it was difficult to get the cursor into the corner without triggering the Metro nonsense -- the target was too small. And overall it didn't seem to restore enough of the conventional desktop menu systems that Win8 is missing.

I'll give this a try.

 

[Huge]

Could it be????

Summary: With Windows Blue, a k a Windows 8.1, Microsoft is re-introducing a Start Button and adding a boot-straight-to-desktop option. Here's how these may work.

http://www.zdnet.com/heres-how-the-new-windows-blue-start-button-may-work-7000016042/

 

[Shinma]

After all the negative Windows 8 feedbacks,
We'll see how it goes if Microsoft decides to put out a public "release preview" in the next few months.

 

[SpywareDr]

From what I've heard/read, clicking Windows 8.1's new Start Button while in the Desktop view:

(on the left)​

will simply take the user back to the Metro Style (swinging tiles) Start Screen.



Paul Thurrott > In Blue: Start Experience Changes

I can now confirm that most of the rumored coming changes to the Start experience in Windows 8.1 “Blue” are correct. And I’ve got a few screenshots to help demonstrate how these changes are implemented. ...

 

[Huge]

Well, boot-to-desktop is confirmed. It's a "start"

Speaking of the desktop, users will now have the option of booting directly to it.

http://techreport.com/news/24878/windows-8-1-start-button-boot-to-desktop-mode-confirmed

 

[Huge]

Found this gem on TR's comments

Obi-Wan: How long before you can make the boot to Desktop?

Han Solo: It'll take a few moments to get the boot sequence from the UEFI firmware.

Luke: Are you kidding? At the rate Apple is gaining marketshare?

Han: Booting to desktop ain't like playing Angry Birds on your tablet, boy! Without precise calculations we could fry the autoexec.bat or corrupt the registry, and that'd end your boot sequence real quick, wouldn't it?

 

[SpywareDr]

R-i-g-h-t.

 

[Shinma]

It's official.
No "Classic View" and the "Start" button does not result in a pop-up menu.

Quick summary of useless changes,
Click HERE

 

[SpywareDr]

Yep, it's still a tablet interface in a PC world.

 

[Huge]

Anyone here actually running Win8? It seems either everyone loves it or everyone hates it. I do own a copy of Win8 Pro (sitting on a shelf under a million dust bunnies) when it was selling for $15. Been toying with the idea of installing it along with Start8. Afraid of commitment though!

 

[SpywareDr]

Yep, but my main OS is 7.

 

[DanceMan]

Anyone here actually running Win8? It seems either everyone loves it or everyone hates it. I do own a copy of Win8 Pro (sitting on a shelf under a million dust bunnies) when it was selling for $15. Been toying with the idea of installing it along with Start8. Afraid of commitment though!

I looked at Win8 with Start8 and didn't like it. I would try other options to modify 8 to something usable. I've read of Classic Shell and will try that next, but not soon. I'd rather look at Mint 15 Cinnamon and OpenSuse 12.3 first.

 

[jimbo1763]

I read all the reviews and the comparisons to Vista, and I decided that Win 7 was just fine with me. It starts and runs great for what I use it for, and absent some major improvement in performance, I will stick with it.

 

[SpywareDr]

They're both good. I carry bootable Slax, Zorin and Hiren's (Knoppix) with me.