Windows 8 Start Menu

Where's my WINDOWS 8 Start Menu?

Windows 7 start menu

The start menu is possibly the most iconic piece of Windows that people have come to be familiar with. It launches applications, runs comprehensive searches, and links to important places like the Control Panel and Folders. Without it, would Windows still be Windows?

Some say no, and I can't blame them. The start menu, as pictured in Windows 7, is easy to navigate, easily accessible from the desktop, and convinient to use. However, as seen with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, it looks like the traditional start menu we know may just be gone forever.

Even Chaitanya Sareen, a program manager lead for Microsoft, understands that this chage could be "disruptive" but continues on to explain how the new start screen is better for everyone.

"The environment around Windows has changed immensely since we first introduced the Start menu, and we want to make sure we’re still delivering an experience that is both relevant and tuned to the dynamic computing world we live in today. The evolution of the Start menu is inextricably linked with the development of several other related, but disparate concepts, such as application launching, application switching, system notifications, and gadgets."

Windows 8 sheds the start menu icon in the Consumer Preview

But beta testers are lashing out against what they feel was a very poor design choice by Microsoft. They point out how the new start menu is not mouse-friendly, and does not flow well with the familiar desktop mode. Many users simply claim that they will stay on Windows 7.

Sareen makes an effort to address some of these concerns in her post. "Are we going to do anything to make the mouse more efficient in scrolling through your programs in Start? (Yes, we'll improve that experience, and show you much more in the beta.) Some of you have talked about it feeling less efficient to cycle through your recent programs compared to using the taskbar (and we'll have more to say about that in future posts)."

Only time will tell whether the new, touch-friendly start screen will satisfy desktop users. For the time being, there are at least some other alternatives.

Sources

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/03/evolving-the-start-menu.aspx
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/how-to-get-a-windows-7-start-menu-in-windows-8-20110914/

WINDOWS 8 Consumer Preview Available

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is now available! Go check it out at the source link!

1) Click the blue "Get it now" button on the source page.

2) Enter a valid email address and select your country. Check the checkbox and click the blue "Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview" button.

3) When the download box opens up, click "Run" and then "Yes" when the security box prompts you.

4) Hit "Next", and write down the product key which you will need later.

The download will start.

Sources

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview