Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by LaminatorX on Wednesday June 04 2014, @11:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the Interface-Resurrection dept.

Mary Jo Foley reports at ZDNet that according to sources who've had good track records on Windows information, Microsoft won't be delivering a new Start Menu for Windows 8 with its coming Windows 8.1 Update 2, after all. "Up until recently, Microsoft was hoping to make a new "Mini" Start Menu part of a second update to Windows 8.1," says Foley. "Windows 8.1 Update 2 was and still is, last I heard slated to arrive in August of this year." Microsoft's operating systems group has decided to hold off on delivering a Microsoft-developed Start Menu until Threshold, the next "major" release of Windows. Threshold, which may or may not ultimately be called Windows 9, is expected to be released in April 2015.

The original Windows 8 interface lacked the Start Menu, a familiar component of previous versions of the operating system, replacing it with the live tile-driven Start screen. Many users didn't like the change, and some PC manufacturers and developers offered ways to bring back versions of the old Start Menu. Microsoft appeared to relent at Build when it unveiled the revised Start Menu, enhanced with Windows Modern UI improvements.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Wednesday June 04 2014, @07:27PM

    by frojack (1554) on Wednesday June 04 2014, @07:27PM (#51308) Journal

    Without the 'Start Screen', people wouldn't use Metro apps,

    Exactly. The start screen wasn't where microsoft WANTED to be for mainstream use of the windows platform. It was a bolt-on wag-the-dog tool used to gain traction in the portable market.

    Virtually all Windows managers in the Linux/Unix world still have some form of a start menu, although its usually better organized, grouping applications by functionality rather than manufacturers.

    Why? because it just makes sense.

    Once you get past your rebellious teen age years, you no longer floor sort your toys or tools. Once you get beyond a couple screens full of icons, you can't find anything, (yes you can organize those monster icons somewhat, but it is still a mess, and still slow as hell, using a screen full of icons). Might work for small touch screens, but it fails progressively as screen size increases.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Insightful=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3