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owl [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/26/windows_11_user_feedback/ [theregister.com]

Windows 11 users are unsure of the merits of the new Start menu, according to feedback so far.

The Start menu always seems to be at the centre of controversial changes to the Windows desktop. It was a triumph in Windows 95, improved steadily up until Windows 7, then transmuted into a chunky full-screen affair in Windows 8, to the horror of many users. In Windows 10 it became a hybrid of the Windows 7 and 8 approaches, restored to its spot in the left-hand corner, but retaining a tiled section.

It is all change for Windows 11, though. According to Microsoft, "research showed people wanted a cleaner and simpler Start," and it was redesigned (as was Windows 8) by taking inspiration from smartphones, "being able to pan different pages with touch, for instance," said the company.

A design video states that when asked to place different desktop components using scraps of paper, users "always saw search, files and applications together."

The consequence of "simplifying" the taskbar and Start menu is that many features have disappeared – which has not gone down well with Windows insiders, a group in which power users are no doubt over-represented.

Original Submission