Microsoft Windows 8.2 Scheduled For January 2014

Although they (the Start menu and windowed Metro apps reports) are generally being reported as discreet rumours, my take is that in practice it would be difficult to uncouple the two.

Windowed Metro apps would require something like a Start menu to make it worthwhile. So the ultimate irony; the cursed Metro making inroads into the desktop actually necessitates the return of the old menu (or at least a loose resemblance)

Permissions could be a bit fiddly, and it potentially opens the door on a whole new world of confusion. I don't know, the jury is out for me on this one. Search aside, I'm quite happy with the desktop the way it is.

Be careful what you wish for...
 
Since switching back to 8.1, I'm really liking W8. No issues, everything running like butter. 8.2 just adds more functionality, like user control over desktop start menus and running Metro 'apps' within the Windows desktop mode. No need to fear 8.2 lol.
 
But you just precisely proved my point. If you actually think that's funny it's probably a good and very healthy thing :)

It says the [Metro] "Start Screen" replaces the start menu.

Therefore:

Metro Start Screen ≠ Start Menu.

Metro ≠ Start Screen

Metro ≠ Start menu

Do you realise what the word Metro defines? Thinking that "Metro" is the start menu is like saying a Samsung Microwave is a TV.

Just because a Start Screen is merely present in the Metro system does NOT mean Metro is a Start Screen.

Wat
Also it's not called "metro", it's just the start screen, and it is a start menu in that it does the same thing as the start menu just in a different visual format.

Your logic is really bad here, because you're basically saying it's not a start menu because it doesn't look like the classic start menu.

There's been multiple versions of the classic start menu for one, which one counts as the "true" start menu? It can only be one according to the way you're talking about it.

I really don't get the crying people are doing over it. It's quicker than ever to access apps and so on in Windows 8, and if you want to be as quick as possible you press the start button (on the keyboard) and start typing the first few letters of the app you want to launch.
 
But there's still no need for it to take over the entire screen. The whole thing has been unintuitive since the start.

I'm curious as to why this is an issue? When you click on a start menu you're either typing for the program or looking at the menu; by it being big or small it has your attention and any apps are simply in the background... You cannot navigate a program while navigating the start menu (same with typing) so simply having a menu pop up that occupies the screen, it has the same attention grab as a menu that pops up in the corner...
 
Because it's a distraction. Plus if I'm navigating the Start menu the regular way using the mouse, it's far easier to do so on a small menu than a full-screen oversized one. If people didn't feel this way, there wouldn't be a market for Start menu replacements.

Don't get me wrong, I can see certain merits with the 'Metro' interface on smaller displays and tablets (although my point that it's unintuitive still stands), but after using Windows 8 for a few weeks on my 11.6" ultrabook, I have zero intention of ever having it on my PC with a 24" display. A Start menu replacement has solved most of the issues but certain aspects of 'Metro' still like to rear their head even in desktop mode e.g. when you click the wireless icon in the notification area.

It's abundantly clear that MS simply didn't put enough effort into how they integrated the two environments together, which means you end up awkwardly being passed back and forth between desktop and Metro screens when trying to do many tasks. Their obsession with providing a unified experience across all devices has, I can imagine, only done more damage; if you're having a bad time with Windows 8 on a PC or laptop, there's going to be minimal desire to put up with it on an Xbox or phone too.
 
People tend to say things like "it's unintuitive" when they just mean they don't like it for what ever reason.

It's not unintuitive just because you don't like it, I'd say it's quite intuitive in that it's basic, visually apparent in what you do and what your options are, and if you want to be as quick as you can you just press the start button on your keyboard and type.

I don't think you can really get any more intuitive than that, or quick.
 
You cannot navigate a program while navigating the start menu (same with typing) so simply having a menu pop up that occupies the screen, it has the same attention grab as a menu that pops up in the corner...

no but you can watch tv/video in a windowed application and the start screen steals all the focus. it sucks. if it was half screen, that would be fine by me.
 
People tend to say things like "it's unintuitive" when they just mean they don't like it for what ever reason.

It's not unintuitive just because you don't like it, I'd say it's quite intuitive in that it's basic, visually apparent in what you do and what your options are, and if you want to be as quick as you can you just press the start button on your keyboard and type.

I don't think you can really get any more intuitive than that, or quick.

No, I'm saying it's unintuitive because it's unintuitive. It wasn't until I installed the 8.1 update that it finally started giving me on-screen hints about how to switch apps, bring up menus etc. The fact that Asus pre-installed their own Asus Tutor app which tells you all this is proof enough that MS put no effort into actually telling people how to use this completely new interface that they forced on everyone.

Plenty of other examples too, such as apps often having some settings within the app, while others are in the 'Settings' menu which looks more like it's for system or global settings than anything app-specific.

The fact that it's 'basic' as you put it really just makes it worse, because as I've said, it means that Windows is forever having to shuffle you between 'Metro' and regular environments depending on what you're trying to do. You never really know whether something you select is going to open in a Window, or a full-screen Metro interface. There's a complete disparity between the two at times which just leaves the user feeling frustrated.

Then there's stupid things like not being able to use IE in Metro if it's not your default browser. Plenty of utterly baffling design decisions which really make no sense for what's supposed to be a powerful desktop OS.
 
You only have to give a copy of Windows 8 to an experienced Windows user and ask them to do basic stuff to see how unintuitive Win 8 really is. MS removed many basic feedback cues from Win8, and people suffered confusion and frustration trying to use it.
 
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Wat
Also it's not called "metro", it's just the start screen, and it is a start menu in that it does the same thing as the start menu just in a different visual format.

Your logic is really bad here, because you're basically saying it's not a start menu because it doesn't look like the classic start menu.

There's been multiple versions of the classic start menu for one, which one counts as the "true" start menu? It can only be one according to the way you're talking about it.

I really don't get the crying people are doing over it. It's quicker than ever to access apps and so on in Windows 8, and if you want to be as quick as possible you press the start button (on the keyboard) and start typing the first few letters of the app you want to launch.
1+
But there's still no need for it to take over the entire screen. The whole thing has been unintuitive since the start.

why..

what's to says what is a true start menu.

just because the new start menu takes the entire screen doesn't make it any less of a start menu.
 
why..

what's to says what is a true start menu.

just because the new start menu takes the entire screen doesn't make it any less of a start menu.

Customers vote with their wallets, Windows 8/8.1 has flopped.

It's only a minority that are happy with it added to those profiting from start menu hacks.
 
Customers vote with their wallets, Windows 8/8.1 has flopped.

It's only a minority that are happy with it added to those profiting from start menu hacks.

but i'm saying having a tiny menu in the button left doesn't class it has that the true start menu.

a start menu can be any design, big / small, whatever..

also your saying minority that are happy with it added to those profiting from start menu hacks. but theres a lot people out there who are very happy with it without adding the old start menu.

windows is fully customizable either with built in options or 3rd party software. has I keep saying I had to use 3rd party software for 95 all the to win7 to change their UI to make it useable, did I mind, no (1min job), should I have to do it, well that depend how you look at it, personal no but I understand why ms can't design a OS around a person.

I know Windows 8/8.1 isn't perfect but no OS is perfect. if you don't like something then change it. simple has that
 
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Windows 7 was widely considered to be perfect and that's one of the primary reasons there is so much anger towards 8, Microsoft have gone backwards as far as the majority of desktop users are concerned.

Windows 8 has a small market share and start menu hacks seem to be flourishing so it makes you wonder how many people actually like Metro, it has to be only a minority. If Microsoft had given users a choice of UI we'd all be happily running it now, it was their decision to dictate that people only use Metro that's made people angry.

P.s. I've tried Windows 8.1 and I actually think it's worse with that daft start button leading to the Metro interface, it makes the OS feel like an even bigger mish mash than it already was.
 
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If Microsoft want to get rid of the Start Menu and reinvent a brand new operating system for keyboard and mouse users then great, I'm all for it.

What I don't want is to be given half of Windows 7, half of Windows Phone 7 OS and told "live with it".

I'll drop the Start Menu right now if you show me an interface that improves on it.
 
If Microsoft want to get rid of the Start Menu and reinvent a brand new operating system for keyboard and mouse users then great, I'm all for it.

What I don't want is to be given half of Windows 7, half of Windows Phone 7 OS and told "live with it".

I'll drop the Start Menu right now if you show me an interface that improves on it.

It's all relative, Win7 start is crap for touch or phone users,even Linux distros have quite a few different start menus etc,end of the day you will always get somebody moaning about something,either learn to live with it or use something else so it's that simple in my books.


FYI I remember the old days ie the bitching about Win95 when it first came out and the start menu system which Win7 is based on,remember Vista and all the bitching, same UI as Win7,my point being users will always find something to moan about.
 
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Windows 7 was widely considered to be perfect
.

so stick with it then. what you've said is win7 could get no better, so what could they have done with win8 then but to try something new? how is this not obvious to you? if they'd done the same thing, people would be complaining it's boring and becoming stale, which it would be. had they not changed to metro, is there any thing else that is new in win8? why would anyone upgrade?

they are forcing this mismatch as imo people will moan if they change too much too soon, so they're easing us into it, and we'll get used to it. on my surface pro2 i use metro all the time, i hate the desktop in fact, and i'm so glad it's on my pc as i was used to it before the surface came out. I'm looking forward to an even bigger step towards touch interface in win9, leaving the desktop behind even more. if they allowed one way or the other with win8 then people would stick to what they know, and then not be used to the touch features of win8 when they want a tablet, and would likely choose a competitor.

you act like they're losing sales because of win8, but infact imo they are gaining them. every single surface pro sold is because people want a full desktop experience, not some half cut down version like you'd get from android/iOs/win RT.

MS have are clearly looking to the long term future, why can't those on a tech forum see the quite clear path they're taking and have had to take?
 
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