14 DAY TRIAL // The Start menu has had quite an interesting evolution on the Windows desktop, and although nobody could have ever guessed that such a feature would become the foundation of what’s often called Microsoft’s second biggest operating system failure after Windows Vista, people are really attached to it and want it back on their PCs.
And after trying really hard to push the Start screen as a Start menu replacement in Windows 8, Microsoft has decided to give customers more choices and actually let them decide which feature they want to use.
This change of strategy will take place in Windows 10, when it comes out later this year, but Microsoft has already started bragging about the return of the Start menu.
It’s no surprise that Microsoft is using the Start menu to bring more people on Windows 10, but it’s also another way to admit its own mistake, as removing this feature in Windows 8 and not giving users the power to choose was indeed the decision that ignited the whole criticism.
The Start menu is more modern in Windows 10
The Start menu is finally coming back in Windows 10, but not the way you know it. Instead, Microsoft opted for a more modern approach, so in addition to the traditional layout that’s already available in Windows 7, the Start menu also comes with live tiles borrowed from the Windows 8 Start screen.
If you remove all tiles from the menu, the Start menu indeed looks more like the one in Windows 7, but most people would most likely keep them on because they’re actually helpful every once in a while, as is the case of the weather app.
The Start menu, however, will be offered alongside the Start screen in Windows 10, so you decide which one you use. Microsoft is very likely to offer different configurations based on the device you have, so in case you run Windows 10 on a tablet, you might be provided with a Start screen instead of a Start menu. Options to choose which one you want will still be there though.
Keep on starting. The Start menu is back on #Windows10. More coming 1.21.15. pic.twitter.com/yyamWdt9Z8
— Windows (@Windows) January 12, 2015