14 DAY TRIAL // Even though Microsoft has only recently introduced a boot to desktop option in Windows 8.1, the company is really keen to make the Start screen successful, so it's now claiming that skipping Metro at start-up is a setting that would quickly become obsolete.
Back in October when Microsoft officially launched Windows 8, the company had to cope with a new wave of criticism, mostly due to the Start screen that replaces the traditional Start Menu with live tiles and a full-screen UI.
The Start screen was indeed great for touch-capable devices, but desktop and laptop users were asking for an option to skip it entirely and boot directly to desktop.
The Redmond-based tech giant indeed listened to customer feedback and brought such an option in the developer preview of Windows 8.1, with early signs showing that the same feature is here to stay.
But as far as Microsoft is concerned, the boot to desktop tool will soon become obsolete, as users will eventually discover the benefits of the Start screen and begin using it.
Randy Guthrie, Microsoft Technology Evangelist, wrote on the MSDN blogs that it's only a matter of time until this happens, even though the boot to desktop option will remain in Windows 8.1.
“I like the live tile notifications that appear on my favorite apps, so for the way that I use the computer now, it works better for me to launch to the Start Screen instead of the Desktop, even though I don’t have a touch screen in front of me,” Guthrie wrote.
“I am starting to think that the Windows UX designers may have been right all along, and that over time this option will end up being one of the most requested and least-used features in the new release.”
