14 DAY TRIAL // The Windows Start menu remains an important subject for the Redmond-based tech giant, with many users calling for the company to bring it back in the modern operating system as soon as possible.
Terry Myerson, head of the operating system division at Microsoft, confirmed at the BUILD 2014 developer conference in April that the company would reintroduce this feature in a future Windows 8.1 update, along with options to launch Metro apps in dedicated windows right on the desktop.
Everybody expected to see the Start menu going live in Windows 8.1 Update 2, which is in its turn expected to be launched in August or September, but it appears that the company is actually delaying it a little bit in order to introduce more features.
A report by ZDNet indicates that customization is one of the key features of the upcoming Start menu, as Microsoft wants to provide users with more power when it comes to the looks and functionality of the new feature.
The Start menu, which is now projected to be launched in Windows 9, could come with options to display only Metro or desktop applications, which would basically mean that those running the operating system on a PC could solely rely on the desktop and never access the Modern UI.
At the same time, it appears that the new interpretation of the Start menu would mix live tiles with classic shortcuts to installed apps, but again, users will be allowed to choose between these two design styles. As a result, you might be allowed to use either live tiles or a simple list that would provide instant access to your applications, just like it was the case with the Windows 7 Start menu.
Microsoft hasn't talked about the Start menu since the April conference, but expect the company to provide more information on this at the Worldwide Partner Conference that officially opens its doors later this month.
Of course, all these details are yet to be confirmed by someone working from Microsoft, so they're still in the rumor stage, which means that we should still wait for the company to provide more information on what's to come for Start menu enthusiasts.
However, it remains to be seen how many users actually still feel the need for a Start menu, now that Windows 8 and the Start screen have both been around for more than a year and a half.