It turns out that many adopters have actually gotten used to the Start screen

Jan 6, 2014 11:11 GMT  ·  By

One of the biggest changes that Microsoft made in Windows 8 was the removal of the familiar Start button, which was pretty much the first destination for users who just powered on their computers.

Without this Start button, many actually got confused and could find a way to get around the operating system, with lots of users spending at least a couple of minutes to find out how to perform basic tasks, such as shutting down the computer.

Microsoft listened to what customers had to say and changed things a little bit in Windows 8.1, not only by bringing back the Start button, but also by implementing new tips and tutorials that provide instructions on the main features of the operating system.

In Windows 8.1, the Start button has mostly been considered a disappointment, pretty much because it does nothing else than to get users to the Start screen.

And still, after months of debate, it turns out that more and more Windows 8.1 adopters have gotten used to the Start screen and no longer want a Start button. While some are still crawling the web looking for a way to bring a full-featured Start Menu in Windows, many are just fine with the existing configuration, regardless of the device they are using.

We’ve searched YouTube, Microsoft’s blogs and some of our posts to see what people actually believe about the Start button and, as you can see for yourselves in the comments we quoted below, many actually like the Start screen.

Here are some of the comments we came across today:

“I never actually use the new start menu very much because all the programs I normally need daily are in the task bar. (like the dock on the Mac). If I need a program not there, I can find it much faster in Windows 8 -- hit the windows key to get to the start menu, then start typing the program. Isn't that just as fast as the old start menu -- and exactly the same keystrokes? Am I missing something?”

“MS shouldn't bring the start menu back. People just love to complain. There are so many users who say ‘Hey, there was no start menu so I got mad and got myself a Mac’. Guess what, Mac does not have a start menu either. It's just idiotic. ... If MS focuses on those idiots complaining, then they will become idiots too!”

Review image
Windows 8.1 brought back the Start button as a quick means to access the Start screen.

“We all love METRO. If start button came back we will switch to Ubuntu then.”

“Windows 8/8.1 are excellent especially for all-in-one PCs. Even on my windows 7 i barely use the menu. The most often used applications are on my taskbar.”

“You can do EVERYTHING you can do on Windows 7 as well. But you get a personalisable Start Screen with tiles that give you information without having to go in them and you can arrange them your way. The multitasking is great, and the search function is great... and it works just as well with a mouse and keyboard as it does with touch. There is nothing to complain about.”

‘No one has ever complained about lack of Start Menu in iOS, Mac, or Android. If you want to search just press Win + Q.”

“Got news for you start screen haters. IT'S BASICALLY A CUSTOMIZABLE START MENU. Don't be stupid. Just because it looks different does NOT mean it has to function any differently.”

“Really, people are still complaining about the Start screen. Why not try this, instead of wasting your energy on complaining about the Start screen, why not embrace the new and different. The Start screen is way much better than the old boring Start button menu. Don’t fight the Start screen, work with it.”

What’s more important is that Microsoft seems to be ready to bring back the Start Menu in Windows, with some people familiar with the matter revealing that Windows 9 could be the next version featuring such a tool.

At the same time, third-party Start Menu apps are still impressively popular, so opinions on the Windows Start button are most likely mixed, but will probably change even more as more time passes by.