14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced that a new version of Windows 10 will be shipped to Windows Insiders sometime next week, but the company has already provided a demo to show what's new in this particular build.
In addition to Cortana and a few other features, Microsoft has also showcased the evolution of the Start menu, which now seems to be a smaller version of the Start screen.
As you can see in this screenshot published by Microsoft itself, the Start menu how has transparency and comes with a layout that seems to perfectly resemble the one of the Start screen.
Both are very similar right now, but there's no doubt that this design really looks good and modern, which is most likely what Microsoft hoped to get for Windows 10.
New layout for both of them
In the next Windows 10 build, which is very likely to be 9924, Microsoft has revamped the Start menu to display new categories, including places and most used apps to quickly provide access to data you need the most.
Tiles can also be grouped in categories, just like you are allowed to do on the Windows 8.1 Start screen, and the Start menu now has transparency, a feature that was intensively requested by users through feedback platforms.
As far as the Start screen is concerned, it comes with a look that's very similar to the Start menu and groups tiles in categories, with a design that's clearly created to provide a seamless transition from the desktop to the Modern UI and the other way around.
Continuum is basically the feature that will benefit the most from these improvements, as Microsoft wants 2-in-1 users to switch from the Modern UI to the desktop without interrupting their work. This particular option will be part of the upcoming releases, Microsoft promises.
Overall, both the Start menu and the Start screen appear to be going in the right direction in terms of appearance, and giving the fact that users are finally allowed to choose which one they want to use, there's no doubt that Windows 10 can finally appeal to more people.