14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that Microsoft is working on a new Start menu for Windows Lite that would essentially embrace a more static design instead of the dynamic version in Windows 10.
Basically, if this plan goes forward, Microsoft could give up on live tiles and create a Start menu that reminds more of the one in Windows 7.
While this is currently an idea that Microsoft could only embrace for Windows Lite, it’s believed that at some point in the future, the company could expand it to all Windows 10 versions.
The reason? As it turns out, Microsoft’s very own data shows that Windows 10 users aren’t as big fans of the live tiles as many people seem to think. In fact, a large share of Windows 10 users don’t click the Start menu to view live tiles, but only to launch their apps.
This means that a static Start menu would make much more sense, especially because, in the end, all users want is to launch their apps fast and with minimum effort.
News of Microsoft potentially giving up on live tiles has been received with mixed reactions by the user community.
First, there are the users who have already adapted to the modern approach of Windows 10 and who think that live tiles just make sense because they perfectly fit this strategy.
Then, there are those who are former Windows Phone users. On Windows phones, live tiles were a concept that everyone really loved, so when they where brought to the desktop, the transition from one device to another in the Windows ecosystem was so much easier.
And last but not least, there are those coming from Windows 7 and who aren’t big fans of these live tiles. A static version like the one in Windows 7 is obviously the right way to go for these people, as the new UI would be significantly more familiar when upgrading their devices.
Without a doubt, making a choice in this regard won’t be easy for Microsoft. Keeping live tiles alive means the company would still have to provide support for them and work with developers to adopt this concept in their apps. However, given that people aren’t such big fans of live tiles, this doesn’t make much sense for a company that’s trying to get rid of the products that don’t fit its long-term vision.
On the other hand, ditching live tiles would certainly cause a new wave of criticism, especially from the users mentioned above.
I, for one, am rarely using live tiles. The only live tile that I regularly check is the weather, which shows my forecast without the need for opening the app.
Users on reddit claim live tiles were the best part of Windows Mobile, but there are many people claiming that although they were indeed pretty useful on a phone with limited screen estate, this isn’t the case of desktop computers. Others have already launched Feedback Hub suggestions to request Microsoft to keep live tiles alive, trying to convince the company that this feature still comes in handy to an important share of Windows 10 users.
Whether or not live tiles will survive is something that we’re going to find in the coming months, as Microsoft is expected to finalize Windows Lite in 2019. However, it could take longer for the live tiles to go away from the full version of Windows 10, especially if users keep pressing the software giant to keep this feature around in the upcoming OS updates.