I have several Netbooks some are Windows 7 and the other two are Windows XP,which I bought this year. And on Windows XP there is the option to switch to the classic start menu. That is found in older versions of Windows,Windows,2000,98 and 95. But I found that I did not like the classic start menu and switched back to the Windows XP start menu.
For a start,the classic start menu is not very customisable. That is you can't change the folder names such as Documents to your own name, but you can in the normal Windows start menu. And you cannot display the items you want, like in the Windows start menu. Also it is not user friendly and quite ugly to look at.
But the Windows start menu is much more customisable as you can make the icons larger or smaller. And it fits in more with the modern operating systems that is Windows XP,Windows Vista and Windows 7. And the features of the modern Windows XP start menu have carried through to Windows 7. Where you can make the list of items you have pinned to the start menu,smaller icons. Like I have done which makes it look like a list and the only difference with the Windows 7 start menu. Is that it has just the item list in one row, not two rows like on Windows XP.You just browse the program list and pinned items by clicking all programs.
And yes, I have tried Classic Shell on Windows 7, and I had the same problems with the classic start menu as I had on Windows XP. And also Classic Shell is supposed to be let you switch to the Windows Vista and Windows XP themes, as well as Windows 7 theme. But I found that after a short time using it,the feature stopped working and would not switch themes. A sure sign of a bug in the software,so I uninstaled Classic Shell.
But my view is that we don't need the classic start menu on Windows XP Windows Vista or Windows 7, as we already have a modern start menu on these three operating systems. And you can switch your theme to Windows classic on both Windows XP and Windows 7. As I do on Windows 7, as I hate the Areo theme. And on Windows Classic theme setting you can change the desktop and task bar color and text to any color you want.
And use the modern start menu of course. A much better option than the outdated classic start menu. And as I only got my first computer,a Windows 7 Netbook last year. I have never used the classic start menu. so I have always known the modern Windows start menu.
The classic start menu would be all right on Windows 2000,where there is no choice but to use it, as it is all they have. But it is out of touch with today's modern computing. Which is probably why most people do not use it on Windows XP or Windows 7. Andrea Borman.