Windows 8 Win 8 final: Would third party developers somehow be able to recreate start button unilities?

icet

New Member
Hi all,


As Microsoft has removed all the codes to prevent third party developers to create utilities/software to reenable the start button in Windows 8, I would like to know your opinions about that. After the release of the final verison of Windows 8, do you think the developers somehow would be able to recreate utilities/software to reenable the start menu button successfully or they would fail? Also would they be able to reenable Aero glass too? What you think?:hopelessness:
 
The biggest thing stopping me from using Win8 (as opposed to just playing with it) is the lack of the "start" button. I went looking for alternatives, and found "Classic-Start" which I downloaded from CNET.

Problem solved. If Microsoft does something even better, great, but as long as I have this utility, the new Win8 is at least useable.

Oh, and I put "desktop" at the top left of the metro screen, as was suggested elsewhere. Simply clicking on <enter> now takes me direct to the desktop.
 
The biggest thing stopping me from using Win8 (as opposed to just playing with it) is the lack of the "start" button. I went looking for alternatives, and found "Classic-Start" which I downloaded from CNET.

Problem solved. If Microsoft does something even better, great, but as long as I have this utility, the new Win8 is at least useable.

Oh, and I put "desktop" at the top left of the metro screen, as was suggested elsewhere. Simply clicking on <enter> now takes me direct to the desktop.

So from what you said I take it you wont use any system without a start button then? Old school windows started out without a start button and people used it. How can pass up all of the benefits of hardware, media, and performance improvements just over one single button? I got past not having a start button and actually like it. My most Important programs are pinned to the start screen and others I dont use often, well I know where they are (programs folder) and can always shoot there in a breeze with just a few clicks, no big deal for me. If I really cared I would pin the programs folder to the taskbar or make a shortcut of it to the desktop. But I dont because I have everything I need and can navigate quickly to my files. I like this change, Start menu people have had 5 or more systems with this button so why not give other peoples ideas a chance and stop worrying over one simple feature ? Theres far more advantages of win8 then disadvantages.

" as long as I have this utility, the new Win8 is at least useable." Your kidding right? all of your attention on one button, maybe you would like chrome OS, that is the simplicity I think your looking for. :)
 
Hi there - I've been trying for a few weeks to get used to the system just the way it installed, and have been attempting to leave things "stock". Maybe I just don't have the patience others have - on my "real" PC, I've got what feels like zillions of programs, that more or less get used (or not) depending on what I need to do at the time. Can I use it without the <start> button? Sure, but why? It takes me much longer, and I've got too many years of using it the way I prefer. (My desktop is almost empty - I know what I've got, and where to find things when needed.)

In no way am I trying to limit what you can do.... as you put it "so why not give other peoples ideas a chance and stop worrying over one simple feature ?" The last thing I want to do is to take away what you seem to prefer, but I'd also like to do what I prefer.

Actually, it's no longer an issue. Microsoft can leave things just the way they are, and those who enjoy the new way of doing things will be satisfied. In the meantime, many people I know will simply download "Classic-Start" and be equally happy.



You're right - old-school Windows started out without a <start> button, and before that, all we had was DOS without even having Windows. Old school didn't even have a mouse.

I realize you don't think we need a <start> button; from my perspective, we don't need the "Start screen". If Microsoft is smart about things, they'll satisfy both of us.
 
Referring back to the OP, and the Thread title. "As Microsoft has removed all the codes to prevent third party developers to create utilities/software to reenable the start button in Windows 8," that is incorrect. In their subsquent "improvements" or add-ons to Windows 8, MS have moved a few registry items around. I believe the original article, which started this rumour, was meant to refer only to the Registry hack to cripple the Metro and bring back the Start menu. During my own testing, and recently, I have tried 5 known third party start menu programs. They are all still working.
 
I realize you don't think we need a <start> button; from my perspective, we don't need the "Start screen". If Microsoft is smart about things, they'll satisfy both of us.

I really like the start screen, its different and can look nice while offering weather updates and apps like cookbook which is great if like to cook and try new recipes, it gives you access to useful information which at first i didnt know and hated metro but once I gave it a try I found it pretty cool.

Im sure microsoft will make program tiles for your installed desktop programs look nicer and give you options to dress the tiles up to make them look better. For now its just Beta and I assume they will add that feature, for when you install a program and it gets pinned to your start menu. I assume the next releases will let you choose a better tile picture or icon for that program, also they should let you change tile colors too.

The start button is no big deal to me, I just dont want everyone to complain to microsoft so they end up adding it and not giving an option to turn it off. If they put an option like, start button on/off, then thats perfectly fine by me. I just like the preview release and think very few changes should be made. If too many changes get made I worry it might affect the final release rendering it far different and less enjoyable then this version. If they just gave more tile options, start button on/off option, plus more hardware support and bug fixes, then windows 8 would be complete and ready for everyone, thats how I feel anyway. I can live without a start button, but at least give the option on/off so everyones happy :)
 
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I really like the start screen, its different and can look nice while offering weather updates and apps like cookbook which is great if like to cook and try new recipes, it gives you access to useful information which at first i didnt know and hated metro but once I gave it a try I found it pretty cool........Im sure microsoft will make program tiles for your installed desktop programs look nicer and give you options to dress the tiles up to make them look better. .....and I assume they will add that feature, for when you install a program and it gets pinned to your start menu. I assume the next releases will let you choose a better tile picture or icon for that program, also they should let you change tile colors too..........If too many changes get made I worry it might affect the final release rendering it far different and less enjoyable then this version.


I agree that there's a whole lot of people who will find the new version prettier, and nicer looking, and everything else you've mentioned.

Then, there are those people who just need it to work efficiently, and who have no interest in the "looking new and exciting" kind of thing, and will pretty much ignore everything you've just pointed out. People in an office, or people doing research, or people simply trying to get their work done won't benefit in the slightest from all the neat things you've pointed out.


.........on the other hand, I think they WILL realize that their older computers, which are too slow in today's world, will suddenly seem a lot faster because of the improvements that has been made in Win8.



You're concerned about Microsoft messing up the things you like, because too many people might complain. I can understand that. The solution, as I see it, is to give everyone the tools they need or want, so nobody has any reason to complain.

[I've spent this past evening on forums, downloading and editing photos, downloading and installing new software, and working with Microsoft Word and Excel. I've done almost all of that using my (quite old, and with only 1 gb of RAM) test Windows8 PC. Everything went fine, and the only times I had to see/use the Metro page was when I log on, just long enough to click <enter> which defaults to "desktop" ever since I put that tile at the top left corner of all the tiles.]
 
It is quite amazing how a preview can work so good, better then any version from before. I have always struggled with Windows systems on my Thinkpad R61, It seemed no matter what version of Windows I put on it, it would always have some problem somewhere (mainly with graphics performance running games). I struggled through XP,VISTA,WIN7. None of them was good enough, I even tried Linux Ubuntu, Mint, but it had no graphics support or game support.
I'm finally happy on this version of windows, nothing is slow. The only small problem is that the video driver is buggy because its a beta, it would give great performance until at a certain point where alot of action went on then it would stutter. So for now I use Windows 7 video driver, and it works really good and better then on 7.
I use release preview everyday now, and I really enjoy playing games and listening to music on here. I dont use the Internet explorer built in, I use google chrome on the desktop. I spent 90% of time on desktop and 10% or less on metro. I like having Metro but everything I do gets done on desktop.

P.S If anyone hears of intel releasing a Win8 driver for the video graphics GMA 965 chipset A.K.A intel X3100 Let me know.
 
I am a Windows user since the beginning and I would use it if it doesn't have a start button menu or not. But I fear what would I and others like me do if in some future version we might find that there is no desktop and everything is metro. :)
 
I am a Windows user since the beginning and I would use it if it doesn't have a start button menu or not. But I fear what would I and others like me do if in some future version we might find that there is no desktop and everything is metro. :)

Yes that would be the worst thing for microsoft, I must have a desktop for all the programs I love best. If I dont like the final release I know I will be looking for a timebomb remover to keep this version (release preview) of windows. I looked for one already but I guess its too soon. I tried others but they failed and I lost my activation key. I've searched forums but they all talk about other versions when referring to a timebomb remover.
 
Yes that would be the worst thing for microsoft, I must have a desktop for all the programs I love best. If I dont like the final release I know I will be looking for a timebomb remover to keep this version (release preview) of windows. I looked for one already but I guess its too soon. I tried others but they failed and I lost my activation key. I've searched forums but they all talk about other versions when referring to a timebomb remover.



Shane Black,


You misunderstood my post. I didn't mean about the Windows 8 final release. Of course it would have the desktop. I was talking about the future releases like Windows 9, Windows 10. I meant that the way MS is stripping desktop of its traditional and important utilities in Windows 8, what if in Windows 9 they further strip the desktop utilities and by Windows 10 do away with the desktop altogether. :)
 
Shane Black,


You misunderstood my post. I didn't mean about the Windows 8 final release. Of course it would have the desktop. I was talking about the future releases like Windows 9, Windows 10. I meant that the way MS is stripping desktop of its traditional and important utilities in Windows 8, what if in Windows 9 they further strip the desktop utilities and by Windows 10 do away with the desktop altogether. :)

Sorry I misunderstood your post, to me a no desktop OS is useless because almost everything I do takes place there. Games, free music and videos, downloads, and so much more make windows the power house its known to be. You cant find Emulators to play your favorite classic nes, snes, n64, and playstation games in the App market, android has some but they cost money. And all PC games require desktop, so to me no desktop is like taking away a vast range of options and forcing us out of the millions of programs we have all come to love.. I will never use such an OS that does this.
 
A basic option for recreating the start menu is to do this.

Create a toolbar on taskbar and select your program folder. Unlock taskbar and reposition it to go on the right side then lock the taskbar. Simple but more easy to access programs for some. You can get creative and make a folder called start, then place all of your shortcuts to programs in it, and also change the folder icon to more of a start button icon.

This method can be simple and fun to people depending on how they look at it, I just thought I'd share an Idea :)
 
When someone wants to re-invent the wheel, it helps if there is an advantage from doing things the newer way.

The <start> button system works nicely.

If there's a faster/easier/more-powerful/more-intuitive way to do things, I think a lot of people will be interested, but so far I can't see any advantages here. "Simple and fun" might be a great reason for kids, but how about people who are simply trying to get work done?
 
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