The release of Windows 8 is very exciting for nerds (better to say geeks) like me, but I can't really hide big doubts about the lack of the Start screen. This aspect of the new Microsoft operating system comes from a profound reinterpretation of the concept of starting programs, where the desktop loses importance in favor of the Metro launch panel, in which the list of applications becomes the real replacement of the start menu.
Microsoft has stated that the disappearance of the Start button is part of the general objective that Windows 8 must be compatible and usable on any device, both traditional PCs and touchscreen tablets.
Let's see why the Start menu has been removed from Windows 8, how to get used to the new metro panel or how to restore the classic start menu .
The reason Microsoft raised the Start menu is its inconvenience with touch screens.
Indeed, if you try Windows 7 on a touch monitor, the experience is bad and the Start menu is complicated and frustrating to use due to the small size of the menu items and other options.
With the Metro Windows 8 home screen, you get an optimized tactile interface, with large tiles, easy-to-read text and a quick view of everything you can do with your computer.
The Start menu, present from the Windows 95 version, is the collection of all installed programs from which you can quickly search for files and from which you can run any application.
It is not that it has ever been perfect, indeed, in Windows Vista and Windows 7 it has changed becoming a continuous list, without self-expanding menus as it happened in XP, but it always remains the starting point for working.
With the Metro startup screen, then, there is no longer this aggregator list of program links.
In return you have a functional large tile panel that interactively animates with notifications, and gives a complete overview of what is happening in your digital world.
Tiles make it easier to search for applications on the start screen while all programs can be searched for in the search menu.
To call up the list of programs, simply press the right mouse button and then press the All apps button on the bottom right.
To search for a particular program, on the Windows 8 Start screen, you don't need to click anything, just start typing the name.
To view the Start screen at any time, just press the Windows key on the keyboard.
Even on normal computers, just use the mouse wheel to scroll the list .
Then pressing the combination of Windows-c keys opens the so-called " Charms Bar ", that is the control bar with clock (no longer fixed) which also appears by moving the mouse cursor to the right corner, up or down, of the screen .
By pressing the right mouse button on the lower left corner, a general menu appears from which you can access the Prompt dos, the Control Panel, the program installation menu, Run, System options and more.
The shutdown and restart options that were on the Start menu of each version of Windows are now a little hidden in the control bar (you have to go to the "settings" settings), this is because Windows 8 systems are designed to always remain on and never require a reboot.
Ultimately, the disappearance of the Start menu may not be a tragedy and, indeed, the new way of starting the applications, after a bit of acclimatization, should satisfy most people.
However , the desktop part of Windows 8 remains incomplete which, without the start menu, seems empty and almost useless.
Another article describes one of the best programs to customize Windows 8, Classic Shell to start Windows 8 with the desktop, skip Metro and find a Start menu .
Another Start Menu button for Windows 8 is Pokki, very nice to look at with additional features.
To add the traditional Start menu to Windows 8 you can also use the Vistart program.
The side effect of Vistart is that, to enter the meter panel, you will no longer be able to use the Windows key but you will have to enter it through the combination of Alt-Tab keys or from the right sidebar.
Another plugin to add the Start button to Windows 8 is Stardock's Start8 which comes with a graphic style similar to meter, integrating better with the new design (but it's not free).
The idea of Microsoft to remove the Start menu from Windows 8 therefore remains good, but it would be appropriate to leave users the possibility to enable it optionally, without using external programs, to have greater control of the classic desktop side.
As always, most users are initially reluctant to accept the changes so it's normal for this tiled boot screen to get a lot of criticism.
As I see it, just a little practice is enough to get used to the new and overcome the old, retiring the classic Start menu.
