‘Start’ button may return with Windows 8.1: sources

Microsoft has given the Start button the old college try, attempting to convince users that it really isn’t something they need, but it looks like they might be finally caving to public pressures.

According to The Verge, the Start button might be making a return when it releases Windows 8.1. It won’t be quite what those who miss the old style of Start button are used to, instead linking the Start Screen instead of the Start Menu more familiar to users of Windows 7 and prior. The Verge says that the flag will look almost identical to the current Windows flag in the Charm Bar.

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This potential change comes shortly after other sources reported the new Windows 8.1 will include a straight boot-to-desktop option. Since the ‘Metro’ style interface tends to be the biggest obstacle many have reported as having when getting accustomed to Windows 8, many users opt to switch to the Desktop mode instead, as it looks more like ‘Traditional’ Windows experience. Giving users the option to start up in Desktop mode would essentially be Microsoft acknowledging that Metro isn’t for everyone, which many have been saying since Microsoft’s revamped OS was revealed last year.

But before you start calling Windows 8’s new interface a total failure with the public, it’s worth considering why Microsoft would be caving into the outcry. Microsoft has said from the beginning that the new interface has been developed especially for touch screens, and it’s hard to find someone who uses Windows 8 or Windows RT and thinks that the touch-optimized interface isn’t an improvement.

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The reality is, though, that touch screen computers aren’t the norm yet; whether people are slow to upgrade older machines or aren’t willing to shell out the extra money for a fancy new touch screen for their PC, not every Windows user is using a touch screen with their desktop computer. This is just speculation, but I imagine the biggest reason Microsoft is now making boot-to-Desktop and the Start Button available is the acknowledgement of how many of their users aren’t using cutting-edge machines.

Who knows, perhaps they knew all along this would be the response, and had planned to finally ‘cave’ to consumer demand.

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