Slashdot Mirror

Now, waiting for Microsoft to get rid of those fugly Metro tiles attached to the desktop Start menu. This is a DESKTOP environment, not a phone or tablet.
How about practicing what you preach regarding Continuum?

And while you're at it, why not make the Start menu more functional and sensible? At least implement something from Stardock's Start8, Classic Shell or Vistart.

Yes, a few:

Start8: http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
ViStart: http://www.lee-soft.com/vistart/
Classic Shell (has the benefit of being FOSS): http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Pokki: https://www.pokki.com/windows-8-start-menu

http://www.lee-soft.com/vistart/
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

There are lots of alternatives.

Start Menus:
Classic Shell
Pokki
Power8
RetroUI
Start8
StartMenu8
Start Menu X
ViStart
Win8StartButton

Launchers:
7stacks
8start Launcher
Appetizer
Blaze
Executor
Fences
Find and Run Robot
Key Launch
Launchy
ObjectDock
Rainmeter
RK Launcher
RocketDock
SliderDock
ViPad
Winstep Nexus
XWindows Dock

Take your pick. This is just a small list. I know there are many more out there.

This is extra text because Slashdot is lame and says my comment has too few characters per line:

A computer program (also software, or just a program) is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer.[1] A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor.[2] The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute the instructions. The same program in its human-readable source code form, from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled), enables a programmer to study and develop its algorithms.

Computer source code is often written by computer programmers. Source code is written in a programming language that usually follows one of two main paradigms: imperative or declarative programming. Source code may be converted into an executable file (sometimes called an executable program or a binary) by a compiler and later executed by a central processing unit. Alternatively, computer programs may be executed with the aid of an interpreter, or may be embedded directly into hardware.

Computer programs may be categorized along functional lines: system software and application software. Two or more computer programs may run simultaneously on one computer, a process known as multitasking.

There are lots of alternatives.

Start Menus:
Classic Shell
Pokki
Power8
RetroUI
Start8
StartMenu8
Start Menu X
ViStart
Win8StartButton

Launchers:
7stacks
8start Launcher
Appetizer
Blaze
Executor
Fences
Find and Run Robot
Key Launch
Launchy
ObjectDock
Rainmeter
RK Launcher
RocketDock
SliderDock
ViPad
Winstep Nexus
XWindows Dock

Take your pick. This is just a small list. I know there are many more out there.

This is extra text because Slashdot is lame and says my comment has too few characters per line:

A computer program (also software, or just a program) is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer.[1] A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor.[2] The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute the instructions. The same program in its human-readable source code form, from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled), enables a programmer to study and develop its algorithms.

Computer source code is often written by computer programmers. Source code is written in a programming language that usually follows one of two main paradigms: imperative or declarative programming. Source code may be converted into an executable file (sometimes called an executable program or a binary) by a compiler and later executed by a central processing unit. Alternatively, computer programs may be executed with the aid of an interpreter, or may be embedded directly into hardware.

Computer programs may be categorized along functional lines: system software and application software. Two or more computer programs may run simultaneously on one computer, a process known as multitasking.

Or here: http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
Or here: http://www.lee-soft.com/vistart/

Your entire post seems predicated on the fact that Microsoft removed the familiar UI from Windows, when in reality it's right there waiting for you. You can spend your whole day on the desktop and forget the Metro UI ever existed. If the fact that it's there bothers you in the back of your mind, you're free to install any launchers or shells that remind you of the good ol' days.

http://www.lee-soft.com/vistart/

or

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

http://lee-soft.com/vistart/
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

Someone already did (ironically even before Win8) - it's ViStart. Not pixel-perfect, but all the functionality is there.

Either way those that want a desktop / start menu combo will either tweak windows to there needs or someone will release some software to get around it.

The software is already there.

The other option is ViStart, which brings just the Start button/menu (but does it like Win7).

The vistart addon for Windows 8 will fix that. It still allows access to Metro as well. http://lee-soft.com/vistart/.

Really, and how do you do this without having to use a 3rd party paid app?

Why would you think that it would have to be a paid app? There are heaps of free programs available for Windows for doing stuff like this. My first search on Google found a couple of examples to get the start menu back.

Or you could just hack up your own start menu without any extra programs.

This concept is not new. There was a program called Calmira that made Windows 3.1 look like Windows 95. Have a look at this screenshot!

A pity, looking at the screenshot, I was hoping that it would actually enable a taskbar while using the Metro interface. Instead, it just displays the start screen in a quarter of the display area - a size for which the Metro interface is ridiculous. Vistart ( http://lee-soft.com/vistart/ - no affiliation) is a better alternative if you want the start button back.