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Lead Developer of Popular Windows Application Classic Shell Is Quitting
WheezyJoe writes: Classic Shell is a free Windows application that for years has replaced Microsoft's Start Screen or Start Menu with a highly configurable, more familiar non-tile Start menu. Yesterday, the lead developer released what he said would be the last version of Classic Shell. Citing other interests and the frequency at which Microsoft releases updates to Windows 10, as well as lagging support for the Win32 programming model, the developer says that he won't work on the program anymore. The application's source code is available on SourceForge, so there is a chance others may come and fork the code to continue development. There are several alternatives available, some pay and some free (like Start10 and Start Is Back++), but Classic Shell has an exceptionally broad range of tweaks and customizability.
The source has been updated to the latest version which supports Windows 10 Creator's Update.
It's still not a good reason to use a pile of shit like Windows 10.
Anyone with a lot of software and hardware benefited from the ability to organise program shortcuts into folders. I have dozens of camera software links associated with different cameras for example. It helps being able to keep the Cannon raw file converter separate from the Sony one and to group both sets of software in their own folders. Of course modern users only need facebook and a full frontal lobotomy so won't be needing customiseable start menus. I expect I will have to create folders of shortcuts to replace this functionality once the cretins at Microsoft break Classic Shell. It was great having a full featured graphical user interface in Windows whilst it lasted but times change and the era of the general purpose computer for the public is drawing to a close. You can fcuk off if you think I am going to use an App on a smartphone to edit video. Cretins.
Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
Something tells me that if even a modest amount of money had come his way for his efforts, he would have put up with the hassle of keeping the software current. Money has a way of motivating lots of people to do things that they don't necessarily like (because it tends to let us buy things that we do like). It amazes me how many people want all their software for free and then complain when someone like this guy doesn't want to work for free anymore.
This program has been the reason Win 8 and 10 are tolerable. Underneath they're decent OSs but that Metro monstrosity and the horrible "modern UI" is just garbage. I install classic shell on every PC I touch since Win 8 came out and I'm up and running. It's been a godsend.
Thank you Ivo Beltchev for your work these many years.
I just went and donated. I wonder how many Slashdot users also use Classic Shell. Maybe we could change Ivo's mind.
Classic shell doesn't just restore the old style menus, in the process it also gets rid of all the dynamic built-in advertising and links to bundled junk like candy crush, xbox live, headline news, the windows store, etc. -- cheaply and quickly gets rid of a ton of clutter in a corporate environment.
I'm sure that's the main reason that Microsoft will never restore the old style start menu on their own.