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    Microsoft removes start button in Windows 8

    Say goodbye to the Windows start button. Microsoft has gotten rid of it from the latest build of Windows 8.

    Hitting the Web over the weekend, screenshots of the new Windows 8 build display the "super bar," but without the start button orb on the left, according to The Verge. Build 8220 will be the final version released before the beta, now known as the Consumer Preview, debuts before the end of the month.

    Until its untimely (or timely) death, the Windows 8 start button located in the Metro UI offered access to the search, share, devices, and settings panels. The Windows start button in the desktop simply returned you to the Metro UI.

    To replace the start button, Microsoft will reportedly turn that space into a hot corner, sources told The Verge. Hovering your mouse or swiping your finger over that spot will bounce you back and forth between the Metro UI and the desktop in an attempt to offer a more consistent experience between the two environments.

    Fans of the traditional start button may not be happy. But The Verge believes the move is final given that Microsoft has been chewing on this decision for awhile. On the plus side, the super bar will retain its Windows 7 functionality as home to pinned shortcuts for launching your favorite desktop applications.

    Windows 8 will also sport an enhanced "charms bar," a group of transparent icons that provide access to key features, added The Verge.

    The charms bar can actually fill in as a replacement for the defunct Metro UI start button by offering links to the search, share, devices, and settings panels.

    A number of Microsoft users have expressed concern over Windows 8's reliance on the Metro UI and touch-based input. PC users in particular have complained that the new UI doesn't lend itself as easily to navigating via conventional mouse and keyboard, at least as seen in the current Developer Preview.

    Acknowledging the concerns and tweaking some aspects of Windows 8 in response, Microsoft has promised that the new Consumer Preview will be more user friendly for traditional desktop users.

     
    • Bad Bob  •  Milwaukee, Wisconsin  •  3 mths ago
      Stick with XP, works great.
      • Raccoon City Survivor 3 mths ago
        too bad it doesn't have support anymore.

        and BTW windows 7 run smoother.
      • wxdude 3 mths ago
        Yes, Win 7 is much better than XP, it loads and starts up much faster & does not have as many glitches. You should definitely upgrade.
      • leela 3 mths ago
        Have XP, too and am satisfied with it. I also kept my classic E-mail as well. I have noticed from a lot of computer use that many times people have a tendency to "fix it worse" most of the time. As for no support, how many times have people had to use support with their systems. So far I have been able to use mine without resorting to any helplines. Newer is better__not always.
    • Abdul Jurballz  •  3 mths ago
      Great, nothing more fun than hiding all the old buttons and making things completely different.

      It is always a joy as l lose productivity for a few weeks or so.

      Thanks Dudes!
      • Toll_Free 3 mths ago
        Don't upgrade, dumbo
      • Abdul Jurballz 3 mths ago
        eventually you always have to. you might get away with skipping one
    • Bill  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      Why do I want a damned cell phone interface on my 25" desktop monitor?
      • Bradley 3 mths ago
        It's called seamless integration. Phone, Xbox 360, and now PC all look and run the same. So non experienced users can easily feel comfortable with all the devices.

        If you don't like the Metro UI... one click and it goes away
      • George 3 mths ago
        Bill: I agree with you. Who really needs a cell phone or XBox 360 interface on their desktop monitor. However, Microsoft says that we are now obsolete and not worth their attention.
      • Green 3 mths ago
        Part of the novelty of having a phone, xbox, and PC is that they look and function differently. Why make everything the same? What fun is it to get something new if it works just like everything else? MS is king of boring.
    • Michael  •  3 mths ago
      I tried out Windows 8 for awhile (before the most recent build in which they have apparently dropped the start button) and I hated it. It looks ridiculous and has no place on a desktop or laptop computer. I think the only place for it is on touch screen devices. But it does not look like a good OS for a home office type of computer. Plus, the other annoying thing about it was that it's not even a desktop centered environment. The desktop is merely another one of the "apps" that you can find from the super bar or whatever it is now. And there are a number of programs that run outside the desktop environment, and when they are running outside the desktop environment, the only way to get out of those programs that I could see was to hit alt+tab, which always left me wondering if the program was still running in the background or if it had actually been shut down. In other words, I hate Windows 8. I'd much rather stick with XP myself.
    • Robert T  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      BIG MISTAKE
    • Rich  •  3 mths ago
      STOP CHANGING WINDOWS.
      We want simplicity.
      We don't want to RE-LEARN windows every 5 years.
      This is why the Android Tablets have blossomed in popularity!
      They are simple!
      • A Yahoo! User 3 mths ago
        ya i dont know why they have to make new OS everytime for... like im still using vista & it seems fine. now windows 8? i agree with u. stop changing windows!
    • techie775  •  3 mths ago
      Why? The start button was one of the greatest things of Windows 95 when it was introduced. I fail to see the logic in this move...
    • DrunkenDonuts®  •  3 mths ago
      I realize that the old traditional desktop layout will be available with Windows 8. I just hope M$ provides the ability to turn Metro OFF, DISABLED, DELETED, OBLITERATED, NUKED. I do NOT want that horrid interface wasting resources in the background when I will never, ever use it.
      • Timothy 3 mths ago
        I wish I could remove the updated dashboard on the XBOX 360 but no luck. 1 step forward and 2 steps back.
      • Thomas 3 mths ago
        Microsoft uses shove it up your #$%$ marketing. Don't like it, too bad. Microsoft is ruled by an egotistical maniac who has no interest in users needs.
      • DrunkenDonuts® 3 mths ago
        I have a PS3, but thankfully I have A W7 laptop and a W7 desktop with an OEM copy of W7. I shouldn't have a reason to upgrade anytime soon. I can see why Xbox users would hate it.

        The stupid unlimited streaming content from tablets and smartphones needs to stay off the desktop. I can't imagine all the security holes that will pop up from Twitter constantly updating itself on your home screen.
    • Deb  •  3 mths ago
      For those of us who aren't completely computer savvy, making "improved" versions of Windows is like moving the furniture around in the home of a blind person.
    • DouglasL  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  3 mths ago
      I work in IT, here we passed over Vista because it sucked. We are still on XP but getting ready to move to Windows 7. How much you want to bet we will be using it still in 2018 or so when they figure out something better than this....trying to be Apple...pathetic.
    • poolshooter  •  3 mths ago
      The more crap Microsoft puts in the kitchen sink the worse it gets. I don't use a tablet or anything close to it. This is all fine and dandy for the younger generation, their used to it.For us old fashioned folk, I love my PC and it's fully upgradable. Love my XP too. At least I can find stuff. Time for another operating system when the time comes to get another computer. I don't mind change, but this is #$%$
    • Typical Tea Bagger  •  3 mths ago
      Sounds like I'll be sticking with Windows 7.
    • T  •  Everett, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      Why are software companies to quick to change and relocate familiar functions? It just #$%$ off customers, hate it.
    • G  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      But I like the start button...
    • Harrison  •  3 mths ago
      Window 8, windows vista 2.0 coming to a dumpster near you in 2012!
    • Socrates  •  Pekin, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      I just went to windows 7 last year. I didn't like it at first, but now I like it better than XP. One of my kids has Apple. I really don't like it's format, but may go there if Microsoft keeps playing OS roulette. I am getting #$%$ tired of having to change my OS every few years. They don't make it better, just flashier and add lot of crap you don't need.
    • deCibEleVel  •  3 mths ago
      "Microsoft removes start button in Windows 8... and replaces it with $ button."
    • Arn  •  Beverly Hills, California  •  3 mths ago
      This OS is typical of Microsoft. Hide functionality. Give it a different name and call it a new operating system. They need to throw that formula out the window.
    • Liz  •  3 mths ago
      I find the very look and feel of Windows 8 to be intellectually insulting. I am not 4 years old, but that seems to be the age Microsoft targeted this time around.
    • Green  •  3 mths ago
      What was so wrong with Windows 3.1?
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