New Start menu leaks in Windows build 9788

[Mem]

Saw this over at Neowin,


http://www.neowin.net/news/new-start-menu-leaks-in-windows-build-9788

Well, it looks like the leaks are starting to flow - or else someone has decided to spend an unhealthy amount of time building an elaborate Start menu replica. As you can see in the image above, the Start menu is there but it's not all that exciting as we have seen most of this before.
We do know that this is still an early build of next generation of Windows and we will have more to report on that tomorrow. So, don't get too caught up in the minor details as there will be other enhancements to the desktop before Threshold is released.
One item about the image that was throwing off users previously is that is says Win 8.1 Pro in the bottom corner. We have spoken to a source close to Microsoft who says that this image appears to be legitimate, and that these builds inside of Microsoft still use this branding, so this is not a big deal.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

They continue to push the tiles. Jeez. Whatever the dope kiddies want, I guess. Why call it windows and now Microsoft Tiles(?)

 

[code65536]

This doesn't look any different from the Start Menu screenshots that Microsoft showed off at BUILD earlier this year.

The BUILD screenshots, as you may recall, showed the new Start Menu and a mockup of Metro-in-a-window. The Metro-in-a-window images were not real and was an image edit (you can all tell because all the different screenshots had the exact same two windows whose scaling deviated from the scaling in the rest of the image), but the Start Menu images from BUILD were probably not mockups because each person who showed it off had a different Start Menu (often with current information in the live tiles), which suggests that it was a functional prototype that they took an actual screenshot of.

Anyway, this looks exactly like the the SM images shown during BUILD.

At this point, I prefer the Start Screen anyway. Not gonna go back to the SM. Though I would probably make the SM default for the computers that I set up for my family because they don't seem to ever customize the Start Screen (despite my telling them that it's possible and how to do so). That's the one benefit of the SM over the SS: The main part of left pane of the SM is auto-populated by frequently/recently-used programs. And newly-installed programs get a brief spotlight there so there's good discoverability. With the SS, the curation is entirely manual, which is perfectly fine for me (in fact, for a control-freak power-user like me, I prefer it this way over the auto-curation of the SM, which I had always hated), but for people who never bother to customize or change it, the SM's auto-curation is probably a far better fit for them.


Anyway, what they really need is Metro-in-a-window. There are some great Metro apps, but I don't like using them because I don't need them eating my entire 24" screen. Start Menu vs. Screen is really a red herring. The fault of Metro isn't the SS--it's the poor multitasking. It's the lack of windows.

 

[Dahak]

Anyway, what they really need is Metro-in-a-window. There are some great Metro apps, but I don't like using them because I don't need them eating my entire 24" screen. Start Menu vs. Screen is really a red herring. The fault of Metro isn't the SS--it's the poor multitasking. It's the lack of windows.

They are planning for that in Threshold/Win9, so that it will allow you to run Metro apps on the desktop in a window

 

[Mem]

They continue to push the tiles. Jeez. Whatever the dope kiddies want, I guess. Why call it windows and now Microsoft Tiles(?)

Probably due to thinking of tablet/phone users,regardless it won't be bad if you can remove/change those tiles like you can on Start screen,that way each user can redesign the Start menu to their liking up to a point.

 

[zokudu]

Are they completely removing the Start Screen on desktops in favor of the new Start Menu?

Curious if this one will be a toggle because I love the start screen and using windows 7 at work is such a chore in comparison.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Eh, I'm still not sold on either Start Screen or tiles in Start Menu on a traditional desktop. Hopefully there will be an option to turn off the tiles in Start Menu and replace them with useful stuff like links to control panel and administrative tools. If not, I bet I'll still be able to install Classic Shell on top of Win9.

 

[code65536]

They are planning for that in Threshold/Win9, so that it will allow you to run Metro apps on the desktop in a window

Yea. My point is that this should be the thing getting the most attention (and priority!) but everyone just talks about the SM, and the SM inclusion, if not delayed to W9, will come before windowed Metro. If Microsoft wants the new RT framework to succeed and people to use and develop Metro apps, windowed Metro should be at the very top of the list, before anything else. Hell, it should've been there from the start (or at least the headline feature of 8.1), not something planned for 9.

 

[Mem]

Yea. My point is that this should be the thing getting the most attention (and priority!) but everyone just talks about the SM, and the SM inclusion, if not delayed to W9, will come before windowed Metro. If Microsoft wants the new RT framework to succeed and people to use and develop Metro apps, windowed Metro should be at the very top of the list, before anything else. Hell, it should've been there from the start (or at least the headline feature of 8.1), not something planned for 9.

You can bet whatever happens there'll be new third party Start menus once they know the final version of Win9.

 

[akugami]

As long as they give me back the tree view start menu, I'm good.

 

[Mem]

As long as they give me back the tree view start menu, I'm good.

I actually hate the tree menu, regardless I hope they allow us some good customisation options on the Start menu in Win9.

 

[rsbennett00]

As long as they give me back the tree view start menu, I'm good.

Yeah, exactly.

I do like 8+ on a touchscreen though, so I'm not exactly an MS hater.

 

[Berryracer]

that is one ugly looking start menu with cartoony tiles

 

[PowerYoga]

Tiles need to die on a non-touch screen interface. They're touch-centric designed and perfect for small form factor screens (tablet screens), but for a computer that has a precision tool for clicking on things (the mouse) the tiles are big, goofy and useless. I can see this being useful for people with vision problems, but they're not the majority audience that windows should be catering to.

Here's to hoping for an option to be able to turn that junk off.

 

[ninaholic37]

If Microsoft wants the new RT framework to succeed and people to use and develop Metro apps, windowed Metro should be at the very top of the list, before anything else.

Micro$oft probably thought "Windows Store Apps" would make them a ton of money, but that didn't work so they went back to drawing board.

 

[Dahak]

Here's to hoping for an option to be able to turn that junk off.

Supposedly Yes

Eh, I'm still not sold on either Start Screen or tiles in Start Menu on a traditional desktop. Hopefully there will be an option to turn off the tiles in Start Menu and replace them with useful stuff like links to control panel and administrative tools. If not, I bet I'll still be able to install Classic Shell on top of Win9.

Yes, its suppose to be customizable

Also what suppose to happen, for the initial default, which can be changed, is that if it detects a touch device, ie tablet, convertible it will default the metro start, if desktop, will go to new start/desktop
But Not 100% sure, been the rumor

 

[Imaginer]

They continue to push the tiles. Jeez. Whatever the dope kiddies want, I guess. Why call it windows and now Microsoft Tiles(?)

And stick with icons with text that blends with your wallpaper on the desktop?

And Aero glass with title bar names blend in with the glass AND the background of your wall paper?

Tiles, some of them, are standout in readability - both in Desktop, Tablet, and ESPECIALLY Phones of the Windows Modern UI. Live information, means they act as widgets as I keep saying, but without being constantly shown - taking up space. I pop in to a Start Screen for a bit and go right back out.

It is thinking that one is ALWAYS in the Start Screen, but those who know better, this is just a launcher, like any other Starts of the past.

Amongst the comments in DailyTech, people mentioning LIKING drilling down through folders... I LOATHE this with a passion. If a software package install has MANY MANY needed tools and shortcuts to put in to even function, that software is outright not designed well to begin with in interfaces in having the tools segregated so much in their suite.

Searching, and typing for what I want, in both 7 and 8, is not a problem. The only thing that can be improved is the all apps/applications screen, distinct column folder color separations, and a meaningful zero/soom back-in after zooming out to see a selectable folder and alphabetical selection to pick. I am still speaking from a DESKTOP use (holding CTRL and mousewheel zooms the Start Screen areas to perform an expanded view).

And, I much rather NOT go back to XP's days of expanded expanded Start Menu drill downs either...

And, I am going to AGAIN say this like a broken record - looking at the Start Screen as a much better, more customizable, more organizational options, Desktop icon launcher is the way to go, and treating the desktop space as scratch work space for any other files.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe I am getting old, but why does win 9 look like it has a team of 4th graders running it? It is like going to the circus!

 

[jana519]

Learn to live with tiles, folks. That is the future.

 

[piasabird]

Win 7 is looking better all the time.

 

[piasabird]

we use a portal approach at work for a lot of different functions like e-mail, news, etc. So everything is hooked into a web browser. Who needs a start menu?

 

[Zodiark1593]

Learn to live with tiles, folks. That is the future.

Well, now that you mention it, my bathroom is covered in tiles, so yes, I am living with tiles already. I just don't want them on my PC. ()

 

[finbarqs]

i thought the start menu was going to be part of the update to windows 8.1? Did they cancel it and decide to put it for windows 9?

 

[ninaholic37]

Learn to live with tiles, folks. That is the future.

I think they created simple square tiles because they are easy on the CPU to calculate, to help make up for all the underlying Windows Bloat they wanted to shove into phones/tablets, but as mobile CPUs advance, that simple 1 colored blocks interface won't be needed for much longer. What these Tiles are saying, I think, is that iOS/Android is already way ahead of Windows in terms of fancy graphic gloss tricks/optimizations per clock-cycle. Microsoft should have just put Windows 3.1 on a phone CPU because that's where their "experience with less" lies.

 

[Mem]

i thought the start menu was going to be part of the update to windows 8.1? Did they cancel it and decide to put it for windows 9?

From what I read they have decided to wait until Win9 for a new Start Menu.