[Androgeos Exeunt]

...into a Start button.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22714048

No, it's not THE Start Menu. Start Menu replacements such as Classic Shell or StartIsBack are still necessary if you want a Start Menu.

It seems this update is more of an aesthetic one, the only non-aesthetic bit being an update of IE11 which apparently affects mostly developers.

Just out of curiosity, among the few Windows 8 users here, how many of you use the Start Screen, and how often do you do housekeeping on it? If you don't use the Start Screen, what do you use, and what is your take on this new update?

I use Classic Shell, so I've left my own Start Screen cluttered. The only thing they're going to do with this is make the shortcut to the Start Screen permanently visible. Will it make the Start Screen more used? Unlikely, from how I see it. They might be trying to make people use it more often by drawing attention to it, though.

[The E]

I use the start screen a lot, but I only decluttered it once, right after installing the OS. The changes in 8.1 seem like a few good tweaks to the OS to make it more useful and less jarring to use.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

The funny thing is, with so much noise regarding the Start Screen, I actually had no really big problems with it before I came across Classic Shell, which took a week for me to find. It was very interesting, but the one thing that annoyed me greatly was that I couldn't access the desktop directly. I'm so used to the older Windows versions that having a screen filled with tiles was just rather disorientating.

I did try to work with the Start Screen for that one week, though, and although I did eventually learn how to customise it here and there, I ultimately installed Classic Shell to replace it at the drop of a hat.

[Scourge of Ages]

Ah hahahahaha! Start screen, heh.

No, I use Start8 to boot straight to desktop and restore a proper start menu. Never looked back, and I never even see the start screen unless I accidentally click too far to the left.

[Nuke]

bring back the win2k start menu

really if you are going to update an os, stick to the parts that matter, the kernel the services, the built in applications. dont rename icons and change interface layouts. thats a lot like if car manufacturers rearranged the controls and gauges every model year (presenting the 2014 someMake someModel, now featuring improved controls, the steering wheel is now in the floor and you control the speed with a hand throttle! to check the oil, just open the trunk!).

[MP-Ryan]

From another article I read:

Users can also customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon “tiles” or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface.

Do you mean to tell me that if I bought Windows 8 right now and had Acrobat and Word open, that I would not be able to view those windows simultaneously?  Really?

[Klaustrophobia]

bring back the win2k start menu

really if you are going to update an os, stick to the parts that matter, the kernel the services, the built in applications. dont rename icons and change interface layouts. thats a lot like if car manufacturers rearranged the controls and gauges every model year (presenting the 2014 someMake someModel, now featuring improved controls, the steering wheel is now in the floor and you control the speed with a hand throttle! to check the oil, just open the trunk!).

you know, i'd kinda actually like to try driving with a hand throttle.

[The E]

From another article I read:

Users can also customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon “tiles” or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface.

Do you mean to tell me that if I bought Windows 8 right now and had Acrobat and Word open, that I would not be able to view those windows simultaneously?  Really?

No. This only applies to Metro-style programs. Desktop programs work exactly as they did before.

[Killer Whale]

I'm always in desktop mode on my surface tablet. I access the start menu basically only when I accidentally hit the button or boot up.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

From another article I read:

Users can also customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon “tiles” or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface.

Do you mean to tell me that if I bought Windows 8 right now and had Acrobat and Word open, that I would not be able to view those windows simultaneously?  Really?

Like E said, apps such as Mail, News, Weather, People and Calendar fill the screen when they are running. There is currently no way to resize them a la a Windows program - you switch out from them with the WinKey or corner shortcuts - and the only way for you to close them completely is Alt+F4.

bring back the win2k start menu

really if you are going to update an os, stick to the parts that matter, the kernel the services, the built in applications. dont rename icons and change interface layouts. thats a lot like if car manufacturers rearranged the controls and gauges every model year (presenting the 2014 someMake someModel, now featuring improved controls, the steering wheel is now in the floor and you control the speed with a hand throttle! to check the oil, just open the trunk!).

Or if they made the car wheels square...

[Nuke]

bring back the win2k start menu

really if you are going to update an os, stick to the parts that matter, the kernel the services, the built in applications. dont rename icons and change interface layouts. thats a lot like if car manufacturers rearranged the controls and gauges every model year (presenting the 2014 someMake someModel, now featuring improved controls, the steering wheel is now in the floor and you control the speed with a hand throttle! to check the oil, just open the trunk!).

you know, i'd kinda actually like to try driving with a hand throttle.

its how i usually drive a mech, actually. steer with pedals, aim with joystick, go with throttle. if cars had turrets and ppcs, id probibly use the same controls.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

I Guess Linux goes under 'Snuffleupagus'? I use two flavours of Ubuntu: Lubuntu with a genuine vintage Start menu, and Ubuntu with its 'Dash', sort of what W8's Start menu could have been if they hadn't gone with the fullscreen/live-updates thing.

[Fury]

and I never even see the start screen unless I accidentally click too far to the left.

Hot corners can be disabled too. At least Classic Shell can do it.

And yeah, I hardly ever see Metro... sorry, Modern UI either. I use Classic Shell to force boot into desktop mode, disable hot corners and have an actual Start-menu. Classic Shell lets you choose from Pre-XP, XP and Vista/7 style Start-menu.

the only non-aesthetic bit being an update of IE11 which apparently affects mostly developers.

IE11 has lots of new features for web developers yes. But end-users get SkyDrive integration to synchronize tabs, bookmarks, etc. Like Chrome and Firefox have had quite a while now. IE11 should also at last have WebGL support. And not exactly a new feature per-se, but Adblock Plus has been coming to IE for long time now. As per developers twitter messages we should be seeing it this summer. And hint, Ghostery is available for IE too if that catches your fancy...

[Klaustrophobia]

adblock on IE?  thank GOD! finally!

.... wait, is IE 11 available for windows 7 or did they force it 8 only?