Maybe Microsoft should have designed a smartphone OS and just kept developing Windows 7 for PCs.
I thought about this the other day...
So the reason why Microsoft redesigned Windows is that people were using the start menu less and less, which some will contend. Even though data from usage from normal users were gathered and provided to analyze, most will still call BS.
Having said that, what if Microsoft just released Windows 8, but just being a faster Windows 7? So basically, they'd be charging 15 to 40 dollars for a slightly faster Windows 7 with no real UI changes. Personally, I'd be disappointed at that as I'd tell people about the new Windows 8, go through the process of mitigating a lot of people's PCs to a slightly faster Windows 7.
Then, there's the usage scenarios at play. With promoting the use of pinning things to the Taskbar and using Jump lists, the use of having a start menu becomes redundant. The Taskbar in Windows 7 basically becomes the Most Frequently Used list (you know, that white left hand list that NO ONE talks about) of the start menu, while the MFU part of the start menu becomes a Recently Used list, while the All Programs lists becomes non-existent to use as either a Desktop shortcut is made that can be pinned or used, or a highlight saying you have new programs installed is seen once that that's really it. Either that gets pinned to the Taskbar, or shortcut on the Desktop, or stays on the MFU lists.
Then there is using Jump Lists. The File Explorer has the default libraries right there by default, ready to be pinned onto that Jump List. Computer, Downloads, and other locations can be pinned to it. Effectively, the other half of the start menu's purpose dies away. Either that, or a Desktop shortcut is made. Other programs like Word use Jump Lists pretty neatly, you can see 10 recent documents, and pin the ones you're working on. Again, a facet of the start menu becomes useless, and the other facet being the Recent list becomes useless with that and Recent Places in Explorer, which again can be pinned to the File Explorer Jump List. The other item left is Control Panel, again, can be pinned and have a Jump List neatly used. Lastly, power options becomes the ONLY real purpose and excuse for the start menu. Just call it, the power and recently used list.
Honestly, there was a time where I considered just pinning EVERY installed program and doubling the size of my Taskbar, to be a super Taskbar and have little need for the start menu other than power settings and doing a file search at a tap of a key.
So if this trend from Windows 7 expanded with Windows 7 Faster Edition, what then?