Microsoft hide Metro start screen w/ Windows 8.1 Update 1?

There are reports circulating, including this January 30 one from The Verge, that Microsoft may be poised to hide its Metro Start Screen with Windows 8.1 Update 1, by turning on by default the boot-to-desktop setting.

However, I'm hearing this may not end up being the case by the time Windows 8.1 Update 1 begins to be made available to users preloaded on new PCs and pushed via Windows Update. (That rollout is supposedly starting in mid-March.)

Windows watcher may recall that after refusing outright to include a boot-to-desktop setting with Windows 8.0, Microsoft conceded with Windows 8.1 and added boot-to-desktop option to its operating system.

Read more at: Microsoft to hide Metro start screen with Windows 8.1 Update 1? | ZDNet


See also: http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/40043-windows-8-1-update-1-everything-we-know-so-far.html

 

[mdmd]

My point was, that in the past you clicked the orb to bring up the old start menu. So new users seeing the orb would click it, that's all. The option to boot to desktop has been there since the 8.1 update. All they did was toggle the default to boot to desktop. For all we know its just a test and they will flip it back to what it is now. I really don't see why your making such a big deal about this.

I am making a big deal about this because IF Windows automatically defaults to the desktop,
then the desktop is where the menuing tool should be. Ok, so the taskbar and desktop can be configured to launch programs, but NOW the desktop becomes the focal point. It is a misdirection of purposes.

If one boots to the start or apps, that is the focal point, It's like a crossroads, you can go in either direction.
It is also true, that the desktop can be closed from the UI on the surface, and the metro UI cannot.
The metro UI is the system shell. It is the center.
Now they're saying, we're going back to make the desktop the center. Fine, but clicking the new and improved start button takes one to the metro UI then for desktop ONLY users, that new and improved hoax of a button will have to be disabled.

Which takes me to the beginning, Microsoft doesn't care a flip if people are required by preference to install a desktop menu.

 

[alphanumeric]

My point was, that in the past you clicked the orb to bring up the old start menu. So new users seeing the orb would click it, that's all. The option to boot to desktop has been there since the 8.1 update. All they did was toggle the default to boot to desktop. For all we know its just a test and they will flip it back to what it is now. I really don't see why your making such a big deal about this.

I am making a big deal about this because IF Windows automatically defaults to the desktop,
then the desktop is where the menuing tool should be. Ok, so the taskbar and desktop can be configured to launch programs, but NOW the desktop becomes the focal point. It is a misdirection of purposes.

If one boots to the start or apps, that is the focal point, It's like a crossroads, you can go in either direction.
It is also true, that the desktop can be closed from the UI on the surface, and the metro UI cannot.
The metro UI is the system shell. It is the center.
Now they're saying, we're going back to make the desktop the center. Fine, but clicking the new and improved start button takes one to the metro UI then for desktop ONLY users, that new and improved hoax of a button will have to be disabled.

Which takes me to the beginning, Microsoft doesn't care a flip if people are required by preference to install a desktop menu.

The menu tool is there, click the orb and you'll see it. < That wasn't meant to be sarcastic by the way. Who said that new and improved hoax of a button will have to be disabled? You said it yourself, installing a desktop menu is a personal preference. So why force one on you if you decide to boot to desktop instead of metro? I don't want it, or need it, and I boot to desktop.

 

[johnpombrio]

I am making a big deal about this because IF Windows automatically defaults to the desktop,
then the desktop is where the menuing tool should be. Ok, so the taskbar and desktop can be configured to launch programs, but NOW the desktop becomes the focal point. It is a misdirection of purposes.

If one boots to the start or apps, that is the focal point, It's like a crossroads, you can go in either direction.
It is also true, that the desktop can be closed from the UI on the surface, and the metro UI cannot.
The metro UI is the system shell. It is the center.
Now they're saying, we're going back to make the desktop the center. Fine, but clicking the new and improved start button takes one to the metro UI then for desktop ONLY users, that new and improved hoax of a button will have to be disabled.

Ahh Md, I see your point. Mind you, we can still pin stuff the the taskbar, put shortcuts on the desktop, and look stuff up under explorer, but THERE STILL WILL NO LONGER BE a menu, like the old Start menu was. So we have to go back to the start MENU screen to run a program, what the poor user was trying to AVOID by booting directly into the desktop. Again, MS is asking a lot from users to create their OWN way of navigating around the two distinct and completely different ways of handling programs. Now any sort of moderately savvy user can quickly fix this impasse, but for the rest of humanity, I am not so sure...
This is NOT a solution or even much of a help. All MS is doing is clicking a box for us.

 

[alphanumeric]

The Start Screen isn't all that different in functionality from your desktop with shortcut icons pinned to it. It may not look as good to some users but it works the same way. I do see why some want the old style start menu back but I thought this was a separate issue from the Boot To Desktop option? Like I've already said, its been around for a while.

 

[MasterChief]

Just to add to the discussion in a meaningful way, when I was playing with 8, I did not like how when I would open an .mp3 or .jpg or even .pdf, it would pop up that thing in the top right saying "You have new apps that can open this" or similar.

I am sure you guys figured out a way to to disable that and perhaps it only happens one time initially (I forget by now) - but it was still grrrrr. lol

Maybe it did go away when setting default associations to what you want, but still....

Edit: Found this how to disable - http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26244-new-app-installed-notification-disable-windows-8-a.html

 

[jackson]

ModernMix and start8 are good tools.

 

[orlandotek]

How is this.

Create a Metro app that runs in desktop mode that shows all the icons you see on the Windows 8 Start (Metro) Menu
but in an old Windows 95/98/XP/7 style Start Menu. The user then can pin that app to the taskbar to use it straight
from the desktop mode. This way those like myself that prefer the current Start Menu won't even have to bother with
that app or pinning it to the desktop.

 

[Collin2012]

What's the problem here? I love the metro screen at boot but you know what? When the update makes me boot directly to the desktop I will simply reverse it to the metro screen. It's not that big of a deal, I don't know why people are crying.