Start Menu - will it ever be fully customizable?

Quarien

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So, I just saw some leaks from W8RC. Well, I'm a little afraid, that except for some small things, there will be no major changes to the whole Start Menu concept.
I just wonder, is it possible, that someday there will be an application that will allow to fully customize Start? For example, like in this concept:
windows_8_concept_by_pedrocasoa-d42gjcu.jpg


I know, it will be probably impossible to change the color of the live tiles. But what about folders and files? And also, the background - it looks way better than those from MS. I know, there is that app for W8CP that basically does the same, still though it's a bit buggy and it leaves that stripe in the middle.

Do you have any info, if MS blocked all the ways of modification? Or we just need some "Theme Changer" app or Rainmeter for Metro and everything will be just fine? :)
 

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There are already some utilities available, for customising various parts of the Metro Interface, although some people have had problems with these. I'd imagine going forward, there'll be a whole slew of start menu replacers and customisation utilities, for every aspect of the OS
 

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I don't see why people are so worried about the missing start button/menu? You actually have it already, just have to find it. It is quite simple to find it, just hoover your mouse over the lower left corner of your Metro screen, right click and viola there it is.

No_SB.jpg
 

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You are basically saying - "What do you mean you don't have a car? What about that nice canoe over there?"

The main purpose of the start menu is to launch applications. The Win+X menu can only start a few select programs, and has limited customizability. It is a far cry from a proper start menu.
 

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Outside of the design, tell me how it differs that much from the old style Windows menu.
1) Win+X menu - Programs & Features - - Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Add/Remove Programs = Tie.
2) Win+X menu - Device Manager -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Device Manager = Tie.
3) Win+X menu - System -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - System = Tie.
4) Win+X menu - Network Connections -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Network Connections = Tie.
5) Win+X menu - Disk Management -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Disk Management = Tie.
I can continue, but I think you get the gist of where I am going. Outside of aesthetics doesn't differ that much from the traditional Start Button Menu.
 
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I may be wrong (I don't have a Win8 in front of me right now), but isn't Programs & Features just a list of installed programs that you can uninstall? That's what it is on Vista and Win8. If so, you can't launch programs from there.
 

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I may be wrong (I don't have a Win8 in front of me right now), but isn't Programs & Features just a list of installed programs that you can uninstall? That's what it is on Vista and Win8. If so, you can't launch programs from there.

You're right, I meant to say it is the Windows 95 thru Windows 7 Add/Remove. It has been corrected.
 

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Hi Mike

Windows 7 (maybe Vista also) had the fewest mouse strokes, mouse clicks to perform your preferred shut down action.
I hope that some people at MS will stay focused on the desktop/laptop users and not only on phones and tablets.

Outside of the design, tell me how it differs that much from the old style Windows menu.
1) Win+X menu - Programs & Features - - Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Add/Remove Programs = Tie.
2) Win+X menu - Device Manager -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Device Manager = Tie.
3) Win+X menu - System -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - System = Tie.
4) Win+X menu - Network Connections -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Network Connections = Tie.
5) Win+X menu - Disk Management -- Win 95 thru Win 7 menu - Disk Management = Tie.
I can continue, but I think you get the gist of where I am going. Outside of aesthetics doesn't differ that much from the traditional Start Button Menu.
 

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Hi Mike

This just isn't true!!! You don't get the same options as in Win 7.
Shame on you!
Why do you seem to be defending Win 8?

I don't see why people are so worried about the missing start button/menu? You actually have it already, just have to find it. It is quite simple to find it, just hoover your mouse over the lower left corner of your Metro screen, right click and viola there it is.

View attachment 6203
 

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Hi Mike

This just isn't true!!! You don't get the same options as in Win 7.
Shame on you!
Why do you seem to be defending Win 8?

I don't see why people are so worried about the missing start button/menu? You actually have it already, just have to find it. It is quite simple to find it, just hoover your mouse over the lower left corner of your Metro screen, right click and viola there it is.

View attachment 6203

Well...Mr. FlemmingK,

Looks like the beginning of a flamefest here! Let's go get a cup of tea and let's relax. :D

Let's look at this from the perspective of all Windows iterations. With each new version more and more of the "dangerous" commands have been hidden from the average user, for good reason. The right click system menu (WIN+X) Mike has shown is very similar to what is available in right side of the Win 7 Start Menu, and maybe more. You should find most of these commands under "Computer" and "Control Panel" in 7.

As to the Start Menu, it is now the Start Screen in three different views...No folded folders view! :) First, you have the view above. Second, if you right click an empty area and caress the All apps button on the bottom popup bar, you will have a fully expanded and scrollable view of every app and program installed on your system. This view includes all the Window's apps and programs you may be familiar with from previous versions. You may also add Admin items (dangerous!) using the Settings button in the Charms Bar. Third, from the main Start Screen click on the little box in the lower right hand corner. You will get a zoomed view of Start and this is where you can name your groups (columns).

Right clicking and it's touch equivalent will open up a whole new side of Win 8 that is hidden at first blush.

Yes, like Mike, and many others here, I'm defending 8. I have used it as my primary OS for nearly 2 months now, and have enjoyed it. Many of the new mouse moves have become second nature. I'm waiting with bated breath for the Release Preview to come out. That version is supposed to fix some of the mousing and touch quirks that many of us have noticed. The Store apps will no longer show "App Preview" and should work the way we would like them to.

Just yesterday I moved back to Win 7 until the next release. I found myself a bit lost at first, as I had gotten so used to Consumer Preview. Sheesh!!! :geek:


John
 
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I think the overall point here is, is it really necessary to remove the start menu for users that have a PC or prefer that interface. All they have to do is make the Metro UI optional and all these discussion become moot.
 

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You should not have to use a 3rd party app. The functionality should be left in windows so the user can choose. It was there in the developer preview, they should have just maintained it.
 

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Hey guys, don't you think that we have a small offtopic here?

I just wanted to ask someone if it's possible to customize Start Menu beyond what MS (and others) gave us allready. Maybe someone, who is "playing" with W8 files or registry will know the answer. Maybe the whole thing is blocked. Maybe changing tile background is like wanting to change the basic look of a whole app. It's not like PPM->Properties->Change icon (like it is in Aero) and it will never be.
 

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Hey guys, don't you think that we have a small offtopic here?

I just wanted to ask someone if it's possible to customize Start Menu beyond what MS (and others) gave us allready. Maybe someone, who is "playing" with W8 files or registry will know the answer. Maybe the whole thing is blocked. Maybe changing tile background is like wanting to change the basic look of a whole app. It's not like PPM->Properties->Change icon (like it is in Aero) and it will never be.

The functionality you are suggesting in the mock up does not exist and knowing MS probably won't. They have never truly been into allowing really good customization. You might see something from a 3rd party down the road but other than some minor tweaks here and there the UI is pretty much how it is going to be. Hence the expanded discussion within this thread.
 

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is there a way that you could mass remove everything from the metro ui startmenu and then readd them back haveing them in the goups that they appear on the all apps tab back on to the start menu in the catagories, this would help automate software deployment on the client side,
 

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is there a way that you could mass remove everything from the metro ui startmenu and then readd them back haveing them in the goups that they appear on the all apps tab back on to the start menu in the catagories, this would help automate software deployment on the client side,

Not quite sure what you mean
 

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basicly when you are deploying applications via.... icons on the metro start may become unsorted and hard to find, so i was wondering that if you could have 1 script that mass removes all the icons. then have one that puts all the icons back on to the start menu as how they look on the all apps tab.
 

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I think customization of the tiles is a must. New Windows 8 Apps which have tiles similar to the preinstalled Apps looks fine, but normal programm icons look terrible. If it is not possible to change those small old icons, than the whole metro look is destroyed......
 

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