Poll: Windows 8 users, are you using a 3rd party start menu?

snoop101

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I wanted to take an informal poll to see how many of the Windows 8 users are using a 3rd party start menu? I would also like to gauge whether the same people would still use windows 8 without a start menu replacement.


Edit: Any way to edit a poll?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
I am quite pleased with windows 8 as it is and will not be using any third party customising unless I am convinced that they are safe to use.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire E1-571
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer Type-2
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 1333MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 4000
    Sound Card
    High Definiton Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256GB
    PSU
    Generic
    Keyboard
    QWERTY
    Mouse
    ELANTECH Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    12.68Mbps
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Not any more, thankfully. Been using a start menu for 17 years.
Went to the Windows 8 rehab center and finally broke the addiction to the start menu. :party:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Server 2012 / 8.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7 QuadCore 3770k
    Motherboard
    Asrock Extreme 4
    Memory
    16GB Crucial Ballistix
    Graphics Card(s)
    intel embedded gpu
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster Z
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC / Westinghouse
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Plextor pcie msata
    PSU
    Rosewill Silent Night 500W Fanless / PicoPSU
    Case
    open bench - no case enclosure
    Cooling
    Silverstone HEO2 Passive Silent
    Keyboard
    logitech washable K310
    Mouse
    logitech wired
    Browser
    ie / maxthon
    Other Info
    Totally silent. No fans at all.
No
I will not downgrade any of my Windows Vista or Windows 7 computers to Windows 8 !
SO am not using Windows 8 anymore and will not downgrade to it when it comes out at any price.
I have bought every version of windows so for starting with 3.1 or was it 3.0 not sure on that .
BUT i am going to pass on 8 for sure
I would use Linux if THE Windows 8-9 line is the last version of windows!!!
Jerry W.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista Ulti 64 bit 7 Ulti 64 bit 8 Pro MC 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 430 Desktop
    CPU
    Intel core 2 Quad Q8200 @2.33 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 0G254H
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual Channel DDR3 @531MHz 7-7-7-20
    Graphics Card(s)
    Dell ATI HD4850
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audieo CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S2209W
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    3=64gb SSD-Vista Ultimate 64 Bit-7 64 Bit Ultimate-8 Pro MC 64 Bit
    1-Hitachi 1000TB Backup
    PSU
    430 Watts Dell
    Case
    Dell XPS 430
    Cooling
    CPU-GPU-Harddrive fans
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Mouse
    Microsoft 2000 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    ?????
    Other Info
    DVD-Rom
    DVD+-RW
no using windows 8 as it supposed to be no start menu don't miss the start menu
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 update 1 Pro X64 with WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    intel i7 2600k
    Motherboard
    Asrock H61M-VG3
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia geforce GTX 560 Ti
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100MB
I have been using Start Menu in W7 very seldomly anyway, and with Start Screen is almost the same...almost, but being able to quickly review new emails, news etc. is a bonus. Not to mention the incredibly fast booting...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE G31M-ES2L
    Memory
    4 GB DDR2
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX550 Ti 1 GB
    Screen Resolution
    1980 x 1080
Edit: Any way to edit a poll?
Yes there is only one way. Request an admin to edit it for you. You can ask Brink.

I don't know what you want to edit, just a suggestion from me: You have made it a private poll where we can't see who has voted for what. You might want to change that to public poll so we may know which member has voted for what.

Regarding the topic: There is no point of running Windows 8 and make it function like Windows 7. Doesn't make sense. I absolutely love the way Windows 8 is and the start screen and the question of a start menu just doesn't arise.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Linux Mint 14
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion g4
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2330M CPU @ 2.20GHz
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    1 GB Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500 GB HDD
Thus far for testing and eval, have only used a start menu replacement to see what they offered. Wanted to get familiar with and use Windows 8 as intended to be used.

Would guess that if Windows 8 became my OS on my primary boxes, I would most likely add start menu support if nothing more than to see the hierachy of apps. Most things would be just pinned to my taskbar in the classic desktop as it is in Windows 7.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Edit: Any way to edit a poll?
Yes there is only one way. Request an admin to edit it for you. You can ask Brink.

I don't know what you want to edit, just a suggestion from me: You have made it a private poll where we can't see who has voted for what. You might want to change that to public poll so we may know which member has voted for what.

Regarding the topic: There is no point of running Windows 8 and make it function like Windows 7. Doesn't make sense. I absolutely love the way Windows 8 is and the start screen and the question of a start menu just doesn't arise.

Thanks for the info on editing the poll. I just wanted to change the wording of the second question. Not a big deal. As for making the poll public, I see no reason to do that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
I am only using Windows 8 on a VM at the moment for research and development purposes and to see what can be customized, I currently make Windows 7 visual styles and one of my favorite parts of making a visual style is the start menu as it has the least amount of limitations and allows more creativeness, so for my fans I have found the best solution to bring back the start menu so far and that is StartIsBack, this is not a start menu replacement, it actually adds code back in to bring back the native start menu in Windows 8 but with added functionality.

The developer has actually found a way to keep both the fully functional start screen (Modern UI) as well as the Desktop start menu, and whats better is that when on the start screen, which is not loaded at startup, has only your modern UI full screen apps shown and when in your desktop your normal start menu is only for your desktop programs, this separation gives you a beautiful looking start screen with only your fully supported modern UI apps and tiles, it's clutter free from anything you would run on your desktop.

Also because this is the native start menu that was taken out, it has the full functionality that people are used to in Windows 7 but also adds support to have your own custom start button and also adds support to have transparency enabled or disabled for the start menu and taskbar.

There are also other Modern UI options to disable hot spots on the desktop if you prefer to have a more native desktop experience and custom options to invoke the start screen (Modern UI)

So instead of trying to disable metro this is a more unified approach and from what I have seen so far a much better approach and less alienating for the average user.

I would also like to mention that this does not add any system files from Windows 7 and is not some sort of hack, this just brings back what MS tried to take out, it does not use any more processes, it doesn't use extra memory, it is fully stable even in it's current beta 3 stage and when finished will have a complete no fuss installer, this developer initially started off with a project that did use the explorer.exe from Windows 7 that he provided for free but has decided that StartIsBack will not be, at the moment there is no talk of price and the current beta is time bombed, it doesn't have any installer at the moment either but is fairly simple to install or uninstall.

My advice would be to try it if you can, don't be so sure that what MS wants us all to conform to is the only or best solution, inform yourself and see if there could have been a better implementation of the Modern UI that doesn't make the average user feel confused or stupid.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

I am using Windows 8 as is. I have used the Start Screen in various ways, first trying it as just a launcher, then using it to separate Modern UI apps from Desktop applications. After recently reading an article which makes reference to the Start Screen as a dashboard, I've started tooling around with that concept, and really like it. Since I'm already a fan of hot keys and the run command, and since I generally just hit the Windows key instead of clicking on the start menu (in Windows 7), I can honestly say I like how Windows 8 runs and has operated with my previous position (using Windows 8 on a dual-Xeon workstation with two 24" WS displays) and my current position (using it on my HP ProBook).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows Server 2012 Standard w/Hyper-V
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ProBook 4430s
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2310M
    Memory
    16GB DDR3
    Hard Drives
    80GB Intel 320 SSD
    500GB Samsung Momentus
Nope, haven't used it in over a year.

The Start Screen for me has been used as the menu, with items on the Taskbar. It's now my backstage where I launched everything from as I've gotten so fluent with, I use it so often it makes sense. I see no functionality lost, in fact, it gives more freedom to arrange things to my liking. It's a UI to Start something and a UI to see updated content at a glance.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
I am currently using Start8 but have started to appreciate what MS was doing by removing the Start button. With a little more time I could probably remove the start button all together as I've become quite comfortable not using it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update 2 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 Exteme4
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA nVidia 760
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 23"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB (OS)
    Western Digital 1TB (Data)
    Hitachi 2TB (Media Drive)
    PSU
    Corsair HX Professional Series 750-Watt
    Case
    Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro Series H80 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech T400
Interesting results! I am somewhat surprised at the number of users who do no have a start button replacement program. I was expecting the majority to at least have a start button replacement installed but be fine without it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
I stopped using the Start Menu when I installed Windows 7 so the change in Windows 8 made no difference so no don't need a start replacement.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7, Windows 8 RP
The old start menu is so unnecessary, and when you do want it, apps are laid out in a much better format. People don't like it simply because it's different
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Windows 95 was revolutionary!
A start button does not concern me, however as soon as the Windows 8 tablets are available I am buying one (not RT) as I think Windows 8 belongs on a pure touch device.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Tablet
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Pro 3
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    4GB DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics HD
    Screen Resolution
    2160 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD, 128GB MicroSD
    Internet Speed
    8GB
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender
Am using W8 Enterprise with Ex7ForW8 hack to restore original W7 Orb/Start Menu, fully functional exactly as is in W7.

Has toggle switch used in active GUI to interchange between Explorer7/Orb start menu, and Explorer8/Metro.

W8 flies with this set up, and Ex7ForW8 runs seamless.

No Orb/Start Menu ... no W8 for me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Ult Reatil & Win 8 Pro OEM
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Built as DIY
    CPU
    6 core 12 thread & 4 core
    Motherboard
    Inel Extreme & Intel standard
    Memory
    12GB & 8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    3 top end SLI linked & onboard
    Sound Card
    In built in graphics card & onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24 & 23 inch Samsung LED backlit
    Screen Resolution
    High def
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force 128GB SATA3 SSDs in each machine. Plus several external USB3 and eSATA spinner HDs
No Start menu mod for me. If Windows 8 doesn't work for me out of the Box I won't buy it. It doesn't, not on my non touch desktop PC's or my laptop. If I manage to get myself a tablet that will likely end up being my only Windows 8 device.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
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