Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While I don't like the loss of the start menu, I pretty much stopped using it once Vista came out.
When I want to launch an app that's not on the desktop or the task bar, I usually just hit the Windows key on my keyboard, and type the name of what I'm looking for. In fact I've removed shortcuts to things that I use everyday from the desktop / quicklaunch / taskbar since it's usually faster to just type the name to get the app.
The same goes for getting to various parts of the control panel. as long as you know part of the description you can get there quickly from the keyboard.
The lack of this feature is the first thing that annoys me when I do occasional have to use an XP machine.
This is probably the usage metric that MS has used, since they have repeatedly touted the fact that keyboard search just works everywhere (saving even the single keystroke that I have to do).
That little ditty bit me in da gitty. It changed my Start button nicely, but when I opted to go back to the original, it left me with a blank, black desktop screen. Luckily, I made a system restore point before using this program. To do the restore I had to boot and get into the 'F8 key' options. Things are back to normal now. Guess I don't need a new Start button that badly.. lol.
"Microsoft claims it took the controversial decision to remove the Start button from the traditional Windows desktop because people had stopped using it. "
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Yea, pretty much I don't click it. Common programs are 'pinned' to the task bar, and if I want to run something that isn't I hit the "windows" key and type in the first 3 or 4 letters of the program name then hit enter when it appears. (Let the computer look instead of digging through all the program everything that appears when 'start' is clicked)
Quicker too
Oh, I do click "start" to "shutdown"..... my bad (click "start" to "shutdown", what were they thinking)
While I don't agree with Microsoft in removing the start button, it's very possible for them to determine how their OS is being used and whether people are using the start button or not. The methods involved in this are college 101.
Yes, I knew it for years but can I whine like a silly "end-user 101" for a change?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gungnir
SQM - Software Quality Metrics have been integrated into Windows since XP, Vista and Win 7 it's ubiquitous within the OS and explicit opt out. While no PII is passed to the MS Servers, usage patterns certainly are along with other diagnostic and performance information. Search your hard drive for files with a .sqm extension they're an xml based protocol and probably meaningless to a human (although not exclusively) ultimately they're squirted back to a server at MS through BITS. You can disable the service, however if you do that then your data (and others who turn off that aspect of Windows) lose your votes on how the software will develop, since your data will not be in the overall dataset, and thus any actions that MS takes from analysis of that dataset may not be in your best interests. At the end of the day, if you do disable the service, you have no right to complain subsequently, as you did opt to not send usage patterns back to MS to assist in the design and development of the next versions.
Yes, of course I knew about their secretive ways of collecting data and since I don't trust any vendor with what kinda data they are collecting, especially MS, of course I and most savvy people I know opts out of it. If they want to collect the data, they should do UI/End User testing openly using a large group of people from different ages, locations, professions, etc. That result of that type of testing would be more acceptable by many, so me thinks.
And regardless of what I disable or enable, as a consumer, my voice/opinion still counts or should count.
Your way of thinking smells a lot like either a MS employee or a fan boy but I give you the benefit of the doubt that you were simply stating your own opinions and not trying to make conclusive statements.
I see a lot of people driving without using their turn signals, never seen anyone even get a ticket for failing to do so yet each car still comes with one, perhaps they should just remove it? Companies have other ways to collect information that might actually be more accurate than relying on hidden usage data statistics because there are bunch of devices not used by end users/companies in the normal way. PC could be just idling or running a certain app, etc. I don't use Start Menu a lot but I still use it and there are times where that is the only way to get to certain things or I should say, a much easier and quicker way. Think about the jobs of those who support end users in a work environment who, mind you, still extensively use Start Menu. Start Menu is not something you may have to use a lot to make it count either, one or two clicks a day is enough.
What development and/or marketing benefit would removing a button that has been recognized, adapted and used by so many people over so many years? I think there was another, much more dumber reason behind their interface changes but of course that is just my opinion.
Quote:
What you consider important and what the vast majority of users feel are important for the OS may be at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. The average Windows user is not particularly tech savvy, so continuity and consistency is more important than customization.
You said consistency is more important than customization and then you went ahead and said this:
Quote:
While this may raise a flag about Win8, Win8 does have a continuity and consistency of interface, just not the same interface as Win7 (if you opt to use the Metro interface).
May be I need to look up the definition of "consistency" in the dictionary again but if you are making major changes to an OS (and yes UI changes are considered major for an OS) then how can you say there is consistency? Your comments are conflicted and how do you know that is really what is important to MS? Does anyone really know when even two of the MS developers I spoke to back in the day didn't even know for sure? Perhaps I am wrong but you need to state your credentials to this baboon.
Quote:
Considering that many Windows users have difficulty with basic windows configuration, giving them customization no matter how smart is like giving a loaded gun to a baboon.
Assuming you meant every word you wrote above, I say, if you are going to give a gun (Windows) to a baboon (people), you might as well load it so the baboon can shoot the idiot(s) who hand it the gun in the first place, catch my drift?
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia
In other words, because most people are incapable of operating anything more complicated than a toaster, everything should be dumbed down to the level of a toaster. Thus, the dumbening.
Egg Zachary!
There was irony in his comments, I wonder if he even noticed it?
I found out that if you put a lot of desktop icons it'll greatly slow up your bootup time. So I don't create a desktop icon for every program or game I install. Thus I rely on the Startup Button a lot. If Win 8 got rid of this I think that's really stupid. So I think Win 8 will be like Vista and I got a reserve copy of Win 7 Prof I got on sale for $99. For a future computer build. And I don't think many current games might be friendly with Win 8 when it comes out.
I'm kind of upset. I used that start-button changer to make myself a nice Aperture theme. It looks absolutely fantastic with the little aperture logo down there, and the homicidal robot watching me work.
But I can see Microsoft's reasoning on this as well. Like others here, I either use the run command (Win+R; Winword), or I end up just using the search function, since it works pretty well.
I don't really recall having to use the start menu that much. But really, they shouldn't gut the thing out of Windows all together. Disable it by default, sure, but don't remove it. I might not use it that much, but, like the Windows 2000 theme I had running earlier, sometimes I like the classics.
I still use Win+R out of habit... which is sad, but true.
With Win+Q, Win+W, Win+F and Win+E, you can get to everything you need. And even if you don't want to memorize all those, just one of them will do since you can get to the others with one click.
Anything Microsoft wants to do is fine by me. Quit complaining. You sound pathetically self-important.
Well if we pay $150 -$200 to buy the software, we are important, we supply their paycheck, they better damn well listen to us.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(click "start" to "shutdown", what were they thinking)
