Despite Windows 10, Third-Party Start Menus Will Live On

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    Despite Windows 10, Third-Party Start Menus Will Live On

    Despite Windows 10, Third-Party Start Menus Will Live On


    Posted: 20 May 2015

    Microsoft is bringing back the Start menu in Windows 10, and after the Windows 8 saga, when the majority of adopters looked for third-party alternatives to make the desktop look more familiar, some developers might be worried that nobody would ever use their apps again.

    And such a concern does make sense. Microsoft is paying a lot of attention to the new Start menu and is working together with users across the globe to implement features, options, and visual effects that would make it just perfect, so third-party apps might easily become obsolete.

    But that won't be the case for two different reasons. We've talked to several Start menu developers in the last few weeks, and most of them said pretty much the same things: users need more choices and the familiarity offered by the Windows 7 menu.
    More choices

    In Windows 10, the Start menu will indeed be developed based on users' feedback, but there's no doubt that not everyone can be pleased with this new approach.

    While Microsoft indeed implements many of the suggestions it receives, it's no secret that some users want a different approach, and at least until now, some requests are yet to be implemented. Customization options aren't yet offered for the Windows 10 Start menu, so you won't be able to change too many things about the default configuration.

    Third-party apps, on the other hand, allow users to change the look of the Start menu, pick a different color, change colors, replace the default Start button with a new one, and tweak pretty much every single key feature to make it better fit your desktop.
    Source
    labeeman's Avatar Posted By: labeeman
    20 May 2015


  1. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #1

    I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't want a Start Menu of any kind, Microsoft or third party. I like the current Windows 8.1 Start Screen / All Apps setup. Don't really like the current Windows 10 Start Menu / Screen all that much. Will have to wait and see what the final version looks like I guess.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 97
    xp w7 w8.1 linux
       #2

    Start Menu


    I rarely use it. I have Object Dock on the desktop - with program grouping. Fences hiding Folders/Shortcuts on the desk top.
    However I also have Classic Shell cascading across the desktop running when I have to drill down.
    Some 100 plus programs/applications which expands to 300 if you count all the exe's (update, configure, uninstall etc.)
    Tiles do not cut it for me to much real estate.
      My Computer


  3. Lee
    Posts : 4,793
    OS X, Win 10
       #3

    alphanumeric said:
    I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't want a Start Menu of any kind, Microsoft or third party. I like the current Windows 8.1 Start Screen / All Apps setup. Don't really like the current Windows 10 Start Menu / Screen all that much. Will have to wait and see what the final version looks like I guess.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 46
    64-bit 10240 10 Pro
       #4

    alphanumeric said:
    I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't want a Start Menu of any kind, Microsoft or third party. I like the current Windows 8.1 Start Screen / All Apps setup. Don't really like the current Windows 10 Start Menu / Screen all that much. Will have to wait and see what the final version looks like I guess.
    I bet you loved Windows 3.1:)
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #5

    God Softpedia are morons.

    The majority of Windows 8 users do not use third party start menus. Most Windows 8 users don't even know they exist.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #6

    alphanumeric said:
    I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't want a Start Menu of any kind, Microsoft or third party. I like the current Windows 8.1 Start Screen / All Apps setup. Don't really like the current Windows 10 Start Menu / Screen all that much. Will have to wait and see what the final version looks like I guess.
    I agree and have fed MS many times.

    It's really a simple thing:
    1) Offer a menu list ala Win78
    2) Offer a most often used menu and All apps menu ala Win8
    3) Offer a conceptual whatever MS thinks is cool menu ala the Frankenstein's monster they have now on 10.0.74
    4) Off a DIY menu builder
    (I have a lot of cool ideas myself - the pieces are there I just can't figure out how to stitch them together and not make the menu static)
    Make me an off I can't refuse

    It can't be a design issue - they keep changing it anyway
    It can't be an implementation issue, they already did 3 of the suggestions in previous build
    It can't be a coding issue (oh wait, it might be, they containerized the menu - still, the pieces exist, they just need to containerize the pieces)

    So what can it be? Arrogance and lack of vision.

    I came across this which I think sums up the issue:

    Cloud: A time of momentum
    Cloud: A time of transformation
    Cloud: From Delivering value
    to Driving change


    Despite Windows 10, Third-Party Start Menus Will Live On-ignitesatyasketchnote_web.png

    I understand what it really means, but the subtext also says to me that Windows 10 is change for change sake and more importantly, there's no need to deliver value any more. The other emphasis is wrongly placed on Developers and IT professionals.

    It all starts with the end user - developers and IT professionals understand technology and products driven solely by these people rarely result in excellent consumer products. Sure, they're great technological products, but to most people "It's all Geek to me"

    The menu isn't as hard as melding the platforms into a single development path.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 23,195
    Windows 10
       #7

    If only these developers could make a Start Screen as in Win 8

    Win 10 would be almost perfect for me then
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 630
       #8

    Mystere said:
    God Softpedia are morons.

    The majority of Windows 8 users do not use third party start menus. Most Windows 8 users don't even know they exist.
    Are there facts that support this? or just opinions?

    Everyone that is a Windows 8 user (not many) that I know, all use a 3rd party menu.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #9

    Trust_No1 said:
    Are there facts that support this? or just opinions?

    Everyone that is a Windows 8 user (not many) that I know, all use a 3rd party menu.
    I recall seeing recently that Classic Shell, one of the largest free start menu replacements only had 25 million downloads (I think this was in April). Since this number almost certainly includes multiple downloads (each new version is downloaded by the installed base), and there have been 57 releases... let's be generous and say that even if this accounts for 5 million users, that's still only 5% of the total Windows 8.x market. Now, you might argue that this is only one vendor... but the fact is, most users will try out multiple replacements to see which one they like, and it's likely that most users would try Classic Shell, even if they don't use it, so at least a large percentage of those users would be accounted for in other replacement products. So even if we are generous and double it to 10 million. That's only 10% of the users.

    Yes, this is all speculation. But the fact of the matter is, most users are not technical... They don't know start menu replacements exist... If you deal with real end users on any regular basis you would know this.


    Windows 8.x currently has 11.16% of the market of almost 900 Million PC's. Or, roughly 100 Million.
      My Computer


 

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