At least Samsung is smart enough to trump MS and include a start menu...

D

dnottis

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
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I hope we see more of this.

http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/b...art-button-on-upcoming-windows-8-desktop-pcs/

"Samsung are really keen to point out that they have built their own ‘optional’ start button on the Windows 8 systems, which can be used to access a menu of applications, just like Windows 7.This feature won’t be available from all PC makers when they release a series of computers later this year. Early research has shown that many people are finding this missing option a huge interface issue on first use, so it makes sense for Samsung to re-add it."
 
Interesting nevertheless. More options to customize Windows 8 is always better. If someone packages this app up & distributed it for non-Samsung PC users, it might be useful.

For myself, I'm content with the start screen with or without its issues.
 
ClassicShell was updated recently and now official supports Win8 RTM. Includes some new skinning options, keeps the Power Users menu available too! I wouldn't doubt they are using a customized version of it...

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Version 3.6.1 general release (Aug, 2012):
- Fixes a critical bug found in the previous version (the "new version" notification pops up too often)

Version 3.6.0 general release (Aug, 2012):
- Windows 8 is now officially supported
- Added more customization settings for the start button
- Added a setting to disable all Metro hot corners
- Improved the initial setup of the start menu
- Added support for split menu buttons
- Improved the usage of the Aero colorization in skins
- Fixed some bugs found in the previous version

screenshot.png
 
You never fail to advertise Classic Shell & your extreme discontent for the Modern UI :p
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
You never fail to advertise Classic Shell & your extreme discontent for the Modern UI :p
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Well it doesn't look like Samsung is too happy with it either if they are giving their users a start menu. ...now does it?

If you love the UI so much, why come into a thread with this title? I dont understand people sometimes....
 
dnottis said:
Well it doesn't look like Samsung is too happy with it either if they are giving their users a start menu. ...now does it?

If you love the UI so much, why come into a thread with this title? I dont understand people sometimes....
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Pfft, I gave my support about having alternates. It's you I'm concerned about since you never have anything good to say about 8.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
Pfft, I gave my support about having alternates. It's you I'm concerned about since you never have anything good to say about 8.
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I like Windows 8, I'm using it daily on my gaming setup and my laptop, I just can't stand the metro interface.
 
Classic Shell is great. I have been using it on Win7 for a couple of years.

It allows for the kind of Start Menu customizations missing in Win7.

If I were somehow left with no choice but to use Win8, Classic Shell would be my first install.
 
dnottis said:
I like Windows 8, I'm using it daily on my gaming setup and my laptop, I just can't stand the metro interface.
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Glad to know that. Here's to hoping there are many alternates & even some new features for customization for Windows 8 in the future.
 
I used the RC1 on my Core 2 Duo T9300 laptop and start up and shutting down times were amazing, even faster than my desktop which is in my signature. Programs would start faster, the system would feel faster. Ill try that on my new Asus G74Sx, it should feel even better.
 
Classic shell is so ugly...

Also, unless the start menu Samsung is including is identical to or better than the Windows 7 one I will just uninstall it and use the start screen.
 
Veilrap said:
Classic shell is so ugly...

Also, unless the start menu Samsung is including is identical to or better than the Windows 7 one I will just uninstall it and use the start screen.
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The new version has 3 different styles now to choose from. further you can choose a theme for it as well.
 
Are these the new tablet and hybrid devices that Samsung is announcing the week? I'd like to see that they have in mind as a classic Start Menu on that type of device really would be pointless. Samsung added their own touch UI layer on the S7S and it was funny to here some people praise it as better than the Start Screen. All it was grid of big static icons with a couple of widgets in it, slow and buggy. The Start Screen is infinitely better than that mess and was one of the reasons I was so happy to get enough driver support to move my S7S over to Windows 8.

In any case I know the Start Menu crowd isn't going away but it will be interesting how this all plays out when touch devices and Metro apps start coming out by the ton. We'll see how this market goes but the more touch devices there are and the more Metro apps there the less and less relevant the Start Menu becomes.
 
I could live without a "start button" if the power users menu had a way to access installed applications. I don't need a button per say, I just want some way to get to a list of installed apps that I can run them fron other than Metros blocks.

Once I found the Power Users menu I was satisfied with all the options I had (file explorer instead of my computer, control panels, device manager, command prompt, etc) there. If I could boot to the desktop and had an option in the power users menu that neatly and alphabetically sorted my installed apps I'd be completely fine with that. Its like 90% of the way there...they say if it's not broken don't fix it. I see metro as the fix I never asked for. it was never broken.
 
dnottis said:
I hope we see more of this.

http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/b...art-button-on-upcoming-windows-8-desktop-pcs/

"Samsung are really keen to point out that they have built their own ‘optional’ start button on the Windows 8 systems, which can be used to access a menu of applications, just like Windows 7.This feature won’t be available from all PC makers when they release a series of computers later this year. Early research has shown that many people are finding this missing option a huge interface issue on first use, so it makes sense for Samsung to re-add it."
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Go Samsung. Next laptop will be Samsung.
 
heatlesssun said:
In any case I know the Start Menu crowd isn't going away but it will be interesting how this all plays out when touch devices and Metro apps start coming out by the ton. We'll see how this market goes but the more touch devices there are and the more Metro apps there the less and less relevant the Start Menu becomes.
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The crowd will thin out as they get used to it. I was complaining about the lack of a decent start menu, and I still miss it at times. But, it's the same way as working 90% on the time with Windows 7 then having to go fix a Windows XP or earlier PC. It takes a bit to get used to and to know where to go and where things are. Same thing with Windows 8. It takes some time to get to know it. Not everyone is this way, so there will always be a few that refuse to use it. But, most people will adapt.

(I'll leave my other complaints out of this thread to stay on topic).
 
I was anti-Win8 because of the lack of start menu. I used it alot -- windows key, type what I'm looking for. After installing RTM on my desktop and work, and using it for a bit, I don't really miss it.

I can still <windows key> type what I'm looking for and launch it. I can hit Win-X to get a "mini-start menu".


I installed a few different start menu interfaces. One of them worked and looked just like Win7. But I quickly realized the only thing I used the start menu for was searching, and I didn't need a third party app for that, so I uninstalled.

It really isn't that bad... for the normal home user though... man, I really don't want to support this for my parents...
 
I'm not a fan of the classic Start Menu look, I'd rather use the Vista/7 look, but I'd much rather use the classic look than Metro.
 
heatlesssun said:
In any case I know the Start Menu crowd isn't going away but it will be interesting how this all plays out when touch devices and Metro apps start coming out by the ton. We'll see how this market goes but the more touch devices there are and the more Metro apps there the less and less relevant the Start Menu becomes.
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I do photography and have a nice IPS screen, touch interface is the last thing I need. if someones finger touches my IPS that finger will be cut off.
 
nekrosoft13 said:
I do photography and have a nice IPS screen, touch interface is the last thing I need. if someones finger touches my IPS that finger will be cut off.
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I have a client with almost 30 all in 1 pc's that have touchscreens, they liked the novelty but after all the fingerprints on the screen were left they stopped using them immediatley. I am the same way, you touch my screen and I will chop your hands off and shove them up your ass.
 
Wrench00 said:
I have a client with almost 30 all in 1 pc's that have touchscreens, they liked the novelty but after all the fingerprints on the screen were left they stopped using them immediatley. I am the same way, you touch my screen and I will chop your hands off and shove them up your ass.
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this is complete lawlz. Touchscreen based UI created - fucking hated for people touching the screen.
 
dnottis said:
I could live without a "start button" if the power users menu had a way to access installed applications. I don't need a button per say, I just want some way to get to a list of installed apps that I can run them fron other than Metros blocks.
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I keep saying this, but I guess it bears repeating again: Create a toolbar on your taskbar that points to your Start Menu folder.

It's easy: click on the View tab in a Windows Explorer window and choose to show hidden itmes. Then right click on the taskbar and choose "Toolbars > New Toolbar..." and navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. You're done. Now you have your way to get a list of installed apps without having to run third party software.
 
Eman D. Rahym said:
I keep saying this, but I guess it bears repeating again: Create a toolbar on your taskbar that points to your Start Menu folder.

It's easy: click on the View tab in a Windows Explorer window and choose to show hidden itmes. Then right click on the taskbar and choose "Toolbars > New Toolbar..." and navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. You're done. Now you have your way to get a list of installed apps without having to run third party software.
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You can also add these things to Favorites in File Explorer. Truth of the matter is all Microsoft did was repurpose the Start experience to something that works much better across different input methods and just about all of the stuff that was in the Start Menu can be done a number of different ways. The only thing I've not yet seen an equivalent for outside of the Start Menu are jump lists. If you know of an alternative to that I'd love to know.
 
For those using Classic Shell, is there a way to make Control Panel open in Category View? Every time I change it to Category View it gets changed back to Large Icons.

*edit* OK Just go into Classic Shell Settings and Customize Start Menu. Right click on Control Panel and select command 'control_panel_categories'.
 
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heatlesssun said:
You can also add these things to Favorites in File Explorer. Truth of the matter is all Microsoft did was repurpose the Start experience to something that works much better across different input methods and just about all of the stuff that was in the Start Menu can be done a number of different ways. The only thing I've not yet seen an equivalent for outside of the Start Menu are jump lists. If you know of an alternative to that I'd love to know.
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Problem with that logic is that Desktop are not going to have touch screen and Tablets aren't going to have keyboards and mice.
Still boggles the mind why they left out windows button from the onscreen keyboard. Or the Alt button.
 
Wrench00 said:
Problem with that logic is that Desktop are not going to have touch screen and Tablets aren't going to have keyboards and mice.
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Which is my point about the Start Screen, it works well with all of the above.

Wrench00 said:
Still boggles the mind why they left out windows button from the onscreen keyboard. Or the Alt button.
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I have no idea why you keep repeating this, IT'S NOT TRUE:

There%20it%20is-01.jpg
 
Wrench00 said:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/54540760.jpg/

Tablet is missing those keys.
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The screen shot I made was on a Samsung Series 7 Slate so again you keep saying stuff that isn't true. I've explained multiple times that the keyboard has four modes, all are available on a tablet, at least Windows 8 tablets as I've not seen a Windows RT device but I bet its the same.

The image that you are displaying is the normal mode and the accessory keys are not in that mode to allow more room and spacing for the keys to increase typing speed. There's also the thumb mode and ink mode.
 
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heatlesssun said:
The screen shot I made was on a Samsung Series 7 Slate so again you keep saying stuff that isn't true. I've explained multiple times that the keyboard has four modes, all are available on a tablet, at least Windows 8 tablets as I've not seen a Windows RT device but I bet its the same.

The image that you are displaying is the normal mode and the accessory keys are not in that mode to allow more room and spacing for the keys to increase typing speed. There's also the thumb mode and ink mode.
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No matter what version I am trying to bring up. Its not there. The Screenshot is from a MSI Windpad 110. The only way I get the full keyboard is going to accessories and bring up the full keyboard. If there is a consitancy issues with display or resolution as to why its not displaying microsoft should have really considered keeping THE WINDOWS KEYS that you need for functionality, but as you can see from the screen shot they had the IDEA that a EMOTE key and two shift buttons are more important. Funny tho my android doesn't have this problem then again I can replace a onscreen keyboard on an android device.

If you are implying that I am making this shit up then FU and the horse your rode in on.
 
Wrench00 said:
No matter what version I am trying to bring up. Its not there. The Screenshot is from a MSI Windpad 110. The only way I get the full keyboard is going to accessories and bring up the full keyboard. If there is a consitancy issues with display or resolution as to why its not displaying microsoft should have really considered keeping THE WINDOWS KEYS that you need for functionality, but as you can see from the screen shot they had the IDEA that a EMOTE key and two shift buttons are more important. Funny tho my android doesn't have this problem then again I can replace a onscreen keyboard on an android device.

If you are implying that I am making this shit up then FU and the horse your rode in on.
Click to expand...

You're on the Release Preview, I forget where the setting is but there's something in the Control Panel that you need set I believe to get full mode available in that version. In the RTM the full mode is available by default.
 
Wrench00 said:
No matter what version I am trying to bring up. Its not there. The Screenshot is from a MSI Windpad 110. The only way I get the full keyboard is going to accessories and bring up the full keyboard. If there is a consitancy issues with display or resolution as to why its not displaying microsoft should have really considered keeping THE WINDOWS KEYS that you need for functionality, but as you can see from the screen shot they had the IDEA that a EMOTE key and two shift buttons are more important. Funny tho my android doesn't have this problem then again I can replace a onscreen keyboard on an android device.

If you are implying that I am making this shit up then FU and the horse your rode in on.
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Perhaps you should try moving to a newer build...
 
Stardocks 'Start8' has been updated. It looks the most similar to Windows 7 Start Menu of all of the released 'Start Menu' add-ons.

The only real thing I haven't seen it do that I would like it to is to search the control panel and to take you to System Properties when you right click ->Properties on Computer.
 
bigdogchris said:
Stardocks 'Start8' has been updated. It looks the most similar to Windows 7 Start Menu of all of the released 'Start Menu' add-ons.

The only real thing I haven't seen it do that I would like it to is to search the control panel and to take you to System Properties when you right click ->Properties on Computer.
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that can actually make windows 8 somewhat usesable.

i still can't believe how stupid MS is with this metro crap.
 
nekrosoft13 said:
that can actually make windows 8 somewhat usesable..
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Yeah it can. The thing is with a Start Menu, 8 still feels a lot like 7 with a few minor tweaks. For a new Windows Explorer and Task Manager, I wouldn't buy it. If I had a tablet and wanted to use Metro then I would think it's worth the upgrade cost.

When you really break it down though, Windows 8, even with a drastic change to Start, doesn't add a whole lot. XP, Vista and 7 added a lot onto the previous OS. 8 just adds a new Start Screen and a few other minor tweaks. It's pretty disappointing as an OS outside of Metro (if you're into that sorta thing).
 
bigdogchris said:
When you really break it down though, Windows 8, even with a drastic change to Start, doesn't add a whole lot. XP, Vista and 7 added a lot onto the previous OS. 8 just adds a new Start Screen and a few other minor tweaks. It's pretty disappointing as an OS outside of Metro (if you're into that sorta thing).
Click to expand...

One HUGE set of features added to 8 that's very much desktop oriented are the file system expansion, redundancy and backup options as the recovery options. Running out of disk space, literally just plop and in drive and done. And File History while not as sophisticated as File Versions is MUCH simpler and easier to use and actually recover files from. Definitely not things you see on tablets.
 
I find it hilarious Samsung is doing this. I'm really curious to see how successful Win will be and whether it'll be the next Vista or not.
 
mikeymop said:
I find it hilarious Samsung is doing this. I'm really curious to see how successful Win will be and whether it'll be the next Vista or not.
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Actually this is Samsung's modus operandi, they have always added their one UI elements to Android and even did with the Windows 7 based Samsung Series 7 but in that case they added something that was more touch friendly than Windows 7, so this is in the reverse direction.
 
I'm already seeing people that have started using Win8 on a tablet and then go back to their PC and are finally giving in to Win8. I'm going to wager all these start menu replacements eventually get used less and less as people start realizing one way of doing things across multiple platforms is actually nice. Think about it, are you going to start installing the classic start menu on your tablets? If not then you are creating two different ways of doing things, which is exactly what so many are arguing against!
 
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