Enable the Old Start Menu in Windows 8 ... At Your Peril

All I can say is, Microsoft had better release an attractive alternative for us power users. I'm sorry, but the metro start screen *will not fly* for many professional users, and not just because it's different. The majority of our applications will continue to reside in the classic desktop part of windows, and switching in and out of Metro UI creates a disjointed experience, is distracting, and things are simplified to the point of unusefulness. I won't argue with the fact that Metro is wonderful for consumers and home users. It's just simply not enough for us as professional users. It locks you into consumer mode and limits your access and capability. I love metro for using my phone and computer, but when I'm doing real work it needs to step aside. When I'm using desktop applications, I need a desktop menu.

After using OS X Lion since it came out, and a full day of Windows 8, Ive come to despise full screen applications. At Least you have the option to maximize instead of go full screen in Lion. I hope the released Windows 8 does as well. I need my task/toolbar or whatever you want to call it. I want to see whats going on with my computer, not just a single application. Granted, 80% of computer users are really just consumers, so they are well served by this tablet inspired nonsense. For those of us who use a computer not just to consume content, we need more. Full-screen apps are claustrophobic. It feels like taking one page of a book into a closet and having to leave the closet every time you want to read another page. And IE 10, seriously, it might be great on a tablet, but I really hope when the real thing comes out, Microsoft realizes we want bookmark menus and VISIBLE tabs in a desktop browser. And also, a way to turn the damn browser off. I cant stand having to take the time to close every tab by hand when I stop browsing, just so I dont have to wade through all the crap every time I use explorer. Luckily, Firefox seems to work really well in Windows 8. I really want to like Windows 8 and I can see uses for the Metro stuff, but I think Metro could never really be more than a gadget for me. As a pop-up sidebar app-launcher, it would be fine, but as the main focus of windows it will drive me to using linux. Can Microsoft not make a Pro desktop version and a consumer version? I quit Apple after many years, because I wanted my computer back, now Microsoft wants to take it away completely. Sure, tablets are the new buzz word. I only hope Microsoft will come to their senses and see past the Apple envy. A computer is not a toy to me, it's a tool. My neighbor's kid has Fischer-Price tools, but their pretty useless to me also.

I have used the new interface for two days now, and just do not like it whether I'm on a tablet or a desktop. The time it takes to actually navigate to certain areas in this useless tiled interface is is redicoulous. I hope there's a keyboard and mouse desktop/laptop edition. Yes, I'm a power yes, I use shortcuts, I try to get things completed as quickly as possible- I'm not a monkey that needs to use my fingers to navigate and don't appreciate that being forced on me. I hate to say this but I may be looking else where for an OS in the future and can't imagine how this will work in the work force.

I agree with you 100%

Honestly I hate the new Metrosexual interface. I'll not make any final judgement until it's feature complete, and I've had time to get used to it. But if this is indicative of the future of Windows then I'm REALLY making an effort to use 100% Linux.

It probably won't be until Windows 9 or X that everything gets switched over to Metro style. It will be a very disjointed experience until then. It's hard to take 20 years of a paradigm and throw it out the window (no pun intended) and tell people they have to do it this new way now. Now I do have to say that this will probably work nicely on a tablet, phone or some other very limited device. No way will I use this on my home desktop. Yes, I know it still works with a keyboard and mouse, but it's definitely not the same experience as a touch panel. Furthermore, no way do I like being locked into buying apps only from MS approved store. I don't need to be protected; I know how to take care of my system. I want the ability to buy apps from whatever vendor I want.

Um, am I missing something here? How do you shut down? Can you not do that without logging off first?

I'm using WIN 8 on my main pc for a full day and a bit now and not a single crash and very very few bugs all my apps reinstalled working perfectly. PS CS5 office iTunes Picasa 3 chrome win live etc. etc. Everything's gr8! But the metro UI is not yet really ready for my dual monitor set up but its slick and kwik but the biggest bug I have is I cant search for files just wont happen apps yes! settings yes! files no! The single best thing about win 7 was "start n' type" instant search worked gr8! SOOO I googled .. sorry binged how to turn of the Metro UI, found a reg changing app and it is now pinned to my Task bar. I want to be a power user I turn Metro on Boom! I want to have start menu back an no metro Boom I've got that too! 2 clicks! IMHO I think the metro UI will be fantastic/amazing for tablets etc. but I'm thinking it wont cut it with desktops which is fine with me the taskbar in win7/win8 is gr8 I am 99% positive the final release will make it easy to choose between the two options. I love what MS are doing and cant wait till beta but after a day and a half I know ill never use Win7 again at home. BTW performance is literally unbelievable. Had not long clean re-installed my Win7 but this baby blows it away! and its not even beta!! Also u disable metro, u disable all the explorer goodness too( ur pc basicly is win 7 again) i.e. new Task Manager and Explorer Ribbon which although a version overdue, a large welcome File management is awesome!

@ Waethorn & @ Matyas Crtl-C(pull up the "charms"), settings, power icon(lower left)... @mwheeler Maybe you should try hitting the desktop icon, then hitting the IE icon, walla...full blown IE 10 with tabs and favorites bar. What people are forgetting with the new Metro Start Screen is the tiles can launch a Metro themed version of an app. Developers can write Metro only, Metro/Desktop, or Desktop Only apps. Metro apps serve a purpose, quick access to information which will be handy on some form factors and not on others, same as desktop apps. I really think people are freaking out about nothing. You will still be able to do all the things you can do now. It is still Windows afterall. Me personally, I can't wait to have a dockable tablet(like the Samsung given out), rock 2 full size monitors and have the tablet be the start screen with tiles showing the quick info I want. Meeting time, no problem, grab the tablet and go. That my friends is the future of computing!

@ Waethorn & @ Matyas Crtl-C(pull up the "charms"), settings, power icon(lower left)... @mwheeler Maybe you should try hitting the desktop icon, then hitting the IE icon, walla...full blown IE 10 with tabs and favorites. What people are forgetting with the new Metro Start Screen is the tiles can launch a Metro themed version of an app. Developers can write Metro only, Metro/Desktop, or Desktop Only apps. Metro apps serve a purpose, quick access to information which will be handy on some form factors and not on others, same as desktop apps. Me personally, I can't wait to have a dockable tablet(like the Samsung given out at Build), rock 2 full sized monitors while leaving the the Start Screen up on the tablet. When I need to leave, just grab the tablet and go. Now that sounds like the future of computing to me, not multiple devices!

I have no issue with the new interface, except I would prefer the first start for a user allow for selection of which would be the main interface. If you select the Metro interface, then you get the current way of doing things. If you select Windows Classic (or some other name) then you get a standard desktop with a Start Menu option to switch over. The Classic Desktop is where most of my work will happen, but I can see a lot of use for the Metro interface also (especially once someone figures out how to write a metro browser with real tabs and a quit option).

Paul, This is one of those times you are just my hero, "But don't be a sissy. You're a power user right? Act like one." That is pure awesomeness! -Michael

I still wonder who it was who came up with the brilliant idea that PCs, SmartPhones, and Tablets all require the same user interface. It's just wrong. And even tough this is just an early preview, the point is clear to me, it was even before: The Metro UI works perfectly for tablets and small form factors with touch-enabled screens, but it doesn't work out for the desktop if you want to do some serious work. It's like being forced to use the Media Center in Windows 7 - and what an awful experience using keyboard and mouse that is! Metro is nice, but I wonder why it had to be integrated into a deskop OS. I don't see any use for it on the desktop. It perfectly hides all the professional aspects of Windows I use as a developer every day. But I'm being forced to stick with Metro - at least for this preview. It's all about branding, as you can see in "Windows Phone 7", which has nothing to do with Windows. It's just the name. They want to bring Windows to the Tablets, instead being smart and develop a proper OS for the Tablet using this Metro stuff and let Windows belong to the desktop. Another point is the Windows Store, I highly dislike the idea of it. It's a giant money machine built into the system à la Apple App Store, nothing more, nothing less. Open Source solutions have no space in this world driven by control and the urge for profit. I don't like to see the Windows Desktop degraded to an app - I want to work with it like I'm used to it, I want it full featured. I don't want to see Metro on the desktop. No compromise.

Here is a comment from another user in another site: Many, many, many years ago, my 1st pc was a Packard Bell (remember those?) Pac Bell put their own UI on, which basically "hid" the Windows 3.1 desktop. It was a grid of colored blocks which represented the apps that were installed. Asap, I disabled that UI, so that the system would boot to the real Windows desktop. Seeing this, it's like deja vu -- a step back 20 years. Why oh why base an OS UI on a dumbed down, faddish, jump on the "tablet bandwagon" look. Woe is us. Just in case Paul thinks that Windows users are enamored with this stupid interface.

I think its silly to enable old start menu, if you want Windows 7 then why dont go back to Windows 7! people dont want metro, but they still want Windows 8? so how will they enable settings like changing logon screen and sync settings, and new Messenger, photo, people hub. and all these new stuff its inside new metro UI? Microsoft then would have to make settings window for non metro users and that would be silly and of course it would slow down development. if people dont want new metro UI. then they should stick to Windows 7. ive been using Windows 8 as my main OS and its been awesome. it has stuff to improve obviously since its not perfect nor final. but i like it so far. people new how new start menú looked like, and they knew about it. its not like they downloaded preview not knowing about it! so you are right Paul. old start menú was nice, but i dont see anything good from it compared to metro, both are good, but i feel you have more control in new start menu. no more folders and folders and go to accesories, and then system tolos and then here and there, and only few pinned programs, and scroll down and scroll up. use search box which Works the same in Windows 8. and now you can have in your main tiles all the apps you use frecuently, next to the ones you dont use much but still need

Are you serious? If you don't customize and or tweak anything you own... are you really getting everything out of it? If you don't then you not a "power user"