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Windows 8.2 ‘Threshold’ to bring Start Menu back?

by Mark Tyson on 10 December 2013, 09:59

Tags: Windows 8

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Microsoft brought back the Start Button in Windows 8.1 and now it looks like it may go a step further with Windows 8.2 ‘Threshold’ with the return of the Start Menu. This is according to information that “emerged” about Microsoft’s future plans to Microsoft ‘insider’ Paul Thurrott.

As a reminder ‘Threshold’ is a codename for the next big updates coming to Windows which will unify the platform further. The release schedule is quite a way off, Spring 2015 is commonly believed to be when it will be delivered.

Start button may become more useful?

Thurrott says that he is aware of two pieces of “big news” with regard to ‘Threshold’ which are the reprieve of the Start Menu and the ability to run Metro apps in windows on the desktop.

Looking at the first revelation; the full Start Menu is said to be coming back as an option for users. This is a logical progression from Windows 8 to 8.1 to 8.2 in giving desktop users their preferred way of working back to them. We know from recent news that Windows 7’s market share is growing faster than Windows 8.X and that Microsoft has put an indefinite delay on Windows 7’s “retail end of sales”.

Modern Windows UI apps running in a desktop window is another good idea for desktop users and, as Thurrott points out, is currently enabled by third party apps like ModernMix.

ModernMix in action

Some other Windows 8.2 ‘Threshold’ information that has just emerged comes from another reliable source; Mary J Foley. Writing on ZDNet Foley said there will be three SKUs in the next Windows wave. She says there will be “A ‘modern’ consumer SKU; a traditional/PC SKU; and a traditional enterprise SKU.”

The modern version will run mainly on ARM devices like Windows Phones, tablets, phablets and light/portable PCs. The traditional SKU would include a desktop and a lot of other familiar Windows features. Finally the traditional Enterprise SKU supports the usual business style control and features such as group policies, device management and Win32 apps. So these SKU’s will unify Windows but will also present a choice for users.



HEXUS Forums :: 55 Comments

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Are Microsoft slowly peddling backwards here?

Remind me again, what is the start menu actually used for?
Start menu works much better with a mouse than the Metro UI, I have no intention of getting a touch screen monitor for Windows 8 use.

I have been using the start menu for over 15 year now and for me it is habit, everything is where it should be and easy to get to. For me if they release 8.2 with full start menu the same as 7 then I am happy and imagine that will be the same for a lot of PC users that are used to the start menu.

I think the whole thing with 7 retail is allowing its sale until they get 8.2 the way users want it (ie : full start menu like in 7), then once we see they have put full start menu functionality back in and we start migrating to it that is when 7 retail will be pulled.
i think a lot of home users, schools & businesses will skip these versions until it is easy to navigate like windows 7, i for 1 see no need to upgrade my windows 7 gaming pc, i have windows 8 on an old laptop which i find a bit awkward to use especially annoying when wanting to shutdown menu wise! i just think it should of been a tablet os rather than a desktop as it's not very practical to use at the moment.
Windows may finally get the two main missing functions that programs like Start8 and ModernMix were making a killing from providing to Microsoft customers.
Let's see if they'll fix the darn defrag program issues that cause it to error in the middle of an optimization. Doubt it.