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Friday, May 31, 2013

The Start button returns for Windows 8.1… sort of

Posted by David Bernstein

One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 for PC users is the missing Start button which would have taken you to the Start menu if that existed as well. Since Windows 8 is meant for PCs, smartphones and tablets, Microsoft wanted to make the operating system the same across all platforms. But if you don’t have a touchscreen the new Windows 8 Start screen can be frustrating to say the least. It seems as though Microsoft has been listening to the complaints at least somewhat and plan on bringing back the Start button in Windows 8.1 as well as adding some other useful features.

But don’t get too excited because this Start button is not going to be like the Start button you are used to. It will be called the Start Tip and clicking on it will only take you the Start Screen interface and not to a Start menu like you are used to in other versions of Windows. So it’s hard to say if there is really a point to the Start Tip (button) or if it’s just a way to try and get more Windows 7 users to “upgrade”. There may also be a feature that will allow you to boot up to the desktop rather than the Start screen which will be nice for many people.

Other features will include the ability to display two apps on your device screen at once, re-sizable tiles, improved apps, the ability to put 2 apps side by side with Snap, and a way to get to all your device settings from one place rather than multiple locations. Windows 8.1 is going to be a free upgrade for Windows 8 users so don’t worry about having to pay for Windows again just to get the new features.

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