There have been reports during the week that the button, which has been a standard on every Windows edition since at least 95, will be gone, and Thurrott says his "internal sources" within Microsoft have confirmed the move.

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2012/02/05/microsoft_removing_start_orb_from_windows_8

If I am not mistaken it will still be there but you just won't see it.
Why would that be a good thing?

I don't have a start button on this iPad.
JP

I never use mine to start programs for the most part. I will grab a
shortcut from it sometimes and that is about it.

So do you have your desktop plastered with program icons? I would prefer a Start button or All Programs button to that! Its nothing more nor less than an alphabetical table of contents.

Shelly

I make custom folders labeled with what is in it and put them in the quick launch and to the left side of my screen. This works nice on all
versions of Windows. For Win 7 there is a tweak to bring back the old
quick launch. I use that on 7 as shown below.

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

Interesting to note your computer has a problem. See your desktop, bottom right,Action Centre, red flag.Usually a internet security problem.

FrankST

MSU

No problem with my eyes,there are 6 symbols, from left to right,
Avira, Audio Manager, Safely Remove Hardware, Network, Speakers Volume, Action Center. Only mentioned it in that I recently had a series of problems with an Internet Security programme which kept showing up with a red flag on the Action centre symbol.

FrankST

Ooops, it would help if I scrolled to the right. Yep, there's that darn Action Center showing a problem

edit: You know what? I'm going to blame it on Mike for posting such a large image

MSU

My Windows 7 desktop... 0 icons. Its a folder off of the task bar. I hate this cluttered screen from windows 8.

MS = Fail with Windows 8 IMHO

Kept getting errors posting... didn't realize it would multipost.

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn."

Funny I was thinking the same thing about my iPad. I don't have a start button and both of my other computers are Windows 7. It would be easy to adjust.
Jazzgirl

I like the start button.
but things have to change at some point.

It will be interesting to see Win 8
when it is ready for prime time.

I wont miss it because I probably wont be getting Windows 8. Icons sometimes mysteriously disappear and you can always get them back by right clicking on the start button, explore and find it again.
I use the start button a lot. You can get used to anything even if it requires jumping through a few more hoops.


ed

MSU

Me use start button much time too.

Les

How can you turn the machine off without the START button?

Ethan

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
"Why shouldn't the American people take half my money from me? I took it all from them." - Edward Filene

Very good question. It was PITA when I tried the Win8 developers
version. I am sure it will be easier with the real release.

Do you really want to know?

edit: Aw heck, I'll tell ya. This if you're not using a tablet with a touch screen. I would imagine that with a touch screen you'd simply tap the areas to achieve the same results.

Anyway, you start out with the screen looking like this:



As you see there is no "Start" button. But if you put your cursor down in the bottom left corner of the screen and you'll get a pop-up that looks like this:



Click on "Options" and on the right hand side you'll get this:



Click on "Power" to get this:



Then of course click on "Shut down". And there you go. So what do you think? Did they make it even less intuitive? I think so.

Oh, and all that happens if you click on "Start" in the 2nd image is it takes you to a desktop screen that is similar to Win7 or Vista. If you click on "Start" from that screen (you don't get any of the other options from there) it just takes you back to what is shown in the 1st image.

MSU

Attachment #1, (jpg file)
Attachment #2, (jpg file)
Attachment #3, (jpg file)
Attachment #4, (jpg file)

MSU

Are they going back to the DOS model? One thing on the screen at a time. We've come full circle.

What do you mean he's the Doctor? Doctor Who?

Sometimes you just have to. Kind of hard to replace or upgrade parts while it's on Or maybe you're going away for an extended period of time.

MSU

I think W8 was in part a program for a Windows smart phone OS, touch controlled. Nokia has just announced they will be using only a Windows OS on their smart phones. This is mainly a challenge of the dominance of the Google Android hegemony on smart phones other than Apple.

Shelly

It most certainly is. And for tablets. They've actually state that. But it's also meant for desktops and laptops. They want to have a common OS for everything.

MSU

Yes but the system will differ according to the usage. All the crap we are hearing is based upon generalizations about a product that is still being developed.

Shelly

Right again. I've not totally written it off yet. But I am very skeptical about it. As opposed to being excited about it as I've been for every other release. As I said in another thread, I'll certainly be testing the betas and release candidates. I actually want to like it, but we'll see.

MSU