[Fredledingue]

Paul Thurrott explained:

Quote

MS is doing is removing code that would allow developers to bring back "actual hidden Windows 7 features" like the Start Button/Menu. But he adds that there is nothing to stop developers from "recreating those old UIs on their own."

__________________
Yes, As I said above I don't think it's possible to remove all codes which could re-enable one way or another a Start Menu or stuff.

One of the easiest way, if MS realy went extreme about disabling it, is to write a simple program which mimics the start menu and place a shortcut to it in Quicklaunch, preferably the first on the left.
(Ok, Not technicaly a start menu, but the effect will be there.)
Of course I believe coders will be able to create real start menus no matter how hard MS tries to prevent them to do so.

More difficult may be to totaly remove Metro start.

Andrea, you are the first person I know who realy like the animated characters that bad, LOL, and I respect that.
It's true it's fun. And it was silly to remove them.
If I remember corectly it's very easy to disable moving characters, through the search engine settings, no need to edit the registry.

I suggest you to write to the Agent ransack developers and ask for moving characters.
They might be surprised of such request, but you may be even more surprised that they do it. It shouldn't be difficult.

This post has been edited by Fredledingue: 02 June 2012 - 04:26 PM

[submix8c]

BWAHAHAHAH!!!! A REAL Geek IMMEDIATELY rids themselves of that cute "puppy dog" and IMMEDIATELY institutes "Advanced Search". I control the OS, not the other way around, and a Cute Animation is for Non-techies... That "Techie" comment is what most of the complaints are about - MS has gone out of their way (apparently) to cater to the "Wow! That looks pretty!" crowd.

[Fredledingue]

submix8c don't laugh about poeple who like puppies and other animated paper clips. If they like it... it should be there and be in the options.

Poeple like fun sometimes.

You can also argue that REAL gEEks leave their PC case open permanently for all to see the new cool gears inside, like they are experimenting new stuffs every day LOL. (in fact it's just neglect)

FAKE gEEks however are those who simply put a nice wallpaper and a color theme nobody is used to see. That's just shallow.

[submix8c]

Fredledingue, on 02 June 2012 - 04:39 PM, said:

You can also argue that REAL gEEks leave their PC case open permanently for all to see the new cool gears inside, like they are experimenting new stuffs every day LOL. (in fact it's just neglect)

BWAHAHAHAH! "Neglect" and to help cool it with a great big fan!!!!

Sorry if I offended anyone...

[andreaborman]

The above picture is of Windows Classic theme on my Windows 7. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista I never use the Aero the or Windows 7 or Vista Basic. Instead I use Windows Classic and change the grey taskbar and dark blue desktop to a color of my choice. So I won't miss Aero if they remove it from Windows 8 like they may do.

But on Windows 8 there is no Windows Classic.So I have to use Windows 8 Basic. There is high contrast theme on Windows 8, but it is not the same. I don't understand why they have kept high contrast theme,which not many people use, but have dropped Windows Classic.

If they are going to get rid of Aero why not just bring back Windows Classic. It is strange how Microsoft have kept high contrast themes, but have dropped Windows Classic.They should have dropped the high contrast and kept Windows Classic instead. I miss Windows Classic very much on Windows 8. Windows Classic completely disables Aero which is better for netbooks.Which is what I have got. Andrea Borman.

[JorgeA]

andreaborman, on 02 June 2012 - 07:33 PM, said:

If they are going to get rid of Aero why not just bring back Windows Classic. It is strange how Microsoft have kept high contrast themes, but have dropped Windows Classic.They should have dropped the high contrast and kept Windows Classic instead. I miss Windows Classic very much on Windows 8. Windows Classic completely disables Aero which is better for netbooks.Which is what I have got.

I remember reading somewhere, sometime, that the High Contrast color schemes are intended for people with impaired eyesight. Here's what I found tonight.

It really is too bad, though, that they dropped the Windows Classic theme. Tally another point against Windows 8. Three years ago when I got my Vista machine (to replace a sick Windows 98 system), my first impulse was to change it over to Classic, but then I thought I'd leave each machine with its own "personality." Still, it's comforting to know that I can switch over to Classic anytime I want.

--JorgeA

[tomasz86]

There's a Classic AE theme for Windows 7 so maybe someone will make a similar one for Windows 8 too.

[andreaborman]

Quote

JorgeA wrote-

I remember reading somewhere, sometime, that the High Contrast color schemes are intended for people with impaired eyesight. Here's what I found tonight.

I did not know that. I tried High Contrast White on Windows 8.And then I changed the desktop and taskbar from white to another color.But it would not display the websites correctly,they were displayed in all white with black text. So I changed the theme back to Windows 8 Basic. Andrea Borman.

This post has been edited by andreaborman: 03 June 2012 - 02:28 AM

[tsampikos]

I have just tested classic shell wit Windows 8 release preview x64. And not only it is working, but it is working even better than with the customer preview of Windows 8 . I assume start 8 will work just fine too.

This post has been edited by tsampikos: 04 June 2012 - 05:55 AM

[andreaborman]

tsampikos, on 04 June 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

I have just tested classic shell wit Windows 8 release preview x64. And not only it is working, but it is working even better than with the customer preview of Windows 8 . I assume start 8 will work just fine too.

Start 8?That does give you a start button but it only brings up the Metro start menu which we have got anyway. We can access the Metro start menu by clicking on the Charms bar and going to search.Or by exiting Classic Shell and then your Windows key takes you back to the start screen where you can find the full Metro start menu in All Apps under search. So I don't see the point in installing Start 8. As it has settings that are already there. And is more for people who want to use the Metro start menu. Andrea Borman.

[tsampikos]

Well Start8 sort of makes the Metro Menu look like start menu, but in metro style. It's not bad actualy, but still Classic shell is my favourite too.It is more reach in settings and totally "traditional". It's not bad to have a couple of alternatives around though....

[JorgeA]

tsampikos, on 04 June 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

Well Start8 sort of makes the Metro Menu look like start menu, but in metro style. It's not bad actualy, but still Classic shell is my favourite too.It is more reach in settings and totally "traditional". It's not bad to have a couple of alternatives around though....

If I had to, I would choose Start8 over the Metro Start Screen. Start8 still has the Metro look (and that's a minus in my book), but at least it doesn't take over the whole screen, so you can still keep an eye on your open windows while selecting the next thing to open. This is especially handy for when you're following instructions -- say, on a webpage ("open this and then click on that").

Agreed on the desirability of having alternatives!

--JorgeA

[tsampikos]

The only pssitive point in this whole "negativeness" of Windows 8 is that not only we can add a start button, but we can customise it like plasticine. Let's hope that this will remain unchanged in the final Version of WIndows 8 and I am 90% sure that it will be. If that's not the case thank God there are other OSes lying around,

[andreaborman]

In Windows 8 Developers Preview,we could disable the Metro theme with a simpler registry edit. This brought back the Windows 7 desktop and start menu. Now in Windows 8 Consumer Preview and in Windows 8 Release Preview,this is no longer possible. However you can add both the start button and Windows 7 start menu to the desktop by installing Classic Shell or Start Menu 7 or other third party software.

This means that you only see the Metro start screen at start up and no other time. Unless you want to go back to the Metro start menu. So the start button and Windows XP or Windows 7 start menu is on the desktop,and the Metro start menu runs in the background.

So for users who want the Windows 7 start menu,if they install third party software. They only see the Metro start screen at start up,but the rest of the time they deal with the Windows 7 or Windows XP start menu. This I find most reasonable for people like me who are used to the traditional Windows start menu.

And when Windows 8 does go on sale to the public,makers like HP and Dell should consider putting a start menu software like Classic Shell on their laptops. As most people who are ordinary computer users,won't know that they can download a start menu software to get the Windows start menu. But I and other people who are learning do know that. But many other people don't know.

So it would be better if Microsoft added an option to have the Windows 7 start menu in their theme settings.This would mean disabling Metro like in Windows 8 DP. Andrea Borman.

[JorgeA]

andreaborman, on 05 June 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

So it would be better if Microsoft added an option to have the Windows 7 start menu in their theme settings.This would mean disabling Metro like in Windows 8 DP.

Right on -- that would take care of most of the problems that we (I) have with Windows 8!

Given the way they've been acting and talking, though, my guess is that MS is going to plow on with Metro, and then bring back the choice to disable/bypass it only after a massive customer backlash.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

tsampikos, on 04 June 2012 - 11:59 PM, said:

The only pssitive point in this whole "negativeness" of Windows 8 is that not only we can add a start button, but we can customise it like plasticine. Let's hope that this will remain unchanged in the final Version of WIndows 8 and I am 90% sure that it will be. If that's not the case thank God there are other OSes lying around,

+1 on everything you said!

--JorgeA

[andreaborman]

Yes we can add what ever kind of start button we like to Windows 8.Unlike on Windows XP and Windows 7,where changing the start button involves a major file hack.Which is very risky and can break Windows.

But as there is no start button on Windows 8,you are not hacking any files by adding your own custom button. Classic Shell makes it easy for us to do this. we can add any bitmap image as our own custom start button.Like I have my Windows XP start button on Windows 8.

But the problem is that most people who will be using Windows 8 for the first time,won't know that they can install Classic Shell. And the first thing they will see is the Metro theme,that they won't be familiar with. Andrea Borman.

[submix8c]

Not to throw a wrench into the works...
BUT....

Those transitioning from ANY pre-Windows8 will have one GIANT Learning Curve, even if NOT a "geek"!!!

It appears to be an even WORSE leap than from XP to Vista/Seven!!! ("Now where did they move THAT to???") At least from 9x/2K to XP then to Vista/Seven was not a monster!

Only if you've NEVER had a PC and ONLY an (e.g.) iPad will you be "happy" (dumbed-down).

[Tripredacus]

Server 2012 RC, while it does have Metro, it seems a lot easier to use than any of the Win8 versions I've used. It might be because by default the Server Manager opens instead of Metro. And if you close Server Manager, you see the Desktop. You can still get to Metro via the same methods, if you move into the lower left hand corner you can click it there.

[andreaborman]

Tripredacus, on 05 June 2012 - 02:44 PM, said:

Server 2012 RC, while it does have Metro, it seems a lot easier to use than any of the Win8 versions I've used. It might be because by default the Server Manager opens instead of Metro. And if you close Server Manager, you see the Desktop. You can still get to Metro via the same methods, if you move into the lower left hand corner you can click it there.

Yes I have heard of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012. But it's not an operating system like Windows Vista ,Windows 7 or Windows 8 is.Or is it? So what do people use Windows Server for? Can you browse the web in Firefox and play videos in WMP and use Windows Server like you use Windows XP,Windows 7 or Windows 8 for example or not?What do they use Windows Server for? Andrea Borman.