[Laurence]

Hi JorgeA,

It looks like another one on the list may have bit the dust.
Dead link: Win8 Charms Gesture + Start to Desktop

regards,
Laurence

[JorgeA]

Bummer! Consider it done.

But, thanks for reporting it, and indeed for continuing to review the list info. No doubt there are many visitors and lurkers out there who also appreciate it!

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

Here's a nice writeup about one of the leading choices on the list, created by an MSFNer.

--JorgeA

P.S. I just noticed that CharlotteTheHarlot linked to the article above over in the "Windows 7 explorer for Windows 8" thread.

This post has been edited by JorgeA: 17 December 2012 - 07:49 PM

[JorgeA]

CharlotteTheHarlot links us to the following story (thanks!):

Quote

Pokki has had 500,000 downloads of its Windows 8 Start menu program ( NeoWin 2012-12-20 )

Would be interesting to know how some of the other Start Menu replacements are doing in terms of downloads/sales. Clearly, there is significant demand out there for this sort of thing.

However, the content of the article strongly suggests that Pokki is tracking how people use their program (and not simply the number of times it's downloaded), so you may want to keep that in mind when considering this particular Start Menu replacement.

--JorgeA

This post has been edited by JorgeA: 21 December 2012 - 01:02 PM

[ozaz]

@JorgeA: This is a really handy thread. Thanks.

I have recently started trialing StartIsBack. The standout feature of this program, I think, is that it can optionally disable the display of desktop apps in the W8 start screen. Furthermore, it does not show metro apps in the StartIsBack menu. This means that desktop app launcher and metro app launcher are completely separate (StartIsBack menu and W8 start screen respectively) which I like a lot. Before I settle on StartIsBack, are there any other start menu replacements which have this feature?

Unrelated - when I try to view page 3 of this thread, my browser (google chrome) gives the following malware warning:

 page 3 malware.PNG (156.86K)
Number of downloads: 19

This post has been edited by ozaz: 22 December 2012 - 01:01 PM

[jaclaz]

The image in the signature of Ultimatesilence is a seemingly plain .jpg hosted there:
hxxp://yyyy.freeimagehosting.net/newuploads/7preh.gif

If that is the culprit, each and every page where there is a post by that member should give you that same warning.

jaclaz

[JorgeA]

ozaz, on 22 December 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

@JorgeA: This is a really handy thread. Thanks.

You're welcome -- glad to see it's making a difference!

ozaz, on 22 December 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

I have recently started trialing StartIsBack. The standout feature of this program, I think, is that it can optionally disable the display of desktop apps in the W8 start screen. Furthermore, it does not show metro apps in the StartIsBack menu. This means that desktop app launcher and metro app launcher are completely separate (StartIsBack menu and W8 start screen respectively) which I like a lot. Before I settle on StartIsBack, are there any other start menu replacements which have this feature?

I'm not aware of other Start Menu replacements that can do this, but then I haven't really focused on that feature. Can anyone else weigh in on this?

ozaz, on 22 December 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

Unrelated - when I try to view page 3 of this thread, my browser (google chrome) gives the following malware warning:

Huh, weird. Sounds like it may be a FP. I keep one antivirus and two anti-malware programs resident, and none of them gives a warning for that or anything else on that page.

Maybe VirusTotal could shed some light on the matter.

--JorgeA

[xpclient]

JorgeA, on 21 December 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

CharlotteTheHarlot links us to the following story (thanks!):

Quote

Pokki has had 500,000 downloads of its Windows 8 Start menu program ( NeoWin 2012-12-20 )

Would be interesting to know how some of the other Start Menu replacements are doing in terms of downloads/sales. Clearly, there is significant demand out there for this sort of thing.

--JorgeA

Classic Shell has 2.5 million : http://sourceforge.n...8+to+2012-12-23

[MagicAndre1981]

but in 3 Years. And I also download it for Win7, but never use the Startmenu

[xpclient]

Yes in 3 years. 'Only' 750,000 since Windows 8 got launched. Despite the Explorer component being basically crippled on Windows 8 in many ways due to MS's evil deeds.

This post has been edited by xpclient: 23 December 2012 - 05:25 AM

[JorgeA]

xpclient, on 23 December 2012 - 05:25 AM, said:

'Only' 750,000 since Windows 8 got launched.

Pretty impressive!

Does Classic Shell make it possible for the user to disable showing desktop applications in the Start Screen, and/or to disable Metro apps in the Start Menu? That's what @ozaz wanted to know a few posts back.

--JorgeA

[xpclient]

Desktop apps aren't disabled on the Start screen but it has a separate Apps menu in the Start Menu, distinct from Programs so Metro apps always remain separate. The idea is that even if you use Metro apps, you never actually use the Start screen. The Start Menu does everything the Start screen does except Live Tiles. If you really find Live Tiles that useful, you wouldn't be installing a Start menu in the first place.

[ozaz]

xpclient, on 24 December 2012 - 12:15 AM, said:

If you really find Live Tiles that useful, you wouldn't be installing a Start menu in the first place.

I disagree. Whilst I think the start screen will never make sense for desktop apps (poor for efficiency to have the desktop app launcher outside of the desktop environment), I do think it has its merits as a launcher for metro apps (one of which is live tiles) and I think it will evolve into something better. I also think I will like having the 2 environments completely separate. However, I come to that opinion after less than 2 days use of StartIsBack (so not sure if it is just a transient opinion) and I have not tried Classic Shell. Is there a screenshot of the Classic Shell metro app menu somewhere?

Cheers

[bphlpt]

The Classic Shell metro app menu, when I saw it at a neighbor's, is just a simple alphabetical list of all the metro apps. In the area where the "All Programs" link is, is another parallel link for "All Apps". When clicked, the alphabetical list flies out, similar to the All Programs list.

Classic Shell is easy to try and remove if you desire. It can also be used in conjunction with StartIsBack. And in all cases, you always have access to the Start Screen if you prefer to use it as a metro app launcher. Access to it is not blocked.

Cheers and Regards

[xpclient]

ozaz, on 24 December 2012 - 01:37 AM, said:

xpclient, on 24 December 2012 - 12:15 AM, said:

If you really find Live Tiles that useful, you wouldn't be installing a Start menu in the first place.

I disagree. Whilst I think the start screen will never make sense for desktop apps (poor for efficiency to have the desktop app launcher outside of the desktop environment), I do think it has its merits as a launcher for metro apps (one of which is live tiles) and I think it will evolve into something better. I also think I will like having the 2 environments completely separate. However, I come to that opinion after less than 2 days use of StartIsBack (so not sure if it is just a transient opinion) and I have not tried Classic Shell. Is there a screenshot of the Classic Shell metro app menu somewhere?

Cheers

Here's a screenshot.



Of course, it is just a menu. On the desktop, the purpose of "Live Tiles" is already served for the past 17 years by the notification area/system tray and Vista onwards by gadgets. In fact, the beauty of gadgets or tray area is that they can notify you while you are multitasking with other apps. Whereas, you have to specifically open the Start screen from any app to see the Live Tiles, They are tied to the screen. Unlike gadgets which for example you can have "Always on top" tucked away in a corner while you multitask, you can't see Live Tiles without showing the screen screen. I personally consider Live Tiles pretty distracting and for the fraction of a second my Start screen is suppose open, I have no time to scan across them to see if there's anything new. Plus if you really do like Live Tiles, the Start screen is just a Shift+click or Shift+Win key away. Access to it is not prevented by Classic Shell.

Of course, I did purchase StartIsBack as well because it can co-exist with Classic Shell. Win key opens Windows Start Menu. Mouse click opens Classic Start Menu. I am just not sure the evil things Microsoft won't do in future versions. They may take out the Start Menu code entirely including the jump list code and replace it by something "simplified".

This post has been edited by xpclient: 24 December 2012 - 07:08 AM

[JorgeA]

xpclient, on 24 December 2012 - 07:05 AM, said:

the beauty of gadgets or tray area is that they can notify you while you are multitasking with other apps.

This is a mantra that Steve B. and Julie L.-G. should be required to repeat every time they answer the office phone, as a condition of receiving their stock options.

I've always been dubious about the official "security" reason for abandoning Gadgets. All of a sudden, after all these years they discover a vulnerability that can't be fixed?? And just as Windows 8 is getting released??? Methinks it has more to do with promoting Win8 with its live tiles...

--JorgeA

[oldwindows]

XPClient:
Are you the creator of Classic Shell? Just want to say that I really like it. Please do not stop developing it . It's great!

This post has been edited by oldwindows: 24 December 2012 - 11:46 PM

[xpclient]

^^ No Ivo Beltchev is. It's thanks to him that it's so good. It's like this. Ivo Beltchev first created the Up button, copy dialog replacement and basic Start Menu. Then I liked the project so much that I joined him and started giving him feature suggestions and ideas about new features and how to improve the UX, feedback around how it should be designed, and did the testing and attention to fine details and usability. Together we make a nice team.

[Tripredacus]

ozaz, on 22 December 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

Unrelated - when I try to view page 3 of this thread, my browser (google chrome) gives the following malware warning:

page 3 malware.PNG

In the future, if you encounter this type of message again anywhere on MSFN, report it here:
http://www.msfn.org/...e-forum-issues/

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Help! I've got Windows 8 and I miss my Start menu! ( Ars Technica 2013-01-14 )

Start is back! ( The Verge 2013-01-14 )

Head to head review of five Start Menu restorers: Start8, StartIsBack, Classic Shell, Pokki and RetroUI at Ars Technica. The 2nd link at The Verge is a commentary on that review.