The removal of Start Menu from Windows 8/8.1 in favor of the Start Screen didn’t please many users. They had every right to be angry as they’ve been used to the Start Menu for more than a decade. Microsoft realized this and brought back the Start Menu with Windows 10. The Start Menu in Windows 10 also integrates the Live Tiles originally seen in Windows 8 with the classic layout of the Start Menu from previous versions.
While some users may not like the new Start Menu, the folks at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) gave it a Digital Design Award for it’s looks and combination of features it offers.
IDSA mentioned in the description of the new Start Menu:
“With the Windows 10 Start design, the experience of launching and switching apps is unified across the familiar and learned legacy of the Start menu on desktop PCs—and the modern capabilities of the Start screen on phones and tablets. The design allows users to leverage what they know from one device and apply that knowledge to using a different device in a contextually appropriate manner.”
While some people still prefer the Start Menu found in Windows 7 (which you can get on Windows 10 if you’d like), the new Start Menu is considered by many to be a major improvement over Windows 8/8.1, at least for desktops.
Further reading: Microsoft, Start Menu, Windows 10
