Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Update, Windows 8.1 Update 2 … the evolution of Windows is a never-ending journey. But while updates to an existing version of Windows are all well and good, the real excitement and intrigue is to be found in the next iteration of the operating system — in this case, Windows 9. Infamous leaker of Windows, Wzor has revealed tantalizing details of what we can expect to find in Windows 9.
What we don’t know is when we can expect to get our hands on Windows 9, and we are all very eager beavers! It is likely that there is still something of a wait until we can all play with any form of official Windows 9 code, but if the rumors of the inclusion of a reinstated Start menu and an updated version of the modern interface are to be believed, things are looking very promising, particularly for those who have been unimpressed with Windows 8.x. But if you don’t fancy the idea of waiting for the official release of Windows 9, there are third party tools that you can used to bring some of the feature to your existing setup.
The loss of the Start menu is something that upset quite a lot of people, but many users will be relieved to hear that Windows 8.1 Update 2 will see it making a reappearance. We were treated to a teasing glimpse of the Start menu’s return at Build earlier in the year, but you can resurrect it before the release of Update 2 or Windows 9 using Stardock’s Start8. This is a free tools from the tweaking and customizing experts. It’s not free, but at just $4.99 the tool is an absolute bargain.
This is a feature-packed Start-menu restorer that can be kept simple or turned into a power tool; the choice is yours. Check out the video below to see the tool in action.
Something that has upset — if that’s the right word — many people moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8.x — is the difference between the way traditional and modern apps work. While Windows 8.1 Update made a couple of changes to how you can interact with modern apps (such as adding a title bar and making it possible to pin to the taskbar), it did not go far enough for many people.
The solution? Again, it comes courtesy of Stardock — those, lovely, lovely people who just keep on giving people what they want. ModernMix makes it possible to run modern apps as if they were legacy applications. Windows 8.1 Update may have made it easier to close and access modern apps, but ModernMix allows them to be run in windows. This is great if you want to work with multiple modern apps at the same time as it makes it very easy to switch between them as well as running them side by side.
Again, this is not a free app, but at just $4.99 it is well worth trying if you want to get the latest features right now.
So, for a mere $9.98 you can grab yourself two apps that not only bring Windows bang up to date, but actually get ahead of the pack and furnish yourself with features that are yet to be added to Windows.
Get installing and see what you make of these two amazing tools!
Editor’s note: Post has been clarified to indicate that the Start menu returns in Windows 8.1 Update 2 (which could be called Windows 8.2). This is also not an “advertisement” as many readers feel it is, rather, it is simply a post that showcases two third party applications that can help you have similar functionality right now. If you have alternative applications that you feel are worthy to be mentioned, let everyone know in the comments below.
