In an official Windows 8 Blog Post by Microsoft’s Alice Steinglass, we go in-depth with the new Windows 8 Start screen. Not only is the Start screen a replacement to the standard Start menu, but also a more efficient way to browse though your Windows 8 machine!
Microsoft admitted that the current Start menu has not kept up with the modern way. “We stepped back and reimagined the role of Start in Windows 8. We knew that we already had a powerful launcher for desktop programs in the taskbar. The Start screen is not just a replacement for the Start menu—it is designed to be a great launcher and switcher of apps, a place that is alive with notifications, customizable, powerful, and efficient,” Steinglass stated in the official blog post.
“For people using mostly desktop apps, the Start screen complements the functionality of the taskbar. Using both together, you have instant access to your most frequently used apps combined with a more powerful way to launch your less frequently used apps (through search or by grouping items on the Start screen),” Steinglass stated.
On top of that, the new Start screen also supports Metro apps with Live tiles. “Live tiles transform the Start screen into a dashboard that helps you stay up to date and connected in a high quality experience substantially improved over the notification tray.” Steinglass added.
The new Start screen, which can be customized, uses a single process to pull down notifications from the Windows Notification Service to keep the tiles up to date. This pretty much means that the tiles are cached and load instantly. These tiles tell you whats going on with your apps.
Microsoft’s reasoning behind the full screen Start experience? “The full-screen Start gives you the power and flexibility to launch more apps with a single click.”
For those who played with the developer preview build of Windows 8, how do you feel about this new Start screen? Do you find it better than the Start menu? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
