We know this now with absolute certainty that Microsoft will indeed bring back the highly-coveted Start Menu in Windows 9 – codenamed Project Threshold – and will answer the hue and cry of a lot of long-time Windows users. There have been some recent leaks as well that pointed in the same direction and even showcased the new feature, but how exactly will it be implemented, for that we have a much better idea now.
The folks over at the German website WinFuture have released a two-minute video that focuses solely on how the revamped Start Menu will work in the next iteration of Windows. Spoiler: it looks good!
First, the Start Menu is more transparent now, with an overall effect that’s aesthetically pleasing. Account options take the top seat on the Start menu, where you can lock and sign out of your computer with ease. Right next to it are the power controls, allowing shut down and restart operations (which had been a major beef with desktop users in Windows 8). The menu itself is divided into two parts; the traditional-looking left pane and the “modern” right pane, which houses the Live Tiles for your Modern/Metro apps. The left side of the menu is, as expected, dedicated to frequently accessed programs and a list of all programs, similar to how it was in Windows 7 but with a design uplift.
Coming back to the right side pane of Windows 9 Start Menu, the Live Tiles work the same way as before, but they can be pinned within the desktop environment instead of remaining restricted to the Start Screen. The panel automatically expands as more tiles are added, and user configurations are more than possible. It’s evident that the Start Menu isn’t for tablet users, and that makes sense, too; mouse control applies more for desktop environment anyway.
The video also clearly demonstrates the “floating Modern apps” which work inside the desktop environment. They also don’t need to be snapped to one or the other side of the screen; they behave exactly like normal desktop programs, with the only difference being that they have been coded differently. For once, I think that will make modern apps finally useful for Windows old-timers.
It’s worth noting at this point that Windows 9 release is still quite far away, and a lot might change before the actual unveiling. For now, this preliminary look gives us confidence that things are heading in the right direction.
(Source: WinFuture [Google Translate])
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