Is Microsoft About to Relent and Bring Back The Start Button and Boot To Desktop

[engine]

What if Microsoft relented and granted users who are lukewarm about Windows 8 two of their biggest requests: Allow those who want to boot straight to the desktop, and bring back the Start button with Windows Blue, a.k.a. Windows 8.1?
startbutton

Though supposedly not part of the original plan for Blue, these two UI options are looking more likely.Is Microsoft About to Relent and Bring Back The Start Button and Boot To Desktop [zdnet.com]

I have an HP laptop and there is an optional boot choice. There is no reason why Microsoft cannot give users the option, and to make it flexible to switch back and forth. Microsoft, just do it!

[bill]

I don't have any special hardware manufacturer's add-in Start menu replacements on most of my machines, yet I hardly ever see the Metro interface. I work in the desktop of Windows 8 all day long.

Here's a tip. Drag the Desktop icon to the top left position of the Metro screen on Windows 8. That becomes the first default selected app when Windows 8 boots. As soon as your PC boots, hit Enter, and you'll be in the Desktop.

I don't see any problem with Microsoft re-adding this functionality in Blue. If that's what is turning sentiment against the OS why not add it back, at least as an option.

[bill]

Paul Thurrott has apparently confirmed this claim.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/maybe-they-should-just-call-it-windows-78 [winsupersite.com]

Maybe They Should Just Call It Windows 7.8

Windows 8.1 is bringing back some familiar parts of Windows 7

Mary Jo Foley has reported on Microsoft’s plans to bring back the Start button and allow customers to boot directly to the desktop in Windows 8.1 And I’ve separately confirmed that this is really happening, with the Start button, in particular, driven by upper management, which overruled objections from the Windows team. And while there are certainly questions about these decisions, I think we should narrow the discussion to the core concerns: Why now? And why didn’t Microsoft simply design Windows 8 this way from the beginning?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

More on this [theregister.co.uk...]

[bill]

That's a good summary of what is known. It all sounds good to me. ;)

This will be the return of the Start Button not the Start Menu, but that article indicates we'll have the option of viewing the All Apps view instead of the default Start screen. That will be a welcome change.