Windows 8.1 - Now fudging the Start Button

[Shaddows]

We’ve improved the way you navigate to Start with the mouse by changing the Start “tip” to be the familiar Windows logo. The new tip appears anytime you move the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen, and is always visible on the taskbar when on the desktop. There are also options to change what the corners do, and options to boot into alternate screens. For example, if you prefer to see the Apps view versus all the tiles, you can choose to have the Start screen go directly to Apps view.

(Emphasis mine, to clarify what the above actually says)

More obscure messaging here:
[blogs.windows.com...]

In summary, improvements are found in:

Personalization
Search
Apps and Windows Store
Cloud Connectivity
PC Settings
Internet Explorer
Better Mouse and Keyboard Options (covered above)

[bill]

This isn't "fudging" the Start button actually. It's the Start Menu that you're missing. The new Windows 8.1 will have some more options available so you can either go to the Start page or possibly see a detailed view of your Apps with this button.