Microsoft's Windows 8operating system introduced an updated Start menu known as the "Start screen", which uses a full-screen design consisting of tiles to represent applications. This replaced the Windows desktop as the primary interface of the operating system. Additionally, the on-screen Start button was replaced by a hidden button in the corner of the screen; Microsoft explained that the Start button was removed because few people used it, noting the addition of "pinning" apps to the taskbar from Windows 7.[1][2]
The change was controversial among users, and a market ensued for applications which restore the visible Start button, emulate the previous Start menu design, or allow users to boot directly to the Desktop instead of the Start screen.[3]
The following is a list of Start menu replacements for Windows 8 which have received coverage from third-party sources:
The number of skins in the table givens the number of built-in skins. If there are downloadable skins, then a "+" is appended to the number to indicate that download extensions are possible.
RetroUI, StartIsBack, Classic Shell, Start8, and Pokki are five of the more notable of these.[6][7] RetroUI is offered in 33 languages, and also for Windows Server 2012, and adds a taskbar and resizable windows.[39] StartIsBack is also localized.[40]Classic Shell used to be free and open source (now proprietary freeware), major items are localized and installing the Language Pack from Windows Update makes all items fully localized; Classic Shell is also available for Windows 7 and Windows Server, and claims over 25 million downloads.[41] The Pokki download to restore the Start menu is free; as of January 2013, it has about 1.5 million users.[42] The Pokki application platform, based on Chromium, enables desktop applications to be built—like mobile apps—using standard web languages like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.[43] It is also available for Windows XP and Windows 7.[44] Pokki has raised $21.5M from investors like Google, Intel, and O'Reilly;[45] its business model is to make a commission on software sold through its app store.[43][46] Start8 has been downloaded over 5 million times.[47]
