Windows 10 is good. Start10 makes it great!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 by Frogboy | Discussion: Personal Computing
I have seen the future and it is good. I like Windows 10. A lot.
I’m not loving their Start menu and while there is hope it will improve, it is good to know that Start10 is available.
Here is the current Windows 10 build with their Start menu:
I have a lot of problems with this. First off, most desktop users are using the start menu to get to their stuff. Stuff is more than just apps. The Windows 10 menu is a “Modern” app which means no context menus. No jump lists. It also tries to jam in the old Start screen’s tiles. The tiles are fine for a touch mobile device. But in a menu? They serve no purpose other than for clutter. YMMV.
Here is my Windows 10 desktop with Stardock Start10 beta 1 installed:
Starting from left to right:
What I choose to pin onto my start menu is my business. I don’t need Microsoft or anyone else to tell me that this should be reserved for “places” (whatever that means). I’d prefer MS to set it to “Pinned” and let users pin and unpin whatever they’d like there. I am hoping that is their goal. Right now, it’s not very configurable.
Going down, you will notice the arrows next to the apps. That’s the jump lists. I have no idea why Microsoft would remove such a useful feature.
Jump lists are one of the best Microsoft innovations in UI. They’re MIA in the current Windows 10 start menu. Maybe they’ll bring them back. I hope so. But if they don’t, there’s Start10.
A picture is worth…
Just look at the two screenshots. Honestly, which one would you prefer to use on your desktop? That’s really the ultimate answer.
You can get Start10 right now via Object Desktop. It’ll be available stand-alone this Spring for $4.99.
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Reply #22 Thursday, February 26, 2015 7:43 AM
Why is it that with every iteration of Windows, MS tries to hide/obscure more and more of the OS functionality from the end user?
Reply #23 Thursday, February 26, 2015 7:47 PM
On Windows 8 the only OS start menu is the fullscreen one and the colours and background of that are catered for by Decor8.
Neil, Decor8 has been FAR less useful since 8.1 came out. You can natively use your desktop background as your start menu background. Decor8 does NOT do a thing for the tile colors with 8.1 either.
Reply #24 Thursday, February 26, 2015 8:36 PM
On Windows 8 the only OS start menu is the fullscreen one and the colours and background of that are catered for by Decor8.
Neil, Decor8 has been FAR less useful since 8.1 came out. You can natively use your desktop background as your start menu background. Decor8 does NOT do a thing for the tile colors with 8.1 either.
The tile colours is a Microsoft thing, you would need to complain to them about that.
As for the background, yes they do let you use your wallpaper, but that is very limiting and it does not automatically create a suitable colour scheme.
Reply #25 Thursday, February 26, 2015 8:47 PM
The tile colours is a Microsoft thing, you would need to complain to them about that.
As for the background, yes they do let you use your wallpaper, but that is very limiting and it does not automatically create a suitable colour scheme.
Indeed. I knew about the tile color part and understand fully.
As for the background, well, I like my start menu background to match my desktop. It makes for a very smooth and seamless transition.
I had always used Decor8 to do just exactly that. So to me, MS just added what I was already doing 100% of the time.
Pre Win8.1 I absolutely LOVED Decor8. Sliced bread had nothing on it at all!!!
Reply #26 Thursday, February 26, 2015 9:07 PM
Pre Win8.1 I absolutely LOVED Decor8. Sliced bread had nothing on it at all!!!
Unless you're hungry. 
I know what you're saying about the "smooth transition", though.... with the start menu and desktop all having the same background. If only MS had made more features skinnable... like the lockscreen, tile colours, etc. Making the tiles resizable with 8.1 didn't go far enough for me. Thankfully there is Oblytiles, but it should be available natively IMHO.
Reply #28 Friday, February 27, 2015 10:22 AM
Thankfully there is Oblytiles,
THAT is something that SD could have jumped on for those that actually use the native start menu.
I was really hoping Stardock would come up with an equivelant, but alas no... so I keep using Oblytiles for the lack of something better.
A Stardock version of Sysmetrix or Rainmeter would be a much welcomed addition to the Stardock stable of apps as well... cos I don't mind getting all my eggs from one basket if they come from a trustworthy and reliable hen.
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Reply #21 Wednesday, February 25, 2015 10:08 PM
I want to see my customization apps, customize my interface without resorting to something that changes the shell to a point that keeps me in the stone ages.
And yet you mentioned 'Litestep' as customization. There's nothing that changes the shell more than actually replacing it entirely. Avid LS Users also made a point of not using Explore.exe as a file manager just to be certain it did not try to re-establish itself as the shell too. We had Powerdesk et al loaded instead [and many still do even though not still using LS].
By anyone's definition, Start8/10 is a GUI customizer just as any other...only more focussed in its target, Whereas Windowblinds is more generalized even enhancing alternate Shells if/when they were used.
If, for example, Win 10 was 'burple' and plug ugly the FIRST urge for customizing would be changing graphics [like WB] but instead it is interface functionality that is the first-need for custom solution...ie Start10 and similar apps. Once they're applied secondary concerns like appearance can be added.
Microsoft's recent forays into GUI graphics have been [to put it politely] bland. Killing much of the 'bling' associated with 7 has rekindled the need amongst he-who-customizes to find solutions to the mediocrity that is flavour of the month.
I guess what I need to do is load up a VM of XP with one of my old Litestep shells on it and reminisce about 'the good old days'...