Start10   .... your screenshot says it all !!

Start10 looks good to me.

I guess MS didn't fully listen to its customers...

Really they should have a mobile mode and a desktop mode that users can choose from.

Much better with Start 8. Good work everyone. I skipped win 8 but will be getting win 10 when it's final.

Hope we will be able to skin win 10 like we can with win 7 and 8. If so I would guess a modified version of SKS will be needed. 

I just noticed that they removed or buried the control panel. Do they really think people don't manage their computer at all?

I'm scared to see what Windows explorer has turned into. I'm guessing My docs and my pics are the only visible folders.

Cool however, Im sticking with SIB. I prefer it since its customize-able with skins in msstyle format. There are thousands of styles to choose from. With Stardocks start menu, you have to apply a Windowblinds skin to the system in order to skin the menu. I do not like that. Blinds does not work out well with Photoshop and many other programs I use. Excluding them just gives them an ugly classic style. From my experiences with start 8, there were also no animations for the jumplist section. It just pops out which looks odd. I feel like This app needs more cleaning up before I ever consider using it again. SIB supports 10 as well so until then. Sorry stardock. This is one app I wont be coming back to. 8(

appreciate the effort, but frankly, I would rather see stardock try to customize the native UI like they used to instead of this. Sorry..

Am I also correct in assuming that Windowblinds will only customize this start menu instead of the native one?

A minor question...is it possible to eliminate the user pic in the start menu?

once installed can one still make use of the live tiles if he/she uses start10 ?
Will it be able to use windowblinds skins?
And will it also be able to display skin defined startmenu animations. 

I believe so. I think it depends on the skin.

I can't use Win 10 on my current rig because I'm unable to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS [keeps reverting back to default].  However, I am getting a machine together for the Win 10 Preview and I look forward to trying out Start10.  Like you, I'm not keen on the Tiled addition [the bright colours would clash with whatever skin I'm using] and generally I prefer something more traditional.

However, I am pleased with your general comments on Win 10.  Not that I dislike Win 8 [whereas many do] I am quite looking forward to Win 10 because I believe it will make marked improvements in speed, stability and generally under the hood. 

As for any UI issues, well I have Stardock apps to remedy those and it'll be positively great.

Looking forward to Win10 and Start10.

At least I'm not alone... but banned for stalking me.

Seriously, though,  while the UI leaves much to be desired [the icons are bloody awful], Win 10 is going to be a great OS regardless.  Despite the theory that every other MS OS is great, I just knew that Win 10 would build upon its predecessor and take thingsc to a whole new level.... not that Win 8 is bad or anything, but Win 10 will be 'smokin' when the final release is due.  Hopefully by then. MS will have reconsidered its UI decisions and offer something better for users who do not customise their desktops... cos frankly, the icons on offer at present are well below par.

Easy choice - Start10.  I find that default start menu to actually be visually annoying, and if I were stuck with it I'd work around it as much as I could with shortcuts etc.  You politely used the term "clutter" to refer to the tiles next to the text, I'd use a slightly stronger term involving "cluster".

Probably through SKS...the way I do it now. Thanks, Brad.

A good reason to stick with W7 but when I'am forced to move up, I'll use start 10 or 11 or 12, whichever is the case at the time.

Hear, hear.

First you have to FIX "the native UI' ...

My points are getting muddied.

Start8/10 are UTILITIES, and as such they provide a nice function. The necessity of this function is only in the eyes of the end user.

For ME, I don't use it. It's nice, but if I had relied on this then I would not be as familiar as I am with the natural state of the OS. I get paid to know how to support the native OS. I'm a firm believer that one should be well versed in the natural functions before they make such a drastic change. 

I'm not interested in another whine ass debate about how borked the metro start MENU is. The lazy reviewers damned it early based on a 2 minute look and spread their drivel like wild fire. So much pre-conceived hate was mainstream before it even hit the shelf, and I'm not at all shocked that Start8 was a cash cow.
It's much too late in the game now to change this nonsensical opinion, so I'm sure Start10 will be just as big.

Brad has some valid points concerning the missing functions of Win10 menu. I'm that putting us back to what is essentially a Win7 menu is the absolute best solution to those problems. 

Now, that part out of the way, I'll go on.

CUSTOMIZATION is what brought me to WC/Stardock some 14+ years ago.

I didn't have to bastardize the basic OS to customize it. If I wanted to change it ( DesktopX, LiteStep, etc.. ) I had that choice. I often did.
Now... not so much.
Windowblinds is pretty much useless unless you first put on Start8/10.

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.

Why is WindowBlinds pretty much useless without Start8?

On Windows 8 the only OS start menu is the fullscreen one and the colours and background of that are catered for by Decor8.

WindowBlinds skins the taskbar, the frames, the app controls etc.  The only thing Start8 brings is a Windows 7 style menu which of course then gets skinned by WindowBlinds.