jorge found this out there. looks like i just might be right about stardock not making the same mistake with win 8 that they made with win 7. looks like they do plan to hit the ground running. you might want to consider an app to do the same thing, cause now the metro ui is on by default, and is going to be a bone of contention with a lot of end users.

Start8
Bringing back the Windows® “Start” menu

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!

Start8 brings the “Start” menu back to Windows 8. This product is free and is available now! Enter your email address below to receive a download link.
Features

- Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
- Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
- Adds Run... option via right-click menu
- Adds Shutdown... option via right-click menu
- Choose a custom Start button image

System requirements

- Windows 8 Consumer Preview

I would expect that NextStart should take care of that, as it is right now. Assuming it's compatible with Win8. Don't know, haven't tried it, though.

The other alternative is, I've read that the whole start menu infrastructure is still intact in the Win8 preview. Someone could just add a shortcut or a hotspot or something, to bring it back. Again, assuming Microsoft doesn't get rid of said infrastructure in the final release.
The last option would be... to forget about the -- horrible anyway -- Win7/Vista start menu and go for something better altogether. Like the Classic Shell or just use docks. Actually... that last idea doesn't sound half bad. Make some kind of automatic shelf tab, with subdocks, using the "My Programs" data...

the startmenu was intact in the dp, and count be enabled with a registry tweak. when the cp came out the win7 sytle startmenu was suppose to be on by default, and you would have to enable the metro gui if you wanted it. microsour changed their plans and removed the win7 style startmenu altogether, and made the metro gui the default.

http://www.askvg.com/windows-8-hidden-secret-features-and-useful-hotkeys/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AskVG+%28AskVG%29

as for the win7 start menu being horrible that's a matter of opinion. i would not recommend docks or shelves to replace the startmenu(basically that just gives you a different version of a desktop shelf). i really like xtreme but because windowblinds skins if i were using it i would get the win7 startmenu which i personally do prefer over the nextstart startmenu.

It is. Someone at Wincustomize installed Xtreme on Windows 8 and everything was working as it should, including the NextSTART component of Winstep Xtreme.

Assuming Microsoft will persist in its wrong ways and not bring the Start Menu back to Windows 8, NextSTART is the best you can get in terms of a replacement: it even allows you to build your own menus, either via the built-in Menu Editor or drag & drop.

It also has the benefit of 12 years of constant development and know-how on top (NextSTART was the very first application released by Winstep).

Still, what happened with Start8 vs. NextSTART clearly shows one of the reasons why I really admire Brad Wardell's (Stardock's CEO) marketing skills (say whatever you want, but marketing skills are at least as important, if not more so, than technical skills): within a handful of days of coming up with the Start8 concept, he had the whole tech world talking about it (and about Stardock).

However, read THIS February 29th thread at Wincustomize and check Starker's comment about Winstep Xtreme and my reply to him. 24 hours later Brad announces Start8 with 'Here’s what we’ve put together in 24 hours:' in this thread HERE.

Damn, he's good (and I say this truthfully and with a little envy)!

the big problem with the ns startmenu is it is missing the instant search. this has been mentioned here before. i'll be honest i have a search toy to compensate for it, but if i'm not sure where something is i hit the flag key and start typing what i'm looking for because that is the only way to get instant search system wide using either ns or the windows startmenu.

jorge wrote


i'd suggest you have a good look at rainmeter. personally i don't like having to dig into configuration files and edit them by hand to get exactly what i want out of a docking / skinning system, but more and more people don't mind. this is one of the reasons i mentioned the drives module before.

jorge i read your post at the first link, and you are wrong about wb sales. they went down because stardock took their sweet time coming out with a version of wb that works with win7. at least half of those lost sales were what would of been renewal's. and only a tiny percentage of those returned to wb after stardock finally came up with a version of fb that works on win7. aero allows for some great themes to be created to skin win7, but the themes that microsour supplies in 7 and you can get through them are variants on the same theme and amateurish at best.