One of the biggest communications of the past couple concerning Windows 8.1 is the rumor that Microsoft is pondering bringing back the Start button in the upcoming upgrade to its new OS.
Redmond, as you would expect, has not said a thing on this matter. And the company will most probably will not do so — at least until the release of Windows Blue nears.
Nevertheless, these rumors were further strengthened recently when the always-reliable Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet wrote that Microsoft could offer a Start button along with an option for to bypass the Start Screen and boot directly to the desktop.
She, however, maintained that this strategy was not without risk, as it could quite possible affect the growing popularity of the flashy new Metro UI that Microsoft has invested so much in.
But during yesterday’s earnings conference call Peter Klein, Microsoft’s soon-to-retire CFO made some comments that may (or may not) signal the return of the Start button.
Klein confirmed that Microsoft is already working on the next version of Windows, with the aim of being, what he called “responsive to customer feedback” with this upcoming update.
Responsive to customer feedback, you say?
Perhaps the biggest criticism (at least from general audience) of Windows 8 is how the operating system (or platform, if you will) does away with the Start button altogether. Makes sense that this would have been the biggest customer feedback for Microsoft.
The Start Menu has been one of the defining factors of the Windows operating system, ever since the release of Windows 95 — so the outcry was understandable, if not overly justifiable.
But if Microsoft does finally give in and includes a Start button in Windows 8.1, it will least buy the company some shelter from criticism and (needless) user critique. Not saying it will, but whatever decision the technology titan undertakes will have a lasting impact on the platform.
Anyway, an awful lot still remains in the Windows 8.1 saga, and the next couple of months are bound to offer more insight into this pressing matter.
