Perhaps this is all part of the plan.

If you are stuck with Win8 Metro on a new rig, how much would you pay for a working start button? How about a start menu?

Available at extra cost and only from Microsoft. If fact, for just a few dollars more, they can sell you most of what  they took out of Win7.....one piece at a time.

Thank You for shopping the Microsoft Store.

I bet Bill Gates now rues the day he handed the reigns of MS to Steve Ballmer and co... they took a strong and stable company and f**ked it up big-time.

Do you think, if many refuse 8, it will go the way  of Vista. It took enough for me to go from XP to 7 (glad I did) however I do find 8 very ugly.

Just my opinion that everyone is entitled to.

MS ought listen to the outcry. Of course, I don't think they will because of the almighty buck, which is now worth alot less.

Done.

Personally I would like to see a minimalist interface.

Instead of having icons and start menu items for everything (these often open the same things) have a calendar-based start menu that shows you what programs and documents you've used today, what you used this time last week, or yesterday, or a month ago.

This would be a good thing in the workplace because typically on a given day of the week you want to access the same tools as you used on the same day last week, if you're the sort of person who assigns particular tasks to particular days of the week.

Now, now, do go giving Microsoft any freaking ideas.....

"Hello PC users, this is Windows 12, where we have refined the Metro UI down to just one tile with hidden hotspots for all your apps.  Yes, just mouse over the tile whilst right clicking and you'll find all your most used/favorite apps right there.  No more hunting through menus and pages and pagers of apps.  No, just mouse over the one tile where everything is located for your inconvenience. 

Sure you have hundreds of apps installed, and hundreds of documents, too, but not to worry, you will eventually remember where everything is.  Just remember, go to the one singular tile to save time and start mousing over the 'blind' hotspots whilst right clicking to find your stuff.  So why have we gone the one tile, 'blind' hotspot route?  We listened when people called the multi-tiled Metro interface in Windows 8 gaudy and butt ugly, so we got the very best, most talented artists here at Microsoft to create a beautiful UI with just the one gaudy tile instead.  The hidden shortcuts, or blind hotspots, as we like to call them, are in response to all those users who wanted fewer icons/tiles and less text on their screens.  It may take a little getting used to and seem like looking for a needle in a haystack to begin with, but we have decided it is what Windows users want and what is best for Windows users."

See what I mean?  Start talking minimalist interfaces and this is what you'll get. 

Now, MarvinKosh, if you believe MS has gone too far with this Metro fiasco, nod in agreement and this post will self-destruct in 5 seconds to protect the innocent and the unassuming.

..minimalist would be voice controlled only.

That'll be no good to me, then.  My father always told me: "Speak only when you're spoken to."

So Windows 13 will just sit there... and I will just sit there... each waiting for the other to speak... and eff all will get done.

And your prediction will be correct. Cannibalization will be the rule for some time to come for PC's.

Sales will be in the area of tablets and notebooks. That's where MS is putting its money, and that's where W8 has a reason to exist: Nobody has room in a pocket for a mouse and keyboard. They've even covered the possibility of using a lid as a keyboard and have incorporated a kick stand. Mouse? They've got that covered with those tiny ones. 

PC's and business? Forget W8. Retrain whole workforces which already work fine with XP/W7? Why should they? W8 is nothing but expense - hardware and software. It might be good (ideally) for a mobile work force, but it's impossible to work with in practice, and with the current economic problems, money will remain in corporate pockets for some time to come.

Well like I said, I think that an interface that keeps track of which programs and documents you've used and presents them in a familiar format - a calendar, except it's on the desktop - will be great if you do the same tasks every day in the same order every week.  No need to go digging around in a start menu if you've already established what programs you like to use.

Marvin, I hope you didn't think I was having a go at you in post #20.  I was just having a tongue in cheek shot at MS for the Metro UI debacle, and you inadvertently opened the door to that.  I apologise if it upset/bothered you in any way, that was not my intention.

As to your calendar interface, well yes, I see a potential there for busy people who access the same things according to a schedule... daily, weekly, monthly, etc.  In fact, it would be useful to anyone who likes to be well organized. 

I wonder if the people at Rainlendar and/or Rainmeter would be interested in developing such an interface.  I have used the Omnimo tile interface for Rainmeter, and I believe the authors of that possibly may be someone who could develop upon your idea... click here for ways to contact them.

Good luck.

Unless Microsoft were to some how try to legally force us not to do something to Windows, there's no real technical way for them to prevent us from doing what we'd like.  We know the system internals of Windows as well as anyone at Microsoft at this point.

I find that encouraging, Brad.

Oooh that sounds a lot more promising.  With all this talk of MS implementing blocks to disable 3rd party apps which replace the start button and bypass Metro at boot, the outlook for Win 8 has been rather negative and depressing.  I sincerely hope that you and Stardock are able to develop the required apps, unencumbered by MS directives and/or bullying.

Thanks for that!

Nah, no offence taken, I just realised that 'minimalist' does have some negative connotations, and explained/sold it a bit more.  What I really meant was a 'smart' interface that by default, just shows you what you need to survive today.  I would even just go for a feature like this on Fences 2 that rotates in certain shortcuts on a certain weekday.