Some early users, including me, have complained about Microsoft’s decision to get rid of the traditional Start menu in Windows 8.
But industry analyst Dale Vile, research director at Freeform Dynamics in the U.K., says the rest of us are wrong, or at least aren’t giving Windows 8 a fair shake.
On a controversial aside, I personally think Microsoft was right to do away with the old start menu, which to me now seems cramped, clumsy and inefficient when I go back to a Windows 7 machine. Being a typical lazy human being that gravitates to the familiar when given a chance, if the start menu was there I probably would have continued using it and failed to take advantage of the more efficient navigation mechanisms designed into the Windows 8 desktop. Now I wouldn’t want the start menu back, even if I could have it, as it would be totally redundant, arguably even counterproductive.
In other words, he’s on the opposite end of the spectrum from Chris Pirillo’s dad.
Personally, I’ve had a good experience with Windows 8 on a tablet, but I’ve found the learning curve especially steep on a traditional desktop computer, and the new commands and methods of navigating aren’t yet second-nature to me when I’m using a keyboard and mouse.
The real test will start on Oct. 26, when the new operating system is released to the wider world.