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Start8 brings back the familiar start button to make your transition to Windows 8 a little bit easier. The first thing you'll notice when firing up your new Windows 8 PC is the lack of a Start button. For design reasons, Microsoft has removed the old Start menu in favor of the new Metro Start screen. Start8 aims to bring it back and help you make your move to the new Windows without compromising productivity.
The installation is light and fast, and setting up takes almost no time at all. Setup will ask whether you prefer the original Windows 7 style Start menu or the Windows 8 style, which is the incorporation of the Metro user interface into the menu. From then on, everything is optional and customizable. You can change the Start menu behaviors, font, icon sizes, color, style, and which shortcuts you want Start8 to display. Documents, Music, and Pictures folders are back to where they belong (pre-Windows 8) and so is the search bar. In addition of giving you wider control over the Start menu, Start8 lets you customize the Start button icon to any of the included icons or your own custom images.
The free trial gives you 30 days to play, tweak, and set everything up just the way you like it before asking you to purchase the full version for $4.99. PC Users without a touch screen (which the Start screen was designed for) or who rely on the Start Button to navigate through their programs and files will appreciate Start8 bringing the familiar features and functionality back to the latest Windows operating system.
Publisher's Description
From Stardock:
Start8 returns the same Windows 7-style Start menu you have depended upon, while adding enhancements just for Windows 8. Quickly access your applications, devices, music, videos and documents the way you always have with Start 8.
Features include a Windows 7-style Start menu with Windows 8 enhancements; search for Windows 8-style (Modern UI) apps; pin desktop and Metro apps; boot directly to the Windows 8 desktop; or make the Windows 8 Start screen accessible from the Start menu.
What's new in this version:
- Fixes for inconsistencies with right Windows key handling
- Resolved blank share with menu and open with menu not showing all the right items (Open With issue)
- Resolved a problem with jump lists and having a file in the list that was on a network location which was not avail
- Resolved a problem with search where very rapid searches that only produced results in the files section would show no files found sometimes
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All versions:
4.8 starsout of 36 votes
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Current version:
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My rating:
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"paid $4.99 but it "expired" anyway"
Version: Start8 1.12
Pros
The software worked great. I was glad to have a seamless return to using a traditional Start button.
Cons
Although I paid for Start8 two months ago after downloading the 30-day trial, the software disappeared from my computer today. A window popped up saying my 30-day trial had expired, and that I needed to purchase a download for $4.99. Hey, I've already bought it once! Of course, I no longer have a key to unlocked my original purchase. And Stardock is no longer recognizing my account information (email/password). So, I spent $5 for two months of use. I guess I'll be trying Classic Shell next.
Summary
A good product that you may not get to keep when you buy it. If you do buy, be sure to save your access key or serial #. Otherwise, go for an alternative Start button software.
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"Great Piece of Software!!!!"
Version: Start8 1.12
Pros
Simple Install
Cheap
Flexible Configuration
Looks Great - Just like Win 7 Start Button
Incredible!!!!!Cons
There are None so far ...
Summary
Get It! Get It! Get It!
It's a Got To Have addition to Windows 8 on a Desktop or Notebook PC. -
"A "must have" for using Windows 8"
Version: Start8 1.12
Pros
Excellent, excellent, excellent... a great solution to being forced to jump around from the Windows 8 Desktop to the Metro page, and back again, constantly.
Cons
None I can think of
Summary
(Also check out ModernMix by Stardock, which helps similarly)
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"Returns W8 to W7"
Version: Start8 1.12
Pros
Start8 boots to desktop, and then allows you to use a W7 Start menu. It is very very stable!
Cons
None that I can see.
Summary
If you don't like or can't figure out W8 and want to be productive then this is the solution!
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"Relieve the stress of the Start screen"
Version: Start8 1.12
Pros
Brings back the efficient start menu along with added customizations for even greater efficiency.
Cons
None in the product itself. However, nobody would have to buy this in the first place if Microsoft didn't decide to replace a productivity-enhancing feature with a consumption-enhancing feature.
Summary
When I saw initial negative reviews of the Windows 8 start screen, I thought people just needed time to adjust and give it a fair shot. Well, once I got Windows 8, I tried to adjust and give it a fair shot. After a month of wrangling with the Start screen and Metro, I have to say I was wrong and everyone else was right.
Using a mouse & keyboard on Win8 is a chore and makes almost every action require more unnecessary clicks or keystrokes or more exaggerated mouse movements. It was becoming extremely aggravating doing routine tasks on the PC.
Enter Start8. Now, I get the Start menu back. It's not better because it's familiar, it's better because it is more efficient. It takes MEASURABLY fewer keystrokes or mouse clicks to get the job done compared to navigating the Start screen. Not only that, Start8 adds on additional functionality such as customizing what the "Shut down" button default action is.
I understand that touch and mobile computing may be the future, but the mouse and keyboard still exists today and is the dominant input method for productivity tasks. Microsoft, please don't make things more challenging for mouse and keyboard users until you can make touch or another input method just as precise and efficient, if not more so. -
"OUTSTANDING!!!"
Version: Start8 1.11
Pros
easy to use does a great job. makes Windows 8
pro
makes Windows 8 Pro look & act like Windows 7 desk topCons
NONE, does what its sold for.
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"Lets u have updates of Win8 & the familiarity of Win7."
Version: Start8 1.11
Pros
Let's feel more at home with Windows 8 after using Windows 7.
Cons
None cons yet
Summary
I like the features of Windows 8 except for the Metro interface. I like to keep my desktop clear. I dont have any icons on it. And the fact that my laptop does not have a touchscreen makes the Metro interface tedious at best.
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"UNCLE!!!!!"
Version: Start8 1.11
Pros
Windows 8 as it should have been.
Cons
It's $5 for something I shouldn't need MICROSOFT!
Summary
Uncle! I'd had it with the Crappy Windows 8 "Metro" interface... It might be great for a touch screen but everything takes more effort with a keyboard and mouse. (if you can find it)
Downloaded Start8 this morning and FINALLY after months of putting up with Microsoft's BS excuse for an interface am using Windows 8 as it should have been at launch. Thx Stardock. I may give Fences a try as well. The icon clutter on my desktop could use taming. -
"Essential for remote desktop support"
Version: Start8 1.11
Pros
Anyone who has cursed the lack of a start menu, especially in a remote desktop situation where the 'Microsoft key' is missing or doesn't work, will want this program.
Cons
Non, apart from Microsoft not including it FOC
Summary
I cannot understand why Microsoft couldn't have put an option to 'switch back' the Start Menu, and until they see sense and add it back in a Service pack release, this is the program to use.
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"Fantastic: This is how Windows 8 should be!"
Version: Start8 1.11
Pros
I tried very hard to get used to the Microsoft "Metro" interface, which I find beautifully designed and not difficult to use.
However it is an indisputable fact that, when working with keyboard and mouse on desktop apps, "Metro" is simply less efficient. Some common tasks (e.g. looking for files) require more key presses than using the original Start menu in Windows 7.
After weeks of intense "Metro" usage, and after hundreds of extra key presses, I decided that the beautiful interface was not worth the extra time I kept spending in my daily tasks.
I have tried essentially every Start menu replacement out there, but only Start8 matches the efficiency of Microsoft's version, which had reached an amazing level of perfection over the years. Stardock's Start8 menu really brings the Start menu back to Windows 8, making it the best OS Microsoft has produced so far.Cons
None. Start8 simply matches Microsoft's Start menu in Windows 7.
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