Or is Bill Gates pretty much doing a Steve Jobs without becoming CEO himself?

Either way, good news.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

The start screen is excellent technology in the fact it works fine on Desktop

That is not my experience - it seems to removes the one big advantage the start menu had - a structured way to drill down, find and start programs that you only use occasionally or explain to other less IT literate people how to find them. That and the fact with its default settings it consumes a fair amount of bandwidth

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

I learnt very quickly to cope with it, there is no reason why anyone else shouldn't be able to either. Microsoft offer the taskbar and keyboard as other ways to launch programs, there is no need to dismiss a whole OS because something rather minor has changed.

Coping with sounds very much like saying it a lesser solution than they replaced, but I can use it. I can drop down to Linux command prompt when required - doesn't mean I won't jump up to decent GUI when available to do the one off jobs that aren't worth scripting.

I actually don't think it is a lesser solution, certainly, I've just been doing some work on Windows 7 computers and found it harder to get to certain things on them. The joy of the Start Screen is you hit the start screen and start typing, and its matching/searching capability is far superior to that of Windows 7. Not only that but you can get a lot more pinned favourite/regular apps on the start screen than on the menu. Ever clicked someone's start menu and seen loads of accidentally and bogus pinned stuff at the top?

Also, try pinning a shortcut to a file/documents folder with ease on your start menu...

Naturally there are some things the start menu is better on, but certainly not all...

Seems if you like to add extra options to your computing. No need to quote if you are replying to my post.

Must be something that is common with W8, extra steps required.

Huh? Less steps required, measure it in clicks, keyboard presses.. I presume you call them steps. If it is taking more steps, you're doing it wrong.

Windows 7 Start Menu was a step down from previous.versions - mainly because it doesn't use available screen space when needed

If I pinned all the apps/folders I used regularly, I'd fill the width and then some (but I have always used desktop for that sort of thing). It's funny when I set up Windows 7 task bar as I like (more like Win2K/XP), I can see Office Communicator contacts coming in - yet the default settings everyone complains they don't see them, such is progress.

Searching for applications is great - if you know the name you are searching for. If I am looking for a rarely used application I don't always know what they have called it, but will have a good idea which application it was installed with - so immediately can home in fairly fast (or workout not installed as quickly) This is from someone who starts a lot of apps (especially Office) with "Windows Key" + R and types the executable name.

In reply to a post by camieabz:

They did a similar thing with Office 2007 in that they got rid of the old DD menus in favour of a 'ribbon', which played hell with productivity. Great for the training sector, I'll bet.

I say keep the menu and if necessary make it an on/off option.

I detest the ribbon, thankfully I don't see it much. Saying that i use Linux most of the time these days, no ribbon on that. I boot into windows when I need to edit videos, need to do that tomorrow. Yuk

I used a menu add-on. Office 2007 works as if it's pre-2007. The only complaint is that I wish I'd gotten 2003, as I lost the export to web feature. Discontinued with 2007 and replaced with another program (Sharepoint?).

No matter. I got lots of Excel macro experience creating a workaround.

In reply to a post by camieabz:

Discontinued with 2007 and replaced with another program (Sharepoint?).

Just be thankful you didn't give you sharepoint - it's a big enterprisey thing done to the normal enterprise standards

In reply to a post by broadband66:

What's good about Aero, does it make users more productive?

tbh, I've never understood the reason for Aero - other than MS considers it makes their screen "prettier"!

It certainly appears to be a resource-hogger. Additionally, it causes delays when I start up a proggie that is not compatible with it & it has to revert to a conventional display!