They are a waste of time because they are visible? I'm not sure that I can see the sense in that statement.

Although I don't use the Start Screen by default, I do click on the Start button from time to time to get a quick overview of weather, new emails, news, calendar appointments, etc. without having to enter all the applications.

I can understand that those who haven't given Windows 10 a proper go may not appreciate them; but, as I said before, just ignore them if you don't like them. I prefer an operating system to have some features that I may not need than to lack some features that I do need.

In reply to a post by ian72:

At present they support/update Win 7, Win 8.1 and Win 10.

Windows Vista is still supported too.

Do I gather you don't use a mail client? I just look to the left to see the folder ladder in the live window, that window being largely obscured by other things that I am using. Multiple mail accounts and sub-folders and I can see exactly what is going on at a glance.

I can't imagine how live tiles are going to be better for that.

I can imagine that a live tile placed on the right of the screen with information of interest, such as currency rates or specific stock indices would be useful to me - as in the earlier Gadgets. Similarly I used to like my photograph folder 30-second or so changing display. It brought back many happy memories and often led me into going deeper. Can that be done?

I don't have, and don't like to have, my mail client, and my calendar, and my weather app, and my news app, and my photo app, and... all open at the same time. I prefer a single screen that can give me an overview of all these items in one place.

Slightly ironic as Windows 10 makes it much easier, with multiple desktops, to manage a number of open apps. But I just prefer reserving resources for what I am working on.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

Windows Vista is still supported too.

True. I have tried to forget that Vista ever existed Actually, I haven't touched Vista since W7 was released and work wise we went from XP to 7 - so Vista has been off my radar for a long time now and did slip my memory.

In reply to a post by TinyMongomery:

Slightly ironic as Windows 10 makes it much easier, with multiple desktops, to manage a number of open apps. But I just prefer reserving resources for what I am working on.

Strange - it has always seemed very easy with Windows 3.1 thru 8.1 . As long as one stayed on the Desktop away from the 7 and 8 Metro side of things.

Simply multiple windows.

I can see that for some being able to group such windows into multiple "super-windows" (desktops) could be useful, but that would only be for someone with several complex application groups running simultaneously and requiring semi-concurrent work. Hmmm.

Weather just sticks in one tab of the browser. As could a calendar. As do a couple of index trackers. Your mail client sounds more like webmail if watching it through a live tile - using resources.

I frequently have two or three multi-tabbed browser windows open simultaneously, sometimes all but one minimised, sometimes used concurrently. Alongside Windows Explorer windows. For example, the weather/news/tracker tabs can need to be separated from other tabs into a window just grouping those together, once the tab count gets inconvenient.

In reply to a post by TinyMongomery:

There are no ads on the start screen. That's part of the misinformation spread about 10.

I should perhaps have been more precise and said 'TV' ads

In reply to a post by cheshire_man:

TrishH didn't say the Start screen had ads. She said "ads showing the screen with the tiles".A very different thing.

In reply to a post by ian72:

I am assuming it is advertisements in the media that show screen shots.

In reply to a post by TinyMongomery:

Ah - I see what you mean. I haven't seen such advertisements from Microsoft, but I can see that they would be a little misleading as they couldn't demonstrate the dynamic aspect of live tiles - which is pretty much the whole point of them.

But you hardly ever have to see that Start Screen if you don't want to. I never much used the Start Menu in 7 as I had all the programs I normally used pinned to the taskbar or in folders on the desktop; I work much the same way with 10.

It was TV ads - one in particular showed small children, and made a statement to the effect that computers would be far easier to use as they grew up ...it showed a screen (I think on a tablet) that had brightly coloured tiles, which to me look more 'fun' or perhaps even juvenile ...which may have been partly influenced by the use of tots in the ad!

Whatever, I still don't like the appearance of the tiles for a machine intended for work purposes, as well as shopping and email (which are the main uses for my computer).

I have my programmes shortcut icons on the desktop: photo editor and organiser, CS5, Excel, itemised records spread sheet, Website prog., Lightroom, various security progs., back-up, Accounts, easy access stock records for frames & canvases, exhibitions lists, etc.
All are used daily or at least once each week.

On the taskbar, I only use Outlook, IE11, Chrome, Snipping tool & Wind. Explorer.

I do have a Windows phone, and the tiles on that are OK to use for the purpose - but I only use it for phone calls mostly. I do remember deleting a few of them.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Reading the paragraph rather than isolating half of it helps clarify what she meant. Sentences in paragraph are generally associated. That's what paragraphs do.

Though I read it as Ian does anyway.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Which question?

What I can suggest is that you apologise to Trishah for misunderstanding her very clear post.

No need - 'stuff' happens

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

If I reinstalled Windows 10 I would use a third party menu, in fact it would be the same one I use for Windows 8.1 called startisback and yes it is all one word but that one is not free, but I think it is one of the better start menus. If you want free then Classic shell will work.
that is if MS don't try to stop people using these third party menus.

I wouldn't mind having to pay for something once if MS are not prepared to give the customer a choice.

I can understand why MS went for the flat look on both 8.1 and 10 and that is so the OS can run on machines with less graphic power, but it would have been nice to be given a choice. Windows 10 is worse than Windows 8 in that manner. There is software to change the look like Windows blinds, but
(a) it is not free
(b) when I used it with XP years ago it was a resource hog, I know machines are more powerful now.

Exactly my thoughts all along - it's appearance (to me) is geared towards small screen, portable devices, and as such should be an option rather than a 'one size fits all' solution.

When I came from XP to W7, I installed the VM, and as far as I know - because I've never needed to use it - it isn't automatically used by any non-compatible programmes. I keep wondering if all will be well if I uninstall it to free up some space on the SSD (My obsolete website programme theoretically shouldn't have worked on anything from XP onwards, but apparently has/does).

The main problem is a lot of these bugs and problems MS knew about before windows 10 was launched and yet they still launched it. this is why I say it is still beta and always will be, because they use the excuse of it being a service.
MS must think all of us was born yesterday.

This is why I've never been one to jump on a new programme or o/s. I recall my son asking if I wanted upgrading to Vista, and I refused thinking I'd see how he got on with it first. Wasn't long before I was glad I didn't.

Cortana is disabled as default, but some of the data collection associated with it is still on, like getting to know you. I do not see Cortana being much use on a desktop, very few desktops have microphones unless you have a webcam with one and I am not sure what use it will be anyway unless you are tied into the MS environment.
You can get rid of the search box to either a icon on the task bar or just get rid of it full stop.

On a mobile phone Cortana would be as useful as Siri and Ok Google is and to be honest I think both of them are lacking. The best thing I use OK google for is to ask for the weather and to set a timer when I am baking and a alarm.

My first sight of Cortana was on a phone TV Ad, and someone asking it to remind them to buy a plaster for their foot! The sore foot would be reminder enough for me. Another was one for a reminder to get flowers for a wife's birthday !
If it spies too, then I definitely wouldn't want it.

I have a desktop calendar that pops up reminders for things like back-up, CC monthly payment, important appointments etc., and has date markers on birthdays etc. That's quite adequate for my needs. But, I rarely use a mobile phone anyway.

This we don't have a choice is what MS is looking for, which is why they are pushing Windows 10, Windows 7 will be supported until at least 2020 and Windows 8.1 another 3 years after that.
You could update to Windows 10 and then roll back to your old OS which is what I did, now I can update to Windows 10 even after the update offer ends.
A lot of people think they will extend that anyway as it is not doing as well as MS hoped, even if they keep telling us that Windows 10 is on 200 million devices, they forget to mention that includes Xbox ones, where people do not have a choice.

I will install Windows 10 again if they
(a) stop the forced downloads
(b) stopped the spying

While I am not 100% happy with Windows 8.1 and I still prefer Windows 7, I prefer it to Windows 10.

I very much like W7 - it does all I want it to do, and I'm sure there are hidden depths to it that I've had no need for in the almost 5 years that I've had it.
As long as this machine lasts, I'll stick with W7.
If something works well for me, then I don't risk getting a newer version/model as experience has often proved the first one to be better.
Perhaps I could get a copy of it 'just in case'

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

What I can suggest is that you apologise to Trishah for misunderstanding her very clear post.

Don't make such a fool of yourself.

As Trisha has already indicated, simple misunderstandings happen. Hardly a reason to demand an apology (unless you are trying to score points for some unconnected reason). Try to act a little more like a grown up please.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I can see that for some being able to group such windows into multiple "super-windows" (desktops) could be useful, but that would only be for someone with several complex application groups running simultaneously and requiring semi-concurrent work. Hmmm.

You're welcome to avoid a method of working that has proved to be so popular with Linux/Unix and OS X, and which Windows is now catching up with. Others may have preferences that differ from yours.

Again, if the concept of multiple desktops is too complex for you then you don't have to use them. But to berate an operating system for giving you that choice seems a little short-sighted.

Your objections to Windows 10 seem to add up to "It gives me too many options".