Microsoft may believe that users don't want a Start button in Windows 8, but at least one big PC vendor disagrees. Samsung just showed off three Windows 8 desktops that will be available this fall, and they all sport an optional Start button.
The AP reports that Samsung has previewed three desktop PCs that it will sell after the release of Windows 8. Prices will be $749, $1,099 and $1,699, varying according to the usual specs of amount of RAM, hard disk size, and size of the screen. All of them feature high-definition touch displays.
Clearly, touch displays are a nod to the primary Windows 8 interface, designed more for touch than it is for mice and keyboards. That's no surprise.
The surprise is that the Samsung PCs will also feature an optional Start button. Clearly, Samsung knows that many users will be confused by the new interface, and look in vain for a way to launch Desktop programs. The AP notes:
"In an effort to minimize the potential frustration caused by Windows 8's new look, Samsung built its own optional start button that can be used to pull up a menu of applications."
I wouldn't be surprised if other PC makers followed suit. It's a no-cost way for them to make consumers happy, and making consumers happy is how they make money.
I wonder whether the code for the Samsung Start button may get loose on the Internet, or something approximating it. Microsoft worked hard to dig into the guts of Windows 8 and pluck out code that would let people use hacks to bring the Start button back. Plenty of non-Samsung users would appreciate a Start button in Windows 8.
The closest approximation to it is the free Start8 for Windows 8 from Stardock. But it doesn't really bring back all the features of the Start button, because you can't use the button to browse through and run all of your installed apps in the traditional Desktop way. Instead, you're sent to the normal Windows 8 app search feature. You can, though, use it to tell Windows 8 to boot directly to the Desktop, a very useful and nifty trick. It's well worth the download.
