Windows 8.1 May Include a 'Boot to Desktop' Option

 

The most recent numbers show PC sales dropping like a rock, with many blaming the radical changes in Windows 8 for scaring away customers. A new rumor suggests the drop has prompted Microsoft to consider reversing course on at least one aspect of the new user interface.

Microsoft may introduce a “Boot to Desktop” mode in the next major update to Windows, called either Windows 8.1 or Windows Blue, according to a post on WinBeta. A version of the update leaked out last month, and someone who examined the code discovered that it includes a line of code for suppressing the Start screen.

Even before Windows 8 launched last October, many felt that throwing users into the new Windows UI at startup might not be the best solution for all customers, particularly those focused on productivity (i.e. office workers). Also, since the number of apps created for the new environment was relatively few (even the new Microsoft Office runs as a Desktop app), the benefits of always starting in the new UI were questionable.

 SEE ALSO: The Philosophy Behind Windows 8, From One of Its Creators

Microsoft told Mashable it wouldn’t comment on the rumor, but its position has generally been that the new UI and the traditional desktop work in conjunction with each other; they’re not walled-off environments. The Charms menu, for example, is still accessible from the Desktop, and the two versions of Internet Explorer in fact share a lot of functionality on the back end, even thouhg they appear to be completely different apps.

Nonetheless, surveys suggest an option to suppress the Start screen could alleviate some users’ fears of upgrading. However, the less time those users spend in the “proper” Windows 8 environment, the less developers will be interested in creating apps for that environment — the most likely reason Microsoft has been reluctant to include the Boot to Desktop option.

But if users are rejecting Windows 8 outright (as the PC sales numbers suggest), then Microsoft obviously needs to re-examine its approach. Will that include Boot to Desktop in Windows 8.1? We should find out for sure at the Microsoft BUILD developer conference in June.

 

BONUS: A Tour of Windows 8

 

Windows 8 Review

 

Windows 8, Fully Formed

The new Windows is here. Windows 8 is a dramatic departure from Windows 7, blowing up the Start menu into a vibrant Start Screen that’s electric with activity and well suited for touch devices like tablets. Despite some inconsistencies (particularly with the traditional desktop, which still exists), the new interface is powerful, fast and convenient.

Charms

Wherever you are in the system, you can always call up the “Charms” from the right side — a set of top-level commands that include Start, Search, Share, Devices and Settings.

Sharing

Microsoft re-defined how apps communicate with each other, letting you share from any app that enables it. This is how sharing from the Netflix app looks, but the same functionality exists in most other apps with shareable content, calling up a similar list of sharing services.

Snap View

Snap is kind of the new minimize, letting you put two apps side by side with one of them shrunk to a vertical column. It’s useful when the app is well suited to a scrolling list, like Bing.

Desktop Oddities

Although the desktop still exists in Windows 8, the new UI is ever-present. It makes for some odd mash-ups, like this modern-looking Wi-Fi settings menu. Other functions call up traditional dialogs.

Windows Store

The Windows Store has the same clean look and feel as other modern-UI apps, although it could use more big-name apps.

New York Times App

The New York Times app mirrors the look of Microsoft’s news apps, with a horizontal scroll of stories you can naturally swipe through. The swiping works much better with a touchscreen, since on a touchpad swipe tends to take you too far ahead or back.

Rowi Twitter Client

Here’s how a Twitter client looks in Windows 8. Twitter has said it’s working on its own Windows 8 app.

Syncing Via the Cloud

One powerful feature of Windows 8 is your identity is portable — if you have a Microsoft ID, you can log in to another Windows 8 PC, and it’ll import your settings via the cloud, effectively becoming your PC. You can even download your own apps to the new machine once you authorize it.

Windows 8.1 May Include a 'Boot to Desktop' Option