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Comment by mbell | Hacker News Reader

> - Start menu gone, wtf? Yes I do use it, and yes I do still click on it with my mouse to find certain things. The new search is worse... If I want 'windows update' I first have to click where I want to search for 'windows update' (and if I can't remember the name of what I'm looking for, this doesn't even work).

How do you find anything in a windows start menu? Every application has its own naming scheme and complete control over where it puts itself in there. I consider it one of the worst long standing user experiences that still seems to be promoted/accepted for some unknown reason.

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In Win7? Tap the Windows key and type the name of the program. At least for a power user, this is quite nice. It's arguably on par with Spotlight as an application launcher, with similar trade-offs (e.g. multiple matches--- which is the right one?).

I'm not a huge fan of Windows, but this is one thing that Win7 (or Vista?) substantially improved over XP.

Did you read the quote I replied to? Underscored for clarity:

> - Start menu gone, wtf? _____Yes I do use it, and yes I do still click on it with my mouse to find certain things_____.

I totally agree with this. Each new app that I install prompts a new hunt through the Programs part of the Start menu for where the app might have stashed its icons -- would they be in a new folder with the same name as the app? In a folder with the name of the publisher? In the random dump of icons at the top that don't bother to create a folder for themselves? This leads to typing in the name of the app in the search box and letting Windows do this hunting for me.

Microsoft's UX research found this as well. People prefer pinning apps Windows 7 to the taskbar over the Start menu[1].

The "hit Windows key and type name of app" scenario is preserved quite nicely with the Start screen.

1. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/03/evolving-the-s...

Doesn't the new folder get highlighted the first time you check the start menu after installing a program? I don't find it difficult. Though the Win8 method (the new apps are just put to the far right of the start screen, so I hit winkey -> End) works fine too.

On Windows 7 and previous versions, I reorganize the start menu according to my scheme: I have folders named "Dev", "Internet", "Office", etc. and once an application is installed I just move its icon in the appropriate folder.

Also, I use ClassicShell http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ to have a start menu with the Windows 2K look and I hide the search box, which I have no need of with my organization.

I think what he's actually complaining about there is the search - in Win7 results from apps, settings, files, etc. get combined by default, in Win8 you have to click on the individual category (or remember the keyboard shortcut to it).

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