Windows boss Mikhail Parakhin admitted that the Start menu needs a bit of work.
Publication on X (formerly Twitter) in response to a advocacy for “just fix the start menu” so all apps can scroll, Parakhin agreedsaying it “annoys me too” and promised to “make the Start menu great again”.
X seems like the perfect place to proclaim that something needs to be great again. But we are moving away.
Whether the Start menu has ever been this great is debatable. Console jockeys would obviously avoid such GUI embellishments. At the same time, this vulture has heard from several experienced developers mourning the loss of the old Windows Program Manager. Here again, Parakhin did it say that he was a fan of Windows since version 3.0, so never say never.
Microsoft introduced the Start menu with Windows 95, and it arguably reached its peak with Windows XP and Windows 7 before the disastrous Windows 8 attempted to get rid of it in favor of a Windows-like full-screen tiled affair Phone.
The Start menu has since returned to the Windows design language, although users have not universally liked the changes made in Windows 11.
A small industry has sprung up around the UI element, with companies like Stardock more than happy to sell add-ons to users who experience the worst excesses of Microsoft’s design decisions.
Parakhin has an uphill battle ahead of him. Windows Insider builds are expected to resume shortly and will provide the first indicator whether its attempt to address complaints about Windows 11’s Start menu will bear fruit.
Parakhin’s open-mindedness is refreshing, especially when compared to the legendary poor communication of the Windows team itself. He also addressed complaints about app switching (apparently the Windows Vista and 7 approach was best) and taskbar positioning options disappearing between Windows 10 and 11 (blame it on widgets and Copilot ).
However, if Parakhin can actually make changes to fix at least some of Windows 11’s Start menu issues – even if it’s ditching the “all apps” click – that will be more welcome progress than have another AI assistant. pushed onto the desk. ®