MS’s history with Start menus has been quite disappointing.

Initially, they had basic menus with just a few icons that could be moved around a bit. It’s funny to see that with W11, they’ve essentially come full circle with a similar layout.

As time passed, the menus evolved, leading to the well-liked W7 menu. However, things took a nosedive with W8, which didn’t even have a proper start menu, opting instead for a full-screen version.

With the introduction of the W10 menu, there were some initial rough edges that got smoothed out over time with features like nested folders and improved visual themes. The W10 Start Menu is now quite versatile and functional, with options to resize and customize it.

Unfortunately, the latest iteration has taken a severe step back, reverting to a menu filled with ungrouped icons and lacking nesting capabilities. Functional changes matter more to me than cosmetic ones.

A significant annoyance is the bottom section dedicated to recommended apps, which, even when turned off, persistently teases that you can turn them on. This kind of wasted space is frustrating.

The insistence on including a search bar in the menu seems redundant, especially when there’s already one on the taskbar. Furthermore, the inability to resize or move the menu is a significant drawback, making it one of the least customizable menus possible.

The current W11 menu feels like a regression to the days of W3.1, but with even more wasted space. While the debate over whether the W7 or W10 menu is superior is subjective, there’s no denying that Microsoft missed the mark with the new W11 menu if they believe it’s an improvement.

​MS’s history with Start menus has been quite disappointing. Initially, they had basic menus with just a few icons that could be moved around a bit. It’s funny to see that with W11, they’ve essentially come full circle with a similar layout. As time passed, the menus evolved, leading to the well-liked W7 menu. However, things took a nosedive with W8, which didn’t even have a proper start menu, opting instead for a full-screen version. With the introduction of the W10 menu, there were some initial rough edges that got smoothed out over time with features like nested folders and improved visual themes. The W10 Start Menu is now quite versatile and functional, with options to resize and customize it. Unfortunately, the latest iteration has taken a severe step back, reverting to a menu filled with ungrouped icons and lacking nesting capabilities. Functional changes matter more to me than cosmetic ones. A significant annoyance is the bottom section dedicated to recommended apps, which, even when turned off, persistently teases that you can turn them on. This kind of wasted space is frustrating. The insistence on including a search bar in the menu seems redundant, especially when there’s already one on the taskbar. Furthermore, the inability to resize or move the menu is a significant drawback, making it one of the least customizable menus possible. The current W11 menu feels like a regression to the days of W3.1, but with even more wasted space. While the debate over whether the W7 or W10 menu is superior is subjective, there’s no denying that Microsoft missed the mark with the new W11 menu if they believe it’s an improvement.  Read More

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