When it comes to Windows sources, Paul Thurrott is about as solid as they get. On his SuperSite for Windows, Thurrott has just confirmed that the next big update to Windows 8 — known as Windows 8.1 or “Blue” — will contain two major features that users have been asking for.
First, the Start button will return to Windows 8’s Desktop mode. Says Thurrott: “When you hover over [the] Start button, the button changes color, with a black background and the accent color used on the flag logo. Yes, it looks exactly like the Start Charm, with similar animations.”
If you’re expecting the resurrected Start button to itself resurrect the tried and true Start menu found in Windows 7 and several Windows versions before it, there have been no indications that the Windows 8 Start button will launch anything but Windows 8’s “Modern” (formerly “Metro”) tiled interface, at which point you can choose the app you want to run.
For those complaining about the tediousness of switching back and forth between Windows 8’s Modern and Desktop modes, Thurrott has good news about the much-requested Boot-to-Desktop option: “Yep, it’s in there. And it’s off by default.” So if you’d rather work solely in the comfort of a Windows 7-like experience, you’ll apparently be able to boot right into Desktop mode and stay there — until the resurrected Start button kicks you into Modern mode to choose any programs you haven’t pinned to your desktop, that is.
In Blue: Start Experience Changes [Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows]