Microsoft appears to be readying some significant changes to its next version of Windows. Paul Thurrott reports that Microsoft is planning to make the Start menu available as an option in the next major Windows release, currently codenamed "Threshold." The Start menu change will follow a recent reversal that Microsoft made in Windows 8.1, bringing back the Start button UI. It’s not clear if the Start menu will be made available for all versions of Windows Threshold, and Thurrott speculates it may appear as an option for those that only support desktop apps.

Further Threshold changes appear to include an option to run Windows 8-style ("Metro") apps on the desktop. Currently, the new Windows 8-style apps can run alongside the desktop, but the next version of Windows is said to expand this greatly by allowing Metro apps to float as separate windows on the desktop. Third-party tools like Stardock’s ModernMix already support this, but it appears Microsoft will add it natively to provide more flexibility for its new style apps.

On the topic of Threshold, ZDNet is also reporting that Microsoft is moving to a simplified version of Windows for consumers, including a version focused on Windows 8-style apps that’s updated frequently and available for ARM-based Windows tablets, PCs, and Windows Phones. A more traditional consumer version will be designed for the current PC market and fully support existing desktop apps. A separate enterprise version will include the policy management and enterprise features that you’d expect, but it’s not designed to be updated as frequently as the consumer SKUs. The Verge can confirm Microsoft is investigating separate consumer and enterprise versions of Windows.

Microsoft’s Windows "Threshold" version is expected to debut in spring 2015.

The Verge: The Start menu may return to Windows

It sounds like Microsoft is just looking to please absolutely everyone, and enterprise, and tablet-friendly consumer, and release constant updates all the time forever. Sounds alright. Thoughts?

Don't miss the start menu at all, all of the programs I use are pinned to my task bar anyway. If I want anything I press the start button and type what I want, just like I did when the start bar was a thing. The windows 8 apps are really bad, and splitting the OS into two parts was a terrible idea so out of all of the things you can complain about in Windows 8, I don't think the start menu is what I want them to be working on.

I would use Windows 8 if the Metro apps didn't have ads in them. Fix that hot garbage and we can talk, Microsoft.

is this just a big countdown clock just to reverse everything?

It's not only that, but even the metro design and pins don't seem even intuitive as just making a mess on a desktop with icons in the shape of your favorite Mario character. I'm running a Laptop on Win8 but also have a PC running Win7 as a main machine, and it's been an ADVENTURE!!!!! And now reading this, seems like an adventure I'm coming home missing an arm, leg and a eyeball but somehow things are going to be okay.

Because, there's lot of fun ideas here and there, where I'm like okay I'm gamed, I'll try this out only for 3 weeks later I give up and make series of desktop icons to make it easier for me.

Good. Fuck that metro crap.

@mlarrabee: Do they have ads on your desktop with W8? That sounds crazy.

@roarimadinosaur: No, it's just inside the apps themselves. This is easily solved by not running any of the Metro-specific apps.

From my experience Windows 8.1 fixed this. Not even the start button, there is the start menu coming up. I even had to figure out how to get to metro because pressing the windows key only brought up the old start menu. Also, someone tries something different and people lose their shit and then complain when there is no innovation.

no me gusta metro.

1. Why is there a picture of Joshua Topolsky's face photoshopped onto the fourth Doctor?
2. I doubt I'll use the start menu if they bring it back. I've been using a combination of "Winkey + program name" shortcut and ObjectDock to access my programs and files for a while now.

Meh I've gotten use to desktop pins on the start menu.

answer to the first question is "spoilers" after Peter Capaldi.

1. Why would you believe that picture doesn't have to do with the Windows Start Menu?
2. Because Paul.
3. And then Windows 8.3/9 came along..

Also, I looked at Paul Thurrott's article that Josh and the Gang talk about. This article was basically Part 2 to this ongoing rumor series. You know, like every couple of weeks. And Part 1 details how they're finally supposed to merge XONE, Windows, and Windows Phone on this certain Threshold Update, in Spring 2015.

In fact, I'm listening to Windows Weekly right now. These are usually pretty interesting, detailing all the text into more-understandle auditory gobbledegook, and fueled by beer I hear. Anywho.

I think the start menu is an antiquated piece of shit, but if this gets people to stop bitching at every mention of Windows 8 then push this update as soon as possible.

The Start Menu is a red herring. The issues with Win8 is the often odd dual nature of the environment where the user can get confused on how to find things.

But I never use the start menu I just type the name rof the app I'm looking for and I use Windows 7.... I pin everything else to my task bar

It would be great if they add it back in but I find the search in Windows 8 a bit off compared to 7.

It's Back with 8.1

yo guys 180 amirite?

I'm still using Windows 2000...give me a real reason to upgrade, MS.

I pinned everything to taskbar when I bought new laptop with 8 had no problems at all....now the "fun" started when I upgraded to 8.1 and started getting all manner of random crashes!

You haven't had a single security patch since 2010 or so? That's a pretty good reason.

Personally I don't get the start menu thing. Do people really use it? I don't navigate shit with the mouse unless I absolutely have to, it's slow and ineffective. And yeah, you can do everything you need to in the silly metro/modern ui/whatever it's called this week start screen without ever touching the mouse or a touch screen.

As for people having a hard time finding stuff, some people should probably not own computers. If it takes you more than 15 minutes of real effort to figure out how to work the start screen, you should probably live in some assisted living community for the hard of thinking, because it's not that different from the old shit. I'm half a retard and I was able to figure it out.