Simplified and simplified Microsoft Windows Start Menu Evolution History

As you can see from the Windows 8 Developer Preview, the Start menu has now changed radically, and its style is very similar to Windows Phone 7.

This indicates that Microsoft intends to create a new operating system that is suitable for both desktop and mobile devices. The importance of changing the user interface is comparable to the graphical user interface being upgraded from Windows 3.x to Windows 95. Let's start by revisiting the Windows Start menu in Windows 3.x.

Prior to Windows 95, Windows 3.x used the Program Manager to manage system settings and programs. Through the program manager, the user wants to use the Alt-Tab button to select the desired program.

Windows 95 has changed all of this. With the start menu in the lower left corner, today's users can use all installed programs and system settings without having to switch between different windows. As with the Program Manager, the entries in the Start menu are essentially shortcuts to the installed programs.

Windows 98 further improves the Start menu, allowing users to drag and drop, rename, and delete items. The Windows 98 Start menu is larger and more customizable.

Throughout Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows Me, the start menus of the three systems have not improved. In Windows XP, the Start menu features a two-panel design and highlights the most recent installer.

At the same time, Windows XP also provides a start menu interface switching option, users can switch to the traditional single-panel start menu interface.

The search box has been added to the Windows Vista Start menu. This feature helps users quickly retrieve programs and documents. The release time of Windows Vista is just 10 years since the start menu was first introduced.

The Windows 7 Start menu is basically similar to Windows Vista, with little improvement.

The mobile operating system Windows CE also uses the start menu design. From this we can see that porting the desktop system interface design to the mobile system is the most powerful evidence for Microsoft's lack of innovation.

The Windows Mobile system's start menu is extremely inefficient, and users have to use the stylus to click on tiny entries.

In Windows 8, the Start menu uses the Metro interface. However, if you move your mouse to the lower right corner (the familiar start menu position), a small menu pops up and the user can quickly enter the system settings.

The Metro interface is ideal for touch-screen computers and tablet devices. In the final version of Windows 8, Microsoft will also add the traditional start menu switching option.