Microsoft Adds Start Button to Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1, which will be available for download in a preview version on June 26, will feature the good old Start button in desktop mode. Users who dislike the new Modern UI/Metro interface will also be able to boot right to the desktop. While rumors about the return of the Start button had long been making the rounds, Antoine Leblond, Microsoft’s corporate VP for Windows Program Management, made the official announcement on the Windows Blog this morning.

Given all the criticism Microsoft had to endure for removing the Start button, it’s not a huge surprise that it will return in Windows 8.1. Microsoft assumed that touchscreens would be a bit more mainstream by now, I think. Leblond notes that Microsoft has recognized that there are still many non-touch devices in use today. That’s a bit of an understatement, of course. The reality is that most Windows PCs don’t have touchscreens. Leblond especially stresses that this is true for commercial settings.