Three simple tweaks to fix Windows 8

I love Windows 8, but I hate Metro. Well, that's not quite true. I love the Metro interface, but hate how it is implemented. Windows 8 could be a fantastic operating system if only Microsoft would make three very small changes. It wouldn't take much to fix Windows 8, just a few simple tweaks here and there. This is what is required...

1. Restore the Start button
The first thing that is needed is a Start button on the taskbar just like we've had since 1995 when it was introduced with Windows 95. (I actually prefer XP's pop-out panels to Vista/7's scrolling list, but I can live with the latest version.) This would take hardly any effort to put back as it's been there for so long and it is far superior to the Start screen when you have lots of programs installed. The Start button is essential.

2. Boot to the desktop
Windows should boot up to the desktop, just like it has done since, well, forever. I and many others, spend all day with desktop applications, running them with multiple windows open, switching from one to the other and so on. Desktop applications are more important than the lightweight apps that populate the Metro screen.

3. Make Metro an option
I like the new Start screen with its Metro interface. It's brilliant. I like the app store. OK, it's pretty barren right now, but just wait. It'll soon fill up with great apps. The thing is, I don't want it forced on me. I want to boot to the desktop to get my work done, then during lunch times, coffee breaks and so on I'd like to press a key (currently the Windows key, which is fine), and switch to the Metro Start screen and have some fun. Yes, the Metro interface is fun and there are some entertaining apps. I just don't want it getting in my way all the time. There could even be a startup option so people could choose between the Metro Start screen and the traditional desktop.

If I could switch to the Metro screen and its apps with a menu or hotkey I'd be happy and Windows 8 would be perfect. There's a lot to like in Microsoft's OS and really only one irritation, but it's a big one. It's not Metro itself, it's just the way it is implemented for people that actually work on PCs rather than play on them.

Apple has done a very similar thing with OS X and it has an iOS interface. However, the default is the traditional interface and I can run Launchpad (the iOS-like desktop) as and when I need it, or I can choose to completely ignore it. I can't remember ever using it to be honest. Tablet interfaces just don't work on desktop computers - Microsoft take note.