Originally posted on: http://geekswithblogs.net/dlussier/archive/2013/03/24/152501.aspx
I really like Windows 8, and while many have bemoaned it I enjoy working in it both at home on my Dell XPS 12 and at work on my non-touch laptop. But I will definitely count myself in the number that do miss the traditional Windows start menu. Also, as much as I love the idea of the Modern UI applications, I work 99.9% of the time in Desktop mode.
For those that can relate to how I use Windows 8, I wanted to share two utilities that I’ve found that fill the gaps in how I want to use Windows 8.
The first is StartIsBack, which brings the traditional start menu and search capability back to Windows 8. You can download it from the link below and get a free 30 day trial.
The second is ModernMix, which gives you the ability to launch Modern applications in Desktop mode – complete with windowed functionality (read: maximize, minimize, resize, dock, etc.). ModernMix is made by Stardock who is behind the popular Window Blinds utility. You can download a 30 day trial of ModernMix from this link:
http://www.stardock.com/products/modernmix/
Here’s a video I put together showing how each of these tools work: