A concept designer's 'Windows 12.1' illustration demonstrates the minimalistic Start menu we've been begging Microsoft for on Windows 11 with less...

[Windows Central]

Concept designer, AR 4789 recently conceptualized what Windows 12 (actually Windows 12.1) would ideally look like, including Fluent Designs and minimalistic and interactive apps.

A concept designer's 'Windows 12.1' illustration demonstrates the minimalistic Start menu we've been begging Microsoft for on Windows 11 with less... : Read more

 

[GothardJ2]

I love this concept; it looks so clean and easy to use. The different layouts of the Start Menu have me sold. Microsoft, look at these concepts, this is what we want in our next OS. I think the combo calendar and notification flyout is really clean and I would love to see that launch. The only thing that I'd enjoy about that more is full integration with Outlook, where I can quickly glance at my appointments without having to open Outlook (Another reason New Outlook needs to bake a bit longer).

 

[DaveDansey]

The start menu looks just as bad as the current one to me. All I want in a start menu is shortcuts to applications I want, in a layout that I determine (NOT a small grid of same-sized icons). I never want recommendations for anything. I do want access to All Apps, very occasionally.

I use the W10 collapsed start menu which simply shows my custom arrangement of pinned tiles. I can place them in groups with headers, I can resize them and lay them out in a way which makes sense for me. I don't want or need anything else.

I think customisation and user choice are the key to a good experience. If you want recommendations, sure, turn them on. If you want widgets, just enable them. If you want a small panel of same-sized icons, fine... but if you want simple one-click access to lots of apps in a custom arrangements with group headers, allow that too.

By dumbing things down and limiting choice as they have been doing, they're just annoying lots of people, who then have to seek alternatives and workarounds.

 

[FraJa]

Their might be a company developping software so that is Win NT4 had your favourite Start Menu, you can !
And since then SOOOO many others. I envy you to, your dream happened and you are fulfilled !

I understand the customization, I once wrote a ticket on the feedback hub with the idea to let people customize it as they wanted, and since I use the start menu more like a launcher (win key + something) why not allowing it to be docked to the taskbar, as today, or when clicking the start menu button, or in the middle of the screen, ...
Also having something powerfull like the vscode command/bar (or otherwise like raycast) where command can be typed, but also associated with a button for those who click click on the start menu...

And of course some latitude regarding the cosmetic aspect of it!

But this is not possible yet, there are too many parameters that needs to be taken into account... from perf to security, hardware support for screens, mouse, touch, etc.

But it would fix the never-ending drama that is the start menu, it's not possible to please 1.5B users... And your idea of the start menu probably will not get much love... If the tiles are too big not dynamic and straight line and angles Not super appealing to me (well, that is what I did in Win10... but a time ago now.).
Personally, I don't care... I don't see much of it, and it is a gris with icons, somme shortcuts to settings, download folder etc. and the 2 last apps installed...

But if it got more than icons, but useful actions available (and well integrated of course, because, clicking an icon and then something happen, is .... expected ) But something more powerful and customizable, I think it would be popular...

Now if the tech "news" could once explain what telemetry is, and that it is unrelated to people data collection as done by Google for advertisement, ... Not MS thing at all.… then most issue would be fixed ^^ but also they must explain that it is in a all OS, including Ubuntu or RH, so many apps, plugins, extensions, etc. also on adguard and proton services ; adguard blocks MS telemetry, but not its own Just saying that because one or two articles before this one, was some "news report" with big big paranoid made up things... At some point, let's move to another victim, or why not a real guilty company: Apple ? and find something against it (less that 3 minutes, you have weeks of papers)... because it's becoming a real pain... everywhere, here at least 5 times a day.. on other sites all day long.. why ? Nobody knows... but it does feel like a sanatorium at times...
Well one thing a t a time, I understand, opening the diagnostic viewer (which is originally the reliability monitors of Vista, and the the "Problem reports" screen, with the issue you faced and whether a fix or a solution is available... That may give a better idea of it is really... and those screens are still there... instead of fueling the paranoia that is crazy on some sites or people... well tech "news", one thing at a time it seems...