Just wanted to get everyones opinion on which start menu is better...BTW (if you selected it), please post your comments for the Classic start menu below. Thankz...

I've used all three as well (Classic, XP, Vista).

I love the search feature in the Vista start menu. It's like having a command prompt with %PATH% equal to every folder in the system.

With XP start menu, it can fill the screen with sub menus trying to get to the app, but Vista's just expands in the 2nd column.

It's that screen space saving feature that made me vote XP. Perhaps they could have made it look more obvious it was a submenu/subfolder by making the deeper level move over a little more (perhaps 1/2 inch or so). Then it would probably be no contest as I REALLY like the search feature in Vista start menu.

Or just perhaps I haven't played with all the options in both start menus to make them perfect. (It is possibly there are so many registry settings I've altered in my unattended discs over the years that XP is no where near it's default )

XP, probably because I'm used to it. I hate Vista's menu, it's all compressed, I hate having to scroll down to find something. Never got used to the search either lol, I'd rather just know where everything is.

definiatly classic, ive always hated how the xp one took half the screen before you even went to programs, and i thought the vista one was just weird

I like the XP one because its less scrolling I have to do to open programs.

The search bar of Vista is handy though :/

I like the XP one. Although people complain about the programs menus flowing over the screen, I like that much better than the vista method - I like to be able to see all the options available without having to scroll up and down, and I simply can't stand the way it all stays in one frame - it makes it harder to see where you came from. Then there's the shutdown button that took however many years to make. I don't like it. It's unclear what its default action is, as there's no indication of that without side-clicking on it. The classic shutdown dialog is much better.

Just my $0.02.

I like the XP one. I hate the Vista one, its just annoying that you have to scroll down and doesn't even open in a different menu, it overlaps the current one which I find annoying.

As for the classic one, its alright but looks kinda plain.

Preferring the XP bar is a cop out, yes, Vista is new and different (people hate that) but that new search bar is the best thing added to Windows in a long time. Let's be honest here people, 99% of Windows users are everyday Joes, and I'll bet you when they clicked Search in the XP or 2000 bar, they didn't realize it was about filenames and the list of questions on the left side are kind of pointless. All these users wanted to know is "where is that calculator".

No I don't think the Vista bar is perfect, actually I hate the new scrolling system of folders, but the Search Bar is the best thing since the Start bar.

Everybody knows how web search engines work, and that's how an OS search should work. I want to be able to type in "video" and get all videos on my system, not all the files/folders with the name video.

As this search matures, it will have help and such, it makes perfect sense for somebody to just type "error 1234" and expect internal help & MS knowledge base articles appear on that matter.

The fact MS is going with a SQL based file system that won't be displayed in a folder hierarchy shows even MS realizes the concept of folders in folders is as outdated UI to browse a massive storage device. Yes, the actual stored may be composed of folders, but why does John Doe care, all he knows is he has a bunch of documents, MP3s, videos, etc, and with today's CPU power, amount of ram and massive HDs makes the whole folder thing show it's age.

Edited March 21, 200818 yr by TravisO

XP, probably because I'm used to it. I hate Vista's menu, it's all compressed, I hate having to scroll down to find something. Never got used to the search either lol, I'd rather just know where everything is.

Same here. I like the search but I don't like to scroll through the menu.

definiatly classic, ive always hated how the xp one took half the screen before you even went to programs, and i thought the vista one was just weird

XPize skin: Luna Royale Black compact version. Makes the menu slimmer.

Edited April 19, 200818 yr by puntoMX

but that would require me to run the themes service and i dont feel like doing that, i really need to nlite my xp install cause i dont have enough ram

but that would require me to run the themes service and i dont feel like doing that, i really need to nlite my xp install cause i dont have enough ram

So try the themes service if you can spare a couple of megs.

Otherwise you're out of luck. You're going to have to use the Classic Start if you want it slim.

Classic... I don't see the point in making it look "Pertty". Its a computer not a bedroom... But then I'v been using computer since Windows 95. (And I would not be suprised if some people here have never heard of Windows 95.) I do prefer Windows 95 over what we have now, cause it just worked. No crashing, no desktop missing for a few seconds.... But like everything else, no one is happy till they tweak it till it breaks.

XP start menu FTW. For usability and looks. Too bad it can't be put in 98/Me too.

Been using windows since 3.0 (Yeah that long) Use to use an old Commodor64 and a T-1 (Or whatever the hell the name was) And I must say I like the XP interface best of all. Now I am on Vista and with a custom theme it is pallate-able BUT the start menu sucks balls.

Edited April 11, 200818 yr by Kelsenellenelvian

XP start menu anyday. Not that i ever use it, i think i know the run command for everything il ever need lol