Microsoft aims to simplify with Windows 8.1 - Business - The Boston Globe

Ensuring the continued success of Windows 7

"Microsoft believes the start-up screen replaces the need for a button, but its omission has ranked among the biggest gripes about Windows 8.
Microsoft is hoping to quiet the critics by resurrecting an omnipresent Windows logo anchored in the lower left corner. Users will also be able to ensure their favorite applications, including Word and Excel, appear in a horizontal tool bar next to the Windows logo. Accessing apps outside the toolbar will still require using the tiles or calling them up in a more comprehensive search engine included in the Windows 8.1 updates."

Microsoft aims to simplify with Windows 8.1 - Business - The Boston Globe