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Back to the Start for struggling Windows 8?
Tue, 23rd Apr 2013
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Microsoft is rumoured to be considering reintroducing the Start button to Windows 8.1, but industry experts believe it won't make any difference.

After ditching the popular feature with the release of Windows 8, subsequent struggles have led the software giant to reconsider its stance.

The Verge reports the back-track, potentially stemmed from recent reports of declining PC sales, with the blame being laid squarely at the door, or windows, or Windows 8.

Posting the steepest decline on record during a single quarter, the 14% fall was accounted to buyers seemingly move away from Microsoft’s Windows 8 PC software.

“At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,” said Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays, IDC.

“Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market.”

If the tough decision comes in the form of a comeback Start button, it would contradict previous Microsoft rhetoric pre-Windows 8 launch.

Insisting Windows was in dire need of a makeover, a jump back to old habits would be an embarrassing gaffe for the company, essentially confirming Microsoft got it wrong.

Buoyed by a new US$2 billion cash injection this week, the Redmond company may not even think Windows 8 is broken, hence why would it need fixing?

Are you a fan of Windows 8? Does it need fixing? Tell us your thoughts below