The Evolution of Windows Start Menu

As you know, the Start menu is the centralized launching point for all applications
and tasks in the Windows operating system. However, it wasn’t always called the
Start menu.

In this little gallery of images, we’ll take a look at the evolution of the Start menu
from Windows 95 to Windows 7.
Early Prototype

In the early days of development of what would become the Windows 95 operating system, there
were three buttons on the lower left part of the screen called System, Find, and Help. The System
button had a Windows flag icon and was considered to be the main menu. The icon on the Find
button was an eye looking into a magnifying glass, and the icon on the Help button was a
question mark along with the letter I for information.

As I mentioned, the System menu was the central menu and it contained just 5 commands, of
which two survived the next phase of development: Run and Shut Down Windows. Programs
had its own icon on the desktop as did File Cabinet.

However, usability tests revealed that the word System wasn't very intuitive. The ultimate
finding of those early tests was that people needed to know where to begin, or start, when they
used the new operating system. As such, it was decided that labeling the button Start was the
best solution. In subsequent usability tests, it was discovered that people immediately clicked the
Start button and began using the menu as it was intended. As such, the menu became known as
the Start menu.
Windows 95

In its final form, Windows 95’s Start menu retained the Windows flag on the button
with the addition of the word Start. And, you can see that Help, Find, and Programs
were all put on the menu along with Run and Shut Down commands. Also added
were Documents and Settings.

Windows NT 4.0
Soon after Windows 95’s debut, Windows NT 4.0 made its appearance and it too
featured the new Start menu. As you can see it has the same base items, but its
name is emblazoned vertically along the side with a colored gradient background.

Windows 98
When Windows 98 hit the streets, its Start menu indicated its tight integration to the Internet via
the Windows Update button at the top of the menu and a duplicate of Internet Explorer’s
Favorites menu right after the Programs menu. You can see that the Log Off command became a
main part of the Start menu.

The Quick Launch toolbar also made its appearance in Windows 98 and while not technically
part of the Start menu, it did provide a similar function--the launching of applications.
Windows 2000

In Windows 2000, we saw a shift back to cleaner Start menu. Favorites were gone
and the Log off command now appeared in the Shut Down Windows dialog box.
(However, you could put the Log off command back on the Start menu, if you
wanted.)

Windows ME
The Windows Me Start menu basically looked and worked just like the Windows
2000 version.

Windows XP
When Windows XP made its debut, it was immediately apparent that the developers had
radically modernized the Start menu. So much so that they provided the option to switch back to
the Classic Start menu, so that those who were not ready for a new start menu could go back to
something familiar. The Classic Start menu looked and worked like the one from Windows 2000
and previous versions of Windows.

Windows XP’s Start menu provided a whole new paradigm with a host of features for launching
applications, accessing documents, and performing common tasks. On the top left side of the
menu, you had the Pinned items list, and below it, the Most frequently used program list. The All
Programs button provided a pop out of the familiar Programs menu. On the right side, was a list
of items that provided access to common items and made performing common tasks a real snap.
Shut down was renamed to Turn Off Computer and along with the Log Off button, had a
dedicated spot on bottom of the menu.

Windows Vista
After 6 years of Windows XP, the developers of Windows Vista decided to shake up the user
interface with Aero and made many changes to the Start menu. The most obvious was the Start
button, which changed from a box with the word Start on it to a glassy orb sporting only the
Windows flag. The next major new feature was the Start Search box, which served as the main
Search interface for the entire operating system.

The new Start menu retained the two paneled menu structure with the pinned and most recently
used applications appearing in the left panel and the standard items appearing on the right panel.
However, you can see that the standard items in the right panel no longer contain individual
icons—only text. A single icon appears at the top of the right panel and changes according to the
item you point to. For example, when you point to the Control Panel item, the Control Panel icon
appears at the top of the right panel, when you point to the Help item, the Help icon appears, and
so on. You'll also note that the ubiquitous "My" lingo was dropped. For example, My Computer
is now just Computer.

The shut down button is now just a button that can be configured to sleep or hibernate as well as
shut down. There’s also a button for locking the system and all of the shut down options appear
on a small menu adjacent to the lock icon.
The most recent version of the Start menu, in Windows 7 is almost identical in
appearance and functionality to its predecessor’s Start menu. However, you’ll
notice that the Shut down button has changed back to words and the lock icon is
gone. All shut down options appear on a small menu adjacent to the Shut down
button.