From the AllthingsD interview (http://allthingsd.com/20110601/up-next-at-d9-microsoft-windows-president-steven-sinofsky-live-at-d9/ http://allthingsd.com/201106

From the AllthingsD interview (http://allthingsd.com/20110601/up-next-at-d9-microsoft-windows-president-steven-sinofsky-live-at-d9/ http://allthingsd.com/20110601/up-next-at-d9-microsoft-windo...): 4:57 pm: Could an OEM make a tablet in which the user would never see “traditional” Windows? Larsen-Green: You can’t turn the desktop off. You can choose never to go there…but it’s always there. 4:59 pm: Likewise, by the way, you can’t really turn off the new Windows. It is the start screen. Another quote from the Thisismynextliveblog(http://live.thisismynext.com/Event/Microsofts_Steven_Sinofsky_live_from_D9 http://live.thisismynext.com/Event/Microsofts_Steven_Sinofsk...): Walt: So, if I'm a developer. Am I confronted by a philosophical difference between an app that uses a mouse, or one that is for touch or for a tablet. You call this touch first, but in terms of the apps, if you're saying hey this is Windows. Then I have to figure out — it really affects the way I design my app Julie: You design for touch, and then we translate the touch commands to mouse and keyboard. Walt: And that won't seem clunky? Julie: No. Julie: You go through with the arrow keys, the mouse, using the Windows key... Walt: You're keeping the Windows key? Julie: Yes, that's how you get to Start. So the Win8 start menu is the reverse of the current Windows 7 touch UI situation. It's a Touch UI added on to it, as opposed to the reverse. Most people barely even touch the "All programs button" in the current Start menu as they can just Start-search or use a Pin/Desktop shortcut, so as long as this new Start menu has the Search/Run functionality baked you're missing NOTHING, and can just stay in desktop mode whilst barely touching start.