Microsoft heard the complaints, and is bringing the Start button back in Windows 8.1. The problem? They heard, but they didn’t listen.

The Start button itself isn’t really all that useful. What’s useful about the Start button in previous versions of Windows is what happens when you click it: a menu appears. Of course, that menu has been criticized for years, but it’s still the only practical way to see a list of what’s possible on your computer.

With Windows 8.1, Microsoft has brought back the Start button, but pressing it just takes the user to the new Start screen (the one with the tiles). Useless. Apparently the Start screen has an “All apps” section that can be configured to look somewhat similar to a traditional menu, but this menu would be incomplete at best.

In public discussion on this subject, Microsoft spends a lot of time talking about branding, desktop wallpaper on the Start screen, and the ability to boot to the desktop. They also apparently realized that on a computer with no menu, searching is the only way to find anything, so search has been ‘improved’ to Windows 7 functionality.

On the positive side, it will once again be possible to have more than one program or window visible on the screen simultaneously, although that feature will also be limited.

Here’s a roundup of related articles from around the web:

• In Blue: Start Experience Changes
• Windows 8.1: Microsoft brings back the Start button with options to appease desktop users
• Windows 8.1 preview: many small tweaks make for a significant update
• Windows 8.1 given first official outing, and yes, the Start button is back

Update 2012Jun03: Peter Bright over at Ars Technica also noticed that the Start menu won’t be back in Windows 8.1, although I disagree with his conclusions.