Despite the fact that the new Start screen found in Windows 8 and Windows RT represents a future that’s almost completely free of the mouse and keyboard gestures of old, it looks like the world may not be ready for the future just yet, at least not entirely.
The latest rumors indicate that the reality of this may be settling in for Microsoft, who may move to enable the upcoming Windows Blue (also known as Windows 8.1 according to recent leaks) to boot directly to the desktop — bypassing the Start screen completely — and a return of the Start button.
As you can see from the screenshot above, an examination of the twinui.dll file in Windows 8.1 (build 9364) by Microsoft Portal discovered a line of code that indicates users may be able to immediately launch into the desktop when starting Microsoft’s upcoming operating system.
With a recently leaked video showing the Start screen in its full form in Windows Blue but no visual indication or mention of the possible return of the Start button, we’d imagine it’s likely that if the Start menu does make a comeback, it will likely lead back to the Modern UI, which begs the question as to what exactly Microsoft will plan to do with the Charms bar.
Readers should take this rumor with a grain of salt though. There’s no hard evidence that supports the rumor aside from the reports fluttering around the blogosphere and there’s no guarantee that either feature will actually make it into the final version of Windows 8.1. Still, if the rumors do prove true, then the tech world will be stuck in the past just a little while longer when the new update rolls out later this year.