14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that Microsoft is working to bring back the traditional Start button in the next Windows release, expected to see daylight this summer, but no confirmation has been provided so far.
Paul Thurrott of WinSuperSite.com writes that the decision was made by some high-profile Microsoft executives who “overrules objections from the Windows team,” which most likely wanted to stick to the Start Screen.
While it's not yet clear whether a Start button would be enabled by default or only offered as an option, it appears that Microsoft is working to launch it together with a dedicated setting to bypass the Start Screen and boot directly to the desktop, thus skipping the new Metro UI.
According to reports on the matter, the Start button might be back by the end of this year, as Microsoft is planning to launch Windows 8.1, the first major upgrade to its flagship operating system, sometime this summer.