One of the central complaints around Windows 8, beyond the fact that it’s blatantly designed to be used on a tablet instead of a PC, is the fact that there’s no Start button. In practice, it takes all of five minutes to get used to the new way of doing things, unless you’re stubborn and like to bellyache. But for those of you who just can’t let it go, Microsoft will give you a Start button. Of sorts.
Yes, the Start button will be an actual, physical thing built into a mouse. Lest you think we’re joking, here’s Microsoft’s explanation for these things:
The Sculpt Comfort Mouse has a touch-sensitive blue strip on its side called the Windows touch tab that makes it easy to navigate Windows 8 with just the touch or swipe of a finger. When pressed, it of course takes you to your Start screen, just like the Windows buttons on keyboards, PCs and tablets [and] the Sculpt Mobile Mouse is the latest evolution of the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 – with a Windows button which works great on Windows 7 or Windows 8.
So, basically, it’s a Start button, just made into an actual button. It’s kind of surprising there was so much demand for the old system that Microsoft felt a compelling need to build these things, but, hey, for $40 you can just skip trying to explain Windows 8 to your parents and tell them “Press this blue thing on the side, it’ll show you what you need.” And as anybody who has to explain computers to family members will tell you, that’s $40 well spent.