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Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 Start button likely won’t stop the Windows 8 hate

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Start Button Video
The moment many Windows fans have been waiting for has arrived — sort of. We now have a video of Windows 8.1′s new Start button in action. In a video filmed this week at Computex 2013 in Taipei by IDG News, a Microsoft representative showed off how the new Start button will work on the Windows 8.1 desktop mode. Anyone who was hoping for a return of the traditional Start button in its entirety is bound to be disappointed, however: The new Start button brings up the same Live Tiles interface that users see when they exit the desktop screen. The difference, though, is that bringing up the Live Tiles menu doesn’t boot you out of the desktop screen now, acting instead as an overlay. It’s still not a traditional Start button, but a free app is available for those seeking a more traditional Windows experience. The video demonstration showing the new Start button is posted below.

Windows 8 Hits the Small Screen as it Arrives on 8-Inch Acer Tablet

Acer on Sunday announced what is expected to be the first of many smaller tablets from PC makers running the full version of Windows 8.
Acer Iconia W3 horizontal Win 8 angle
The Taiwanese computer maker announced the Iconia W3, a 1.1-pound Intel-powered tablet that also comes pre-loaded with the home and student version of Office.
“With the Iconia W3, Acer is giving those who create, read, work and play in the Windows environment a device they can hold in one hand that does it all,” Acer Chief Marketing Officer Michael Birkin said in a statement.
The device will come in 32GB and 64GB versions and will be available for pre-order starting Tuesday. The 32GB version carries a $379 suggested price and the 64GB version has a $429 sticker price, but even lower prices may be out there when the devices go up for order on Tuesday.
The Iconia W3 debuted at a press conference at the start of the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer also introduced the Aspire S7 and S3 Ultrabooks an the Liquid S1 phablet.
The S1, due to start selling in the third quarter, is Acer’s first entry into the phablet space and packs a quad-core processor and a 1280-pixel-by-720-pixel screen onto a 5.7-inch display. Among its features is the ability to multitask with one app, such as Caller ID, floating above another.