Article worth a 

Entirely misleading! Neither Start8 nor Classic shell will give you the "Windows 9" start menu that will be with the new update coming.

Not entirely.  You NEED such addons just to get beyond the dross that is 'standard 8' when reverting to Windows 7 is NOT an option.

It won't necessarily be 9-now but it's certainly 8-PLUS-now ...

a misguided opinion that has been fueled by reviewers too lazy to spend any legit time with it. I and many others have been using it for a long time now and it works fine. I am far more productive with it than I am navigating through dinosaur footprints of the old start menu. 

I agree that a change is needed and that should be the marriage of the modern and legacy menu, but there is no way that I can justify taking a step backwards and making my system look and act like windows7. If I want Win7, I'll install Win7. If I want to learn and be proficient with the new track that is being built then I will use the proper start menu.

Not real pleased that I can't skin it easily since no one really does anything to perform that function, but I don't spend my hours gazing at the start menu either so...

One that includes people at MS.

One that includes people who have been modding the Win GUI ever since it had one.

One that sees its [8] uptake the worst in MS history.

Need I go on?

Personally I don't care...I have several systems quite happy with 7.  8 is only there because there is a 'need' to keep responding to whatever crap MS deals us...ie...the general user.

Yet no "modding" software from the major players that even attempt to modify the GUI without forcing backwards technology in order to do so.

 You lost me there. In what way does WindowBlinds force backwards tech on anyone?

And unlike MS, the "major players" are just giving consumers what they want, and are willing to pay for to get.

To have windowblinds do anything with a start menu, one must use Start8, which is Windows 7 start menu. Backwards tech which does absolutely nothing to familiarize the end user with the new OS. Of which, many of the features will carry on to the next versions of windows.

No sense having another BS Hate 8 debate in another thread, it's pretty well pointless. I'm just sick of the bullshit headlines like in the OP. 

8 is NOT useless and hampering. It got unjustified bad rap from idiot media moguls that spent 10 mins on it before it was even released. Most of the public went in to it with those reviews in mind and also therefore deemed it shit. I even hated it at first, until I gave it a worthwhile shakedown. 

I like 8 pretty well. I don't like UEFI BIOS or SecureBoot. Total PITA!!

I have been using 8 since it's release, and have gotten used to it. I DO, however, like WindowBlinds because 8 is butt ugly without it.

I like many of the features with 8 that do, IMO, greatly improve my enjoyment of computing, but I am afraid that some Stardock programs help with that.

If I had to use 8, the way MS sold it to me, I don't think I'd be such a fan.

A healthy marriage of Windows 8 and Stardock makes everything ok for me.

I have been having a few PC troubles as of late, almost to the point of frustration to cause me to throw in the towel.

I have been accused of "flip flopping" between liking 8 and hating it. I realized that my problems mostly come from dual booting, UEFI, and secure boot.