Stardock Announces Start11 v2
New Start Menu Designs, Taskbar Enhancements and Enterprise Features Now in Release Preview
Stardock announced Start11 v2 and the release preview of the industry's most advanced Start menu, today. This program allows users to fully customize the Windows 10 and 11 Start menu experience with unique features, designs, and restore classic functionality from previous versions of Windows.
New with Start11 v2 are three new Start menu styles that seamlessly blend with Windows 10 and 11. Each new style is centered around a different theme: Apps, Professional, and Launcher, and are fully customizable from top to bottom.
Start11 v2 is also enhancing the taskbar with new functionality that makes it faster to access your files and folders. With this release, you can now pin a file or folder directly to the taskbar without having to open File Explorer. And if you want to build your own quick access menu, you can turn a folder into a popup menu for quick access to frequently used files directly from the taskbar.
"This is a significant update and ships with more than two dozen new features” said Brad Sams, General Manager of Stardock Software. “And we are also introducing new enterprise features as well, including the ability to load a Start menu configuration on login, kiosk functionality that lets you lock components of the Start menu, and improved tooling for advanced deployments.”
Also new with Start11 v2 is an updated search experience with native integration with the Everything search engine. Additionally, Start11 v2 introduces the ability to backup and restore your settings from a file, improved animations when navigating within the Start menus, tinting for a unified icon experience, options for removing folders from the ‘all apps list’, and many more.
Start11 v2 is available today for a discounted price of $5.99 (reg. $6.99) during the release preview period and is also included in the award-winning Object Desktop suite. For more information, visit the Start11 v2 website here.
You just need to click the pin to start option. By default pins to the Windows startmenu will be synced to Start11 too.
Other than that we are discussing the price of a (not even large) Starbucks coffee here. That is quite ridiculous.
You do not receive free upgrades for your Windows and Office licenses?
Unless you use piracy, you should get them. You should talk to Microsoft support immediately!
Even games receive updates, major or minor, free of charge.
Currently my Cyberpunk looks very different from how it came out, and I've never had to pay double.
And it's unsense to justify double charging just because it's cheap.
If it were a new version, and called as such, there would be no problem. But if it's just an upgrade, I don't have to assume a second charge, no matter how cheap it is.
You realise how many licenses I’ve got for Stardock products? Is that the best comeback you have? I’m not the only one unhappy nor am I the only one moving to StartAllBack. I predict there will be more unhappy people. I have a right to be unhappy. But thanks for trying.
So sorry you are unhappy. As you say, you have a right to be unhappy. However, I would like to point out that most software companies specifically differentiate between product updates and product upgrades. A product "update" is a sequential improvement on existing features or bug fixes. A product "upgrade" usually involves a new version number, an improved UI, and additional features.
If you took the time to actually go through all the new features, you would find a vastly improved product. There are numerous added features which improve the flexibility of the start menu and taskbar for the user.
Also, Stardock software products are some of the most reasonably priced on the market. I paid $4.32 for the upgrade as a current user of Start11 version 1. Stardock is a for profit company and deserves to be paid for it's innovation!
I did when I subscribed to Technet.... but that's an annual Subscription fee... the same model [essentially] as Microsoft is moving to universally.
I get 'free new versions of a lot of software....no issues at all with whether its Program 1....or Program 2 ...or even Program 2 v3. I do however pay an annual subscription fee for the ease of never having to worry whether it's totally new...or only mostly new.
People really need to let naming systems rest.
When you see 'V2' just think of it as 'not the same as the original 11' and therefore it's new...
You do not receive free upgrades for your Windows and Office licenses? Unless you use piracy, you should get them. You should talk to Microsoft support immediately!Even games receive updates, major or minor, free of charge.Currently my Cyberpunk looks very different from how it came out, and I've never had to pay double.And it's unsense to justify double charging just because it's cheap. If it were a new version, and called as such, there would be no problem. But if it's just an upgrade, I don't have to assume a second charge, no matter how cheap it is.
If you are getting significant updates to your MS Office apps then you are on a subscription so you are basically buying an upgrade every year. Standalone versions of Office do not get major updates free.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-do-i-upgrade-office-ee68f6cf-422f-464a-82ec-385f65391350
The policy on updates has not changed. WindowBlinds for example had v1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,11 and most if not all of those were paid upgrades. This is true for Fences 1,2,3,4 and Groupy 1 to 2 upgrades.
I think the confusion here is the product name has a number in it and a version.
Yes I do, but because I have a subscription for MS 365 I have to pay regulary for. It is NOT free. That is not the same compared to buying single licenses! BTW, I also have an Object Desktop subscription, I pay yearly, which gives me all updates of Stardock products. And gaming is a different thing.
I think Your perspectives are weird. Cyberpunk ist still the same game and they have to make some ground for the crappy first version. Not comparable.
Moderator note: Phoenix1's comment was deleted at his request as it was posted in this thread, mistakenly.
Does this mean that V1 wont have any more fixes or features added?
As for the V1's lifespan, 2 years is a bit too early to stop adding features. But sad to say, I have noticed this is happens often with Stardock products compared to all other products I've had to pay for for the past 15 or so years, from both big and small companies.
As for the hobbyist remark, companies like RARLabs has never asked for money for any mayor updates to my knowledge (not between rar3 and rar5 formats at least, or on the WinRAR software itself, dont know what they did before I got my license around 2007).
As for the Windows/Office comment, I have a Office 2016 Pro license and I'm still getting updates, but of course, not version updates, but features are still added.
I am surprised you are getting features added to your version of office. Microsoft policy is very clear you get support for big fixes but no new features. Plus that's an extremely old version of office that's been superceded by 2021.
What other companies do is up to them and the initial purchase price of the product may be a factor.
Start11 v1 was $6 and our policy has always been clear that major updates are not free. It got a huge update with taskbar features in v1.2 but the new features in v2 are more than worthy of being a new version number. It really is a massive change.
In terms of v1, there are some bugs we found and fixed during v2 development that are liable to be backported to v1. One is a resource leak, another a potential deadlock condition. But no new features.
I updated for 4 bucks. No big deal.
with taxes added, its still almost 7 bucks for me (I know the tax isn't Stardock's fault)
But still, this feels like a bi-annual subscription without saying that it is
Not really as you can continue using the version you have if you wish as it works just fine on Windows 10 and 11 but without the new features. That wouldn't be true of a subscription service.
Well, to me personally, Microsoft has finally re-added the ungrouping feature to the Win11 taskbar, although Start11 still does it in a better way (using fixed width instead of dynamic), so despite my grievances, I got what I needed with Start11, and wont upgrade to v2, unless a feature you do add interest me, or I get it from a Humble Bundle.
Ouch, 75 percent sales tax?
There is probably a currency conversion fee in there too.
VAT tax is more pain than gain if you ask me
I still cannot find this wallpaper anywhere. Brad I think isn't wanting to share it. I've been trying AI tools to try to generate it, but they appear to not be able to. I think I've lost faith in AI for anything image related. To me now it all just seems like hype.
I definitely can relate a lot more if we go into a discussion about McDonald's food prices being too high or if we talk about Neflix price hikes. I am just not seeing that sort of thing happen with the price of Start 11 v2 at a 3.99 upgrade price even with tax. With all the things to complain about right now in regards to rising costs, start 11's price tag is pretty small potatoes in comparison.
Did those upgrades cost extra?
By the way, I installed the trial version of Start11 v2 and it feels like Start11 with additions and in no way do I see it as a new product.
The good thing is that it is cheap. No more debate on my part.
I bought the 5 license pack for $7.99, less than $2.00 each. This is way cheap, no price complaints from me. Activation however was a real pain for me.
honestly.. i dont have an issue with a new version. like a lot of software you pay for a major version. this start11 thing doesnt totaly "feel" like that to me. "this grants you a perpetual licence to version 1 of the program". vs what it is now "buy start11. at some point we gonna suprise you with a version 2 which you going to have to pay for"
startX has had its versions like start8 / start11 etc. so unless even going forward theres a start11 for windows 15 then sure... charge for major version upgrades. but if you release a start12 then thats just bad form.
im not sure the feature set in this v2 makes it worth a major version tho, but has been pointed out.. it is still cheap(ish) so w/e
my main gripes... after installing it and trying my licence a ton of times and it saying no licence found / cant authenticate i came to the forums to see wtf is going on. no where does it say "your v1 licence wont work, but dont worry we'll give you a discount if you did purchase v1"
"upgrade" doesn't totally feel like it makes that known. "upgrade from version 1" or "upgrade from previous licence" would make it a bit more clear.
would also suggest a banner near the top under (The Industry's Most Advanced Start Menu) or close to it "we're excited to release v2 of the product. so excited we're giving everyone a special introductory price, those of you with v1 licences can upgrade for even less check the upgrade licence button for more info"
the way it feels now is that the ceo went and said they need a new car and team must release their roadmap items as a standalone version in and charge for it. - the actual price doesn't matter. its the principal for most of us (i think).
you buy start11 so all versions of start 11 should be paid for once, you pay for start8... type thing. the "version" is basically linked to the OS. releasing a sub version for a fee... yeah low blow imo. what happens when start12 comes out?
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also consider what went into this "new" version.
- 3 new styles of start menu
- being able to pin files and folders to the taskbar
- being able to backup your settings
yips defs seems like a totally new version
Hello,
I have v1 and now purchased the v2 upgrade. What steps to follow in order not to loose the current settings - as I dont want to redo the whole thing again. Windows 11 user.
Many thanks in advance!
There is way more than that in the new version.
Ignoring the three new styles (Start10->Start11 added just two), it also adds in tabs, filtered folders on the pages, a large number of customization features for how it appears (font, colour, background colour, textures), options to control how the taskbar looks when a window is maximized vs not, rounded taskbar options, advanced autohide mode for the taskbar when in enhanced mode, new taskbar combine mode (combine pinned only), everything search integration (if installed), quick search on all apps, intelligent suggested apps, option to filter a folder / fence to find things quickly, option to make folders open as popup menus on the menu itself.
Plus pinning folders to the taskbar lets you open them as a menu.
It is probably the largest number of changes we have ever made in a new version of Start8/10/11.
I am just shocked at the amount of people making such a big deal out of a small 6 USD upgrade for an app that you use on a daily basis that makes Windows 11 actually usable! go look at other companies who do th same thing but at very high fees and not adding any new features, just a version number like 2022, 2023 with the same exact features.
Stop crying people! This is cheaper than a Cheese burger!
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