Where do you want to go today?

17 years ago, on the back of a huge advertising campaign (video below), Microsoft launched one of the most recognizable mainstays of computing: the Start button. It’s hard to quantify the reach of the Start button, but given the number of PCs in the world and Microsoft’s three-decade-long reign of supremacy, I don’t think it’s an overestimation to say that the Start button, emblazoned with the Windows flag, is one of the world’s most recognized symbols.

In Windows 8, Microsoft is killing the Start button. Come fall and the release of the new operating system the corner-hugging Windows flag will vanish, replaced by a soulless “hot corner.” Now, instead of clicking the Start button to flip to the new full-screen Metro-style Start Screen, you simply flick your mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen; or touch it with your finger, of course.

But what does Microsoft actually gain by removing the Start button? A few poxy pixels, that’s it. Seriously, take a long look at the screenshot below: If you’re a long-time Windows user, how do you get to the Start Screen? It’s even worse for first-time users: There’s no visual cue at all for returning to the Metro interface.

It seems unbelievable that Microsoft would kill one of its strongest trademarks just to squeeze in one more app icon onto the Super Bar — but then again, this is the same Microsoft that killed the Start menu and replaced it with a full-screen launcher. The only logical reason I can think of is that Microsoft didn’t want the Start orb to conflict with the flag button in the Charms menu (on the right, in the screenshot at the top of this story).

Microsoft will release the Windows 8 Consumer Preview public beta in a couple of weeks. It’s possible that the Start button will reappear by then, but a source at Microsoft tells us that we shouldn’t get our hopes up. It’s also worth noting that the Windows key on your keyboard is not going away and will have the same function as it has today: It’ll pop up the Start screen.

[Image credit]