I'll just say that again so it sinks in: Windows 8 has no Start button.

What it has is a tablet-friendly Start packed with tiles. It's very pretty, and probably quite pleasant on a tablet, but fairly crummy on a current-model desktop or laptop.

Things get a lot more familiar-looking if you click the Desktop tile--ahh, the Windows we know and love--but once again, .

Which begs the question: How exactly are you supposed to navigate the Desktop without one?

Thankfully, a growing number of programs (including ) can restore Start for you. The one I'm testing now is called , and it instantly transformed Windows 8 into an operating system I can actually use on my trusty old Acer laptop.