The start menu replacer for Win8, styled and integrated inside taskbar.

Benefits:

  • No system files patching;
  • No hooks over system objects;
  • No app-init DLLs;
  • No additional services, drivers, etc;
  • No trash in registry;
  • No installation – just unpack and launch;
  • Small, fast and powerful;
  • Open-source;

What it can do already:

  1. Launches :) and positions itself in the Taskbar opposite to Show Desktop button. For XP, it places itself over Start button;
  2. Styled similar to Show Desktop button (as in Developer Preview);
  3. Power and session features:
    • Shutdown;
    • Sleep;
    • Hibernate;
    • Restart;
    • Log off;
    • Lock screen (start screensaver);
    • Lock Windows;
  4. Displays expanding “All Programs” menu as it was back in old good XP&98 time:
    • With real icons;
    • With real descriptions (from desktop.ini);
    • Click to launch item;
  5. On main button right-click:
    • Allows to toggle auto-start;
    • Allows to enable automatic check for updates;
    • Allows to block Metro corner mouse rectangles;
    • Allows to show About window;
    • Allows to exit application;
  6. Context menu over menu items (Open folder, Open common folder, Run, Run as Administrator, …):
  7.  
  8. (screenshot taken under WindowsXP SP3 RU, take a note on how Power8 uses system localized elements);
  9. Activated by hot key (Alt+Z)
  10. Checks for updates
  11. Has dedicated special menued folder buttons: open folder or show the menu with contents
  12. Can search your PC and Internet 3 different ways
    • Immediate All Programs and Most Frequently Used (MFU) applications search;
    • Windows Search returned results;
    • Support for internet search (like “w driver”);
  13. Shows MFU history taken from system
  14. Shows Jump Lists for MFU elements
    • System Jump Lists for Windows 7 and 8, when obtainable;
    • Elements from internal JL engine for all supported OS.
  15. Allows you to pin/unpin MFU elements;
  16. Localized (see languages list above);
  17. Allows you to configure various settings in the settings window
Download Power 8 here