The Verge’s Tom Warren:

Microsoft is planning to change the way its Start Screen operates with the release of Windows 8.1. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed to The Verge that the company is currently testing builds of Windows 8.1, known as codename Windows Blue, that include an option to boot directly to the traditional desktop.

I don’t understand this need to have one device that “does everything” (crappily), but if you’re going to do that it seems it needs to operate in two different visually distinct modes: touch and desktop. The user either needs to switch modes or the device needs to detect which mode it’s being used in. It’s not certain what Windows Blue will offer yet, but simply capitulating and allowing users to turn off Metro is not a solution to the problem they’ve created for themselves. It might be a solution to using Windows 8x on the desktop, but getting people to use their software on the desktop wasn’t their real problem.