I have just read this:

Windows 8 users hoping for a return of the traditional Start button and Start menu in Windows 8.1 may be disappointed.
Rumors have floated recently that Microsoft may revive the familiar Start button in the Windows 8.1 update scheduled for release later this year. A new report today from The Verge claims that "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans" have confirmed the return of the Start button.
But -- and there always seems to be a "but" -- the new Start button apparently will not trigger a traditional Start menu but instead simply bounce users back to the Start screen, according to The Verge's sources. If true, that means the button would serve the same role as the Start screen thumbnail that appears when you move your mouse to the lower left "hot" corner.
Excuse me? Assuming The Verge's sources are correct, I guess such a Start button would benefit people who don't know they can access the Start screen thumbnail by hovering over the left corner. Otherwise, I don't see the advantage in a Start button that just brings you back to the Start screen.
Here's the link:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57...al-start-menu/