Updated: January 30, 2013
As you all know and unanimously agree, the Windows tiled interface, known as Metro, known as Modern UI and whatever, is not a friendly beast for users without touch devices. It goes against all the known and unknown paradigms of efficiency and productivity, and as such, must be removed.
Internal switches for disabling this nonsense are no more, but some third party tools allow you to skip the Start screen and go straight into your desktop. Better yet, various third-party tools also let you enjoy the classic menu. The most notable project is the Classic Shell, which returns sanity to sane people who only want to enjoy their computers. And now, there's another little utility, called Pokki Start Menu. We checked.
Pokki tour
The name is silly, but the program seems quite decent. The installation is very simple. You grab the basic downloader, and then it will retrieve all its files from the server, so you do need an Internet connection when setting up Pokki.
Once installed, you gain a little icon where the Start menu button was supposed to be, and this will open a dark-gray dominated menu somewhat like the old stuff, but not quite.
You can check your favorites, browse all apps, go into the Control Panel, access your documents, as well as browse and install various apps from the Pokki App Store, so it's not just a shell replacement, it's an entire bundle, also designed to entice you to try and buy various other Pokkiproducts.
I found the notion of offering me apps, including stupidities like Angry Turds and Facebook contrary to the logic of having a classic start menu installed. After all, if I want these silly apps, then I am probably using the Modern UI, perhaps on a tablet, and then I sure do not need your menu. On the other, if I'm on a desktop, why the hell would I want to install silly apps?
Never mind all that, let's explore some more. Anyhow, here are a few more screenshots of the menu, with its various sub-categories. If, at all times, and for some weird reason, you do feel like going back to your stupid tiled interface, you can click the little grid icon near the Shut Down option, and this will flip your desktop.
The search function is also quite decent, plus you get Web suggestions, which you can turn off if you don't like them. My recommendation is to turn them off, so you do not forward your private queries to the Pokki servers. Much like the Amazon drama in Ubuntu.
Apps
Going back to apps, if you really must, and you do not like the Microsoft store or you seem incapable of downloading software on your own, then you can use the Pokki store. On a first glance, most of the stuff looks rather trivial and socially oriented. So perhaps the project does cater mostly to less knowledgeable users and whatnot.
Settings
Right-click on the Pokki button, and you can open the settings menu, which lets you configure the system behavior. You can enable or disable the so-called charms and hot corners, decide whether you wish to boot directly to your desktop, use the sidebar, the aforementioned Web results, and more. Flexible and simple.
Conclusion
If you ask me, Classic Shell is the way to go. It's a simple, no-nonsense fix for the integral stupidity of Windows 8. Moreover, the project does not try to sell you anything, does not try to get you onboard the useless apps train, and does not try to sell you a social replacement for a social disaster. Free, GPL, all that.
Regardless, Pokki seems like a decent refuge for confused and lost Windows users, who just want their Start menu back. And if they don't mind some extras, like the ability to install all kinds of programs, some extra Web searches and alike, then Pokki is a suitable replacement, adorned with a fair degree of simplicity and elegance. Plus, most importantly, it does offer the needed core functionality and does not impair your productivity.
You should definitely try it. For purists though, Classic Shell is the answer.
Cheers.
Source: http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/pokki-start-menu.html
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Clipping coupons can save a lot of money, but it can also waste a lot of time. You don't have to join the ranks of extreme couponers to ensure you get a great deal. With a few tips and tools, you can automate those discounts and save yourself money without any of the work. 
Sometimes you come across a product you love but don't have the money to buy, or would simply prefer to pay less. Wishlists help you remember these products so you can come back and buy them later when your situation changes. That said, you're only making a list. Price alerts make for a better, more functional alternative.
Despite your best efforts, sometimes you'll miss a better price because you don't know about a store or you just forgot to check. To avoid this problem, you just need to install one of our favorite browser extensions (available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari): Invisible Hand. Whenever you're shopping, invisible hand will check its database to try and find a lower price. Whether you've got the best one or there's a better option available, it'll let you know through a bar at the top the web page. It even works with flight search. You don't have to do anything other than look at it when it shows up.
When you need to make a purchase sooner than later, you can still get a discount. Several sites exist that allow you to look up coupons and discount codes to save on almost anything you can buy online, but CouponFollow can add their database into your (Chrome or Firefox) web browser with an extension called Coupons at Checkout. Rather than going to their site, you can simply click on the coupon field while you're checking out at most online retailers and you'll see a list of discount codes automatically. This way you can find one that works without expending the effort. Larger retailers that carry many kinds of items (like Amazon) may have many coupons that do not relate to your purchase, so the system isn't ideal. Still, you only have to go through a list and test a few to find a working code. Another amazing Chrome extension called Honey will test out and apply the best code for you, saving you every last bit of coupon effort. While it supports a slightly smaller number of retailers and doesn't work on Firefox, if you don't care about either of those things it's a better option. Either way, employ one of these extensions and you won't miss a deal you might otherwise forget or not bother to look up.
Numerous discounts you'll actually want won't show up through clever tools or alerts, so you'll need to pay attention to newsletters. To avoid scanning every one of them all day long, you can simply create a unique Gmail account to receive them all and forward on the ones that match what you're looking for. Just follow these steps to set up your custom discount monitoring system:
Just like you can create price alerts and instant coupon notifications through your browser, you can get similar functionality for the shopping lists on your smartphone (although most relate to groceries). If you have an iPhone, Pushpins can find coupons based on the items in your shopping list. In fact, it found coupons at my local Vons store that the official Vons app couldn't. Grocery iQ offers a similar experience on both Android and iPhone (and we have a guide about all of its neat features). Zipongo does, too, but focuses on healthy eating. The InvisibleHand app for iPhone allows you to save and watch prices on more than just groceries, but unfortunately there is no Android version currently available. Generally speaking you'll find deals more easily through your browser, but having a few mobile options doesn't hurt.
No coupon tool covers every single discount, even if you create it yourself. Sometimes retail stores offer local discounts that you just won't find online?or at least not as easily as national offers. While you don't want to check for local coupons every time you're shopping, you'll want to have shopping apps available for when you're actually at the store. Sure, they'll have coupon pages printed and available at the entrance in most cases, but when you have the app on your phone you can carry around those discounts on your phone. For example, Target makes this very easy by knowing your location and helping you find your preferred store. After making a selection, the app will provide coupons specific to the store you're shopping at. Other store apps may do this as well, or at least provide easy access to standard offers without the need to go searching for them online.
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