Microsoft will replace the Start menu in Whistler, the follow-up to Windows 2000, with options called the "Start Panel" and "Start Page." Each is designed to provide a friendlier front-end to the programs and services on your system. The Start Panel, which will be configurable from the Start and Taskbar Properties dialog in Whistler, is hidden in the Whistler Preview that was given to testers last week, but it can be easily enabled and used in place of the standard Start menu if desired.

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