Microsoft is finally listening to what people want, rather than just telling them what they need to use for a desktop interface. Could be a sign of the times or a change in leadership at the helm of Microsoft, but news from the company’s Build Conference is that the company is bringing back the “Start Menu” by popular demand.

That’s right, Microsoft is planning reintroduce what the company is calling a new hybrid Start Menu that will combine the best of Windows 7 and the Live Tiles of Windows 8. In the demo that Microsoft showed, the new desktop interface featured a Windows 7 like Start Menu with miniature Windows 8 Live Tiles around it. While the new desktop will not replace the environment completely, the ability to run full screen Start-Menu apps will be around for those who want them. Windows 8 apps will be able to be run in a new mode that allows desktop apps to be run in the desktop environment inside their own Windows.

The bigger question is when will it arrive? Well, it will not make it into the Windows 8.1 update that will be released later this month, but instead be coming as part of a future update that will be released later this year. No word on if the update will cost money or not, but it is likely to be a free update according to the sources we spoke with.