Live Tiles will be removed from the Windows 10 Start menu, the biggest redesign since 2012.

A few days ago we got the first rumors about this change. That's when we learned that the Live Tiles would be replaced by large static icons for each app you want pinned to the Start Menu.

Now we have a clearer view of what the (alleged) menu will look like, courtesy of the Italian technology blog, Aggiornamenti Lumia, which already gave us an early look at the new icons. Here it is:

The change has been confirmed by Microsoft itself, which has also released a daylight mode:

It seems that Microsoft has not only cut away the live tile and replaced it with a simple, larger icon. It has also streamlined the entire menu neatly, with a new row of icons, separating common system functions such as File Explorer, Settings, and Power with a simple first row that also acts as a spacer to make the entire menu more airy.

Live Tiles was actually a good idea first introduced in Windows Phone. It answered two simple UX questions. First, why waste space with static app icons when you can convey information at a glance? And why make users open the app when a quick glance at the screen can give them a glimpse of what's cooking, whether it's weather, messages, or a summary of notifications?

The concept of UX started with Windows Media Center and grew with Zune before adopting its final form with Windows Phone 7. From there, it was adopted in many Microsoft operating systems, from the Xbox 360 and Xbox One user experience to Windows Phone and Windows 8. Live Tile was key to the convergence of tablet and desktop in the form of Surface hardware and software.

However, with the failure of Windows Phone, people seemed to care less about Microsoft Metro and Live Tiles. Developer adoption was slow, and eventually Microsoft stopped updating them, effectively killing them off.

However, there is a glimmer of hope: according to The Verge, Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager for Windows Insider, "Live Tiles are not going away. People who enjoy Live Tiles will continue to enjoy Live Tiles," he said. From the screenshots, it doesn't look like that is the case. Perhaps there are plans to use Live Tiles in future versions of Windows.

In any case, it would be a shame to see it go, as it was a good concept, but ruined by circumstances and not-so-good execution.