Windows 8 mouse

[PeterBJ]

I went to an Aldi supermarket today and found the mouse, but the package had no type/model number and no useful info, so I didn't buy it. I use the freeware program "Classic shell" to bring back the start button and start menu, so I am able to use Windows 8 in a way I am familiar with.

 

[The Hat]

PeterBJ
I didnt get a chance to find out anything about your questions on the subject of the mouse buttons earilier sorry.

They work the same in 8 as they do in 7, you can go forwards to open any window or reopen the previous one
you had opened earlier when using these extra buttons on the sides of your mouse.

I was a traditional mouse man myself and hated anything to do with WI-FI (Still do)
but the radio frequency wireless mouse is different, it acts the very same as a wired mouse but with no tail to get in the way.

I mainly work with the Logitech Performance MX Darkfield mouse which uses a dark laser light that works even on glass
and I also have a Lidl bought Logitech mini mouse which uses an LED optical sensor it works great on my laptop too.

The speculation is that the Classic shell will not be interfered with in any way
when the upgrade comes out on the 17th; so you can look forwards to installing it.

I find it just as easy to use the shortcut keys to navigate around the desktop
and or to shut down your computer in the same way its done on a Mac,
if you have a problem using the new O/S then stick with the Win 7 platform.

The new win 8 has gotten away from the old explorer window idea and has gone back to the Win 3.1 method
of using a Program manager type window and its only a matter of getting use to it again, well me I'm sticking with Win 7.

 

[stratman]

I've been using Classic Shell to make Windows 8 look like 7 again.

I don't like that Explorer now has a Ribbon like Office and no File/Edit menu so moving files around is a pain for anyone used to the other way. I think I'll be getting a used system with 7 to use at home.

There are always enterprising people who figure out fixes. As I am about to migrate to Windows 8, I read your issues with interest. I have spent several hours today reading on fixes and 3rd party applications. For interest, early on I found this free manual workaround to get an XP-like toolbar for the Win 8 Explorer Ribbon: http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-win...indows-8-explorer-without-using-any-software/.

Along the way I found a wealth of fixes and apps to make Win 8 do what I want. It is a damn shame that Microsoft decided to not bridge the GUI gap between versions of operating systems better - like be able to revert to "Classic" OS look - but the guts of the Win 8 OS are stronger and tighter than in Win 7 from what I understand. Gotta love the new Windows Task Manager. With the fixes and 3rd party apps, I can live on the Desktop with familiar interfacing while taking advantage of the stability, speed and other upgrades the OS brings. It will just take a helluva lot more work than it should have. Then again, it took me many months to finally get Win XP to where I wanted it.

Google is your best friend. Unless you have money to pay for The Hat's son to customize your computer.

 

[PeterBJ]

The Hat Wrote:

I didnt get a chance to find out anything about your questions on the subject of the mouse buttons earilier sorry.

Never mind. After I installed "Classic shell" I have no problems using the desktop UI in the traditional way, with mouse and keyboard. As for the Windows 8 mouse I think the only special Windows 8 feature is that it is compatible with Windows 8, but so are a lot of other mice. As for the Metro UI I found out a bit more about using it, but I will be using it very rarely, so no problem.

stratman wrote:

Along the way I found a wealth of fixes and apps to make Win 8 do what I want. It is a damn shame that Microsoft decided to not bridge the GUI gap between versions of operating systems better - like be able to revert to "Classic" OS look - but the guts of the Win 8 OS are stronger and tighter than in Win 7 from what I understand. Gotta love the new Windows Task Manager. With the fixes and 3rd party apps, I can live on the Desktop with familiar interfacing while taking advantage of the stability, speed and other upgrades the OS brings. It will just take a helluva lot more work than it should have. Then again, it took me many months to finally get Win XP to where I wanted it.

I agree. If Microsoft had kept the start button and start menu in the desktop UI they could have avoided a lot of criticism. I don't understand the rationale behind their decision, we are still a lot that use a traditional desktop computer with traditional mouse and keyboard and a traditional non-touch monitor.

Thanks for the link to customizing the Explorer. I might give that a try.

It also also takes me a long time before I have a new computer/OS adapted to suit my likes and needs, so I have decided to keep the Windows 8 instead of staring all over with Windows 7 on the new computer.

The reason I got very angry and disappointed with Microsoft was that I feared my Canon printers were reduced to a pile of junk, no longer usable for photo printing. Luckily I managed to install them and get them working properly, without problems, even if most of them are not officially supported by Windows 8. My list of Canon printers installed on Windows 8: i965 and Pixmas 2700, 3600, 4000, 4200, 5200, and 6600D. I think that my problem with my favourite test picture in TIFF format was caused by some Windows 8 quirk; a file conversion solved that problem.


So luckily the situation is much better than the hardware compatibility list for Windows 8 suggests. I think Canon owners need not fear this new OS

 

[stratman]

My list of Canon printers installed on Windows 8: i965 and Pixmas 2700, 3600, 4000, 4200, 5200, and 6600D.

Very happy to read this. Excellent!

I know my MP830 is compatible. I could try to get my ~10 year old Panasonic parallel port laser printer working but will give it to my nephew or a friend and get a new USB laser printer. There are parallel port to USB port cables but also various reports of failure with Windows 8 64-bit OS. Even the description on one of the cables states will not work with 64-bit OS. I'll be installing Windows 8 Pro 64-bit.

Thanks for the update. Best wishes on your system.

 

[PeterBJ]

Hi stratman

Don't give up using the parallel port laser printer with Windows 8 64 bit yet. I have a USB to parallel port converter cable so I did a test with that cable and the Pixma 4000 that has both USB and parallel port.

I did a two step install. First I connected the converter cable to the Win 8 computer. It installed without problems. I then connected the cable to the Pixma 4000 and turned the printer on. No reaction. After the printer had finished its startup routines, I unplugged and replugged the converter cable from the computer, and the computer now installed a copy of the Pixma 4000. The Pixma 4000 is now also able to also print normally via the parallel port.

My converter cable works with Win 8 64 bit, I cannot tell if all converter cables will work, but Windows Update had a driver for my cable.

The install was similar to the installs I did in Win Vista and 7: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6784 and http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6767

 

[stratman]

Hmm Maybe I will give the Parallel to USB cable a try. Thank you for the information!

 

[stratman]

Update

Built my new machine and loaded Windows 8 Pro 64 bit. There was much to learn, both hardware and software, since I last built a computer several years ago and so the whole experience took much longer than anticipated.

Windows 8 is no where as horrible to adapt to as I thought it would be. I have not installed any Start button apps but I have customized several things via software controls already available in Windows 8. The one disappointment was not being able to use the simple Outlook Express and I did not like the workaround to use POP3 with the native email app. I migrated to Thunderbird and after a couple days find it quite sufficient.

I have installed only a fraction of my software so far but everything has worked in the new OS environment. Installing the Canon MP830 was as simple as plugging it into the USB port and Windows 8 found the driver (via internet I believe) and I was able to print. I ended up manually installing the Windows 8 compatible drivers and applications and it all appears to be copacetic. I have not yet installed either the Printer Driver Add-On Module or my disk printing software Acoustica CD Label Maker. Will let you know how these work out.

Once I was able to get my Thermaltake BlacX eSATA docking station to function, something reportedly not functioning with Windows 8 from my reading though all it took was Plug and Play, I knew the printer was going to work as well. Consequently, I have hope that my parallel port laser printer may work with an appropriate adapter cable.

Overall I like Windows 8, though I know I have plenty of tweaking.

PeterBJ -- Thank you for the information on the printers in a windows 8 environment. You have been more helpful in a few messages than all the politicians in the USA for years!

 

[PeterBJ]

Thank you for the thanks and the feed-back.

Yes please also later report success/failure with CD printing under Windows 8. I think info like this will be of great interest for American members who have enabled CD printing: Does CD printing work with the Windows Update supplied driver and the add-on-module from the British Canon website, or is it necessary to also get a printer driver from Canon UK and is "CD label print" from Canon necessary for third party CD printing programs to run?

I think support of Outlook Express ended with Windows XP. Instead you could download a free mail program from Microsoft, if I remember correctly it was named Windows Mail. Firefox and Thunderbird are my preferred browser and mail program.

 

[Mowerman90]

The solution that I came up with for W8 (or in my case W8.1) was to install "StartisBack" and I also purchased a Logitech T650 wireless Rechargeable Touchpad.
It uses a USB dongle that also works with my Logitech M570 wireless trackball. I can use them both switching from one to the other as I see fit. The touchpad enables me to use all of the hand gestures that the Metro UI requires and I use the trackball for the desktop version of the operating system. So far the touchpad hasn't needed recharging and I've been using it for several weeks. The battery in the trackball lasts for about 4 or 5 months without changing.