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General => General => Topic started by: addicted2dvd on January 10, 2015, 07:10:58 PM

Title: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 10, 2015, 07:10:58 PM
While Britt was here visiting I noticed her computer was in really bad shape. Missing keys and a cracked (and bleeding color around the crack) screen being only part of what is wrong with it.

Well I had an extra big paycheck this week... what with Holiday Pay for working Christmas, overtime and a couple paid vacation days I took. So I decided to take a good portion of that money and get a new laptop so I could send her my current one... which even though a couple years old is in perfect condition. I ended up going to Best Buy to get this laptop bundle...

(http://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9999/pcmprd236800050005_sa.jpg)

HP 15-g020dx Laptop, Internet Security Software, Sleeve, Mouse & Flash Drive Package

Key laptop features: 15.6" HD display; AMD A6 quad-core accelerated processor; 4GB memory; 1TB hard drive; Windows 8.1

Laptop also features: AMD Radeon HD 8400 graphics; DVD®RW/CD-RW drive; webcam with digital microphone; SD memory card slot; wireless networking (802.11b/g/n); HDMI output; stylish finish in black licorice


Granted it is nothing special. But it is an upgrade from what I had and is not bad for being such a cheap laptop. I must say that so far I am not all that impressed with Windows 8.1... but think I will eventually get used to it.


I need to get Filezilla and my info back for updating my phpdvdprofiler. As I accidentally deleted that info while cleaning out the old laptop... so some help would be appreciated there Karsten.  :bag:

I do have profiler back in but haven't put the latest beta in yet. I will see what the next beta release lists to see if I will install it or wait till the official release.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: MEJHarrison on January 12, 2015, 06:49:15 PM
Congratulations Pete!  Looks like a nice machine.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Achim on January 13, 2015, 05:18:41 AM
Yes, congrats from me too. It's always fun to fiddle about with a new machine...

Windows 8.1 is better than it's reputation. Only the concept of the start menu is somewhat different to before, which does indeed need some getting used to.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Mustrum_Ridcully on January 13, 2015, 11:37:15 AM
Windows 8.1 is better than it's reputation. Only the concept of the start menu is somewhat different to before, which does indeed need some getting used to.

Most of those problems will be fixed with Win10.
There are (unconfirmed) rumours (http://www.idigitaltimes.com/windows-10-free-upgrade-will-windows-81-users-get-newest-version-os-without-having-pay-it-386841) that there will be a free upgrade for users of Win 8.1
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: DSig on January 13, 2015, 06:40:27 PM
<G> and win8 was supposed to be some great new thing <G>.  I really hope they have learned a bit from 8 that a computer is not the same thing as a phone.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: MEJHarrison on January 13, 2015, 06:50:34 PM
Windows 8.1 is better than it's reputation. Only the concept of the start menu is somewhat different to before, which does indeed need some getting used to.

I have to agree here.  It probably also helps that I never dealt with Windows 8 and went straight to 8.1.  Also, I'm on a Mac now, so I don't spend a ton of time in Windows these days.  Pretty much just for Quicken and for DVD Profiler (and plugins from time to time).

The people I've run across that have the most problems with Windows 8.1 are those who want it to behave like Windows 7 and previous.  It doesn't.  It's a radical shift in Windows.  If you accept it for what it is instead of worrying about what it isn't, you'll probably do much better.  Once I found I could 'pin' things to the task bar, it helped a lot.  I rarely need to leave the desktop and delve into those new screens.  But the point is, you'll need to spend a small amount of time experimenting and learning the new system.  And you may still end up hating it. :P
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 13, 2015, 06:59:42 PM
Maybe it came back with 8.1? But I can pin things to the taskbar with no problem at all.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Mustrum_Ridcully on January 14, 2015, 12:16:53 AM
Maybe it came back with 8.1? But I can pin things to the taskbar with no problem at all.

This was one of the less known features that were implemented with Win7.
Sending programs to the taskbar was easy, since the context menu (Right-Click) of a program icon offered this option. What many people didn't know was that this could be done for websites, RSS-feeds, etc too.

But I agree, once you got used to the new design Win8 isn't much different from Win7.
What definitely helps to improve the "Look anf Feel" is "Start Menu 8 (http://download.cnet.com/Start-Menu-8/3000-2072_4-75852660.html)", a little tool that adds the sorely missed "Start Menu" to Win8
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: MEJHarrison on January 14, 2015, 06:43:10 PM
Maybe it came back with 8.1? But I can pin things to the taskbar with no problem at all.

This was one of the less known features that were implemented with Win7.

I thought that was the case.  But in Windows 7, it's a silly option (for me).  I have faster ways setup to get to what I want.  With Window 8.1, it was a lifesaver.  I still know how to find and launch things.  I just hate having to switch screens to do so.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 15, 2015, 12:27:17 AM
On Windows 8.1 is there a way to stop the side black bar from coming up every time I use the scroll bar to the right of the screen? It is so aggravating that it keeps popping up when I don't want it to. Is there any way to turn it off or at the very least make it less sensitive?
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Halo2 on January 15, 2015, 07:50:24 AM
On Windows 8.1 is there a way to stop the side black bar from coming up every time I use the scroll bar to the right of the screen? It is so aggravating that it keeps popping up when I don't want it to. Is there any way to turn it off or at the very least make it less sensitive?

Don't take your cursor all the way to the top or bottom corner and you shouldn't get that.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Mustrum_Ridcully on January 15, 2015, 10:16:49 AM
If Halo2's suggestion shouldn't suffice:

How to disable Charms Bar (http://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-charms-bar-hint-in-windows-8/)
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 15, 2015, 03:43:11 PM
On Windows 8.1 is there a way to stop the side black bar from coming up every time I use the scroll bar to the right of the screen? It is so aggravating that it keeps popping up when I don't want it to. Is there any way to turn it off or at the very least make it less sensitive?

Don't take your cursor all the way to the top or bottom corner and you shouldn't get that.

but the cursor isn't all the way to the top or bottom... it shows up sometimes when it is in the middle of the screen.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 15, 2015, 03:44:20 PM
If Halo2's suggestion shouldn't suffice:

How to disable Charms Bar (http://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-charms-bar-hint-in-windows-8/)

Thanks... and is that what the stupid thing is called?  :P
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 15, 2015, 03:52:29 PM
thanks to reading the comments at the link Michael provided I see why it was happening no matter where the cursor was. It also comes up if you hit the far right side of the mouse pad.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Dragonfire on January 16, 2015, 05:03:06 AM
The laptop I got has Windows 8...I was not happy with it.  At all.  I hate that stupid tile screen. 

Over the summer, my boss got a new computer for bookkeeping and it has 8.1 on it.  I do the bookkeeping, so I am the main one that has to deal with it.  It took forever to get Quickbooks to work right because of how Windows 8.1 is set up to do stuff.  Having to give permissions to share files or something like that.  I can't remember exactly now.   It took me forever to deal with that..and then with the fact that the certain files for Quickbooks had to be saved to a User folder and not just on the C drive like we did with the old computer.  I would get the file updated at first, and all seemed good, but then when I tried to get back into the file, I was told I didn't have permission to open it.  It was very frustrating.

My boss had to update other programs to newer versions so that everything would work in them.  Then, even when I got the programs installed, I couldn't find them to start them.  Nothing went to that stupid tile screen..it didn't go to the desktop.  It was ridiculous.  I finally figured out how to get the icons I need on the desktop, but it took entirely too long to do.  We stay at the desktop and avoid that tile screen unless absolutely have to go there..like to reboot and install updates.  I don't have as much trouble overall with it now, but every so often, it does something weird again.

I would much rather have Windows 7 back.  My computer, and the bookkeeping computer at work, is not a smartphone.  They don't even have touchscreens.  Even if they did, I wouldn't like that stupid tile screen.  I wouldn't even like the tiles on a smartphone.  I just don't like it.
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: DSig on January 16, 2015, 04:37:28 PM
Yep .. Microsoft's  race to the bottom.  It might be fine for phones or tablets (i'll stick with android) but not for a computer that you have to work on.  But hey .. you can do 2 things at the same time now :).
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Mustrum_Ridcully on January 16, 2015, 05:35:59 PM
I hate that stupid tile screen. 

The tiles disappear as soon as you press the Windows key.
Or it will be entirely gone if installing "Start Menu 8" as suggested above.

Win10 will dismiss the tiles for Desktop versions by default (Those that actually liked can have it back by customizing the Start menu).
Title: Re: New Laptop
Post by: Achim on January 19, 2015, 06:10:37 AM
I set up all the computers in our company (...of 25 people). To make the transition for the staff easier, the first thing I always did was place the Desktop tile in the top left corner of the START screen and make it as large as possible. So if people got confused or scared when seeing that screen, at least they had a good way of getting back to the desktop :laugh: