Topic: New Laptop

[addicted2dvd]

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...



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. 

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.

[MEJHarrison]

Congratulations Pete!  Looks like a nice machine.

[Achim]

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.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

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 that there will be a free upgrade for users of Win 8.1

[DSig]

<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.

[MEJHarrison]

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.

[addicted2dvd]

Maybe it came back with 8.1? But I can pin things to the taskbar with no problem at all.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

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", a little tool that adds the sorely missed "Start Menu" to Win8

[MEJHarrison]

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.

[addicted2dvd]

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?

[Halo2]

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.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If Halo2's suggestion shouldn't suffice:

How to disable Charms Bar

[addicted2dvd]

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.

[addicted2dvd]

If Halo2's suggestion shouldn't suffice:

How to disable Charms Bar

Thanks... and is that what the stupid thing is called? 

[addicted2dvd]

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.