Windows 8

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Windows 8

Just bought a new computer because my XP machine would take forEEEVER when I had Photoshop CS2 open. It has Windows 8 on it which is very fast, but it reminds me of when I first was learning Photoshop. It does everything, but I can't ever remember how to do it! Now I have to look everything up. Just when I thought I was starting to be really productive, I back learning again. It keeps a person's brain active and it is always stimulating to be learning something new. Anyone else with Windows 8?

Yes, I have Windows 8. I was VERY leery of getting it, but when my husband and I got new laptops it would have cost us extra to put an older operating system on my laptop. And I figured I would have to learn it anyway, so I went with it.

It definitely had a learning curve, but I really enjoy it now and it feels more intuitive than the way Windows used to be set up. I love how I can pin some apps to the left or right side of the screen. I downloaded a really nice note app called NoteSphere that supports the pinning feature and I use it A LOT. I just wish there were more apps. smiley And I wish that MS Office programs could be pinned, too.

It took me FOREVER to figure out how to close apps, and I felt like a freakin' genius when I finally did. LOL. (The easiest way is to put your mouse pointer at the top of the screen so that it turns into a hand, then click and hold down as you drag the window to the bottom of the screen. The window will shrink up into a really small preview once it gets to the bottom and if you let go of your mouse at this point, you'll close the app!)

I love that I can customize my charms in my start menu and that I can right click on them and be able to pin or unpin them from start or my programs bar or even uninstall them - just from right there, no hassle!

I don't like how pictures open into an app, so I changed the program associations. And I really don't like the PDF viewer because it doesn't have a print button (I have to press ctrl + p, which isn't terrible but is definitely annoying), but I suffer through it because I am sick of having to update Adobe reader every five freaking seconds. lol.

I also like how Windows 8 can mount ISO files without the need for another program... but those files tend to be a bit more than what the average user runs into, so I won't get into it. LOL.

I've also been struggling with Windows 8, and my opinion is still out on it. When I first got it I was frustrated ALL THE TIME. Now, I know a bit more, but I'm still not sure any of these things were actually good changes...Only time will tell.

I also ended up with Windows 8 because it was more expensive not to. I couldn't stand it. I spent forever on the net looking up various ways to do things in Windows 8. The incompatibility with my previous software annoyed me.
The microsoft live account or whatever its called irritated me.

In three short months, I can honestly say, I've done almost a complete turnaround. I have to say, it truly helps to read those "did you know you can ____ in windows 8" posts.

See, I already was accustomed to the Microsoft Live account because I used XBox Live, so it wasn't really a big deal to attach that. And my laptop came with a fingerprint reader, so I just swipe my finger to log in - no big deal. smiley

For compatibility, I have found that the compatibility mode actually works very well. Just right click on your program icon on the desktop and select properties. Then go over to the compatibility tab (about the third tab over). The second little section says "Compatibility Mode", check the checkbox and then use the dropdown menu to choose which operating system you'd like to use. Picasa has some problems in Windows 8 and I found that running it in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode solves a lot of the problems. And many of the Sims 2 problems (from what I have read) can be resolved in Windows XP Compatibility Mode.

I imagine that moving from XP to 8 can be a double shock. I thought the transition from 7 to 8 was pretty easy, but I remember XP to 7 being a bit rough - so if you've skipped 7 altogether, then I can definitely understand some shock.

Would you suggest changing the compatibility mode for cs2 to win 7 or all the way back to XP. Right now my roller mouse doesn't change the zoom level and the - + are not working either. Or perhaps I need to check my Settings in CS2 as I did a fresh install of Photoshop. Any other tips would sure be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Yes, I would DEFINITELY try running it in Vista or XP compatibility mode (from what I have read, it was even a bit glitchy on 7)! I can't guarantee that it will fix your issues - sometimes it seems that getting computers to cooperate is more about chance and whether or not the computer itself wants to cooperate lol - but compatibility mode certainly cannot hurt the situation. smiley

Since CS2 is now 10 years old and no longer supported by Adobe (they're giving it away for free because they're tired of keeping up a registration validation server for it), I would caution you that you are going to have more and more compatibility problems in the future as newer operating systems are rolled out (unless Microsoft decides to do some awesome work in supporting more backwards-compatibility) and Adobe is no longer issuing any updates for that product. It is possible that you'll be able to run compatibility mode and tweak the program to run properly, or it could end up dead in the water. It's just something to keep in mind.

If you find that you continue to have problems with CS2 and it prevents you from using it properly or just annoys the heck outta you, you might try GIMP. I have read some promising reviews that say that the new version of GIMP out performs CS2. I, personally, would rather work with Photoshop, but GIMP is always a nice, FREE option if Photoshop won't cooperate. And I'd hate to not mention it if it could/would even remotely be of any help to you. smiley

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us.

No problem; any time! ^____^ I am glad to help!

I purchased a Surface Pro yesterday for business use - I rotate between three offices now and need a portable solution that will interface with our office systems.

The fellow at the store recommended that I look up and install the "classic shell" on the machine to help with navigating about the place. He told me that the upgrade to Windows 8 (version 8.1) is not going to resolve the complaints that people have about loosing the Start button.

My understanding is that Windows 8 was designed with touch screens in mind which is why it does not work so nicely when you are using a laptop or desktop. I found it quite intuitive when I was playing with my new tablet toy yesterday but I understand why people struggle on other devices.

I'm not sure what they thought those of us with desktops were supposed to do with an interface designed for touch. A bit short sighted in my opinion.

OK...so Windows 8 is just Windows 7 with that pretty tiled desktop ("Metro") for tablets/phones! There is a pretty tile you click (on a PC with no touch, the mouse works just fine) to go to "desktop mode" (a la Windows 7):

How to get to it: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/zxue/archive/2012/03/07/win8-howto-1-switch-between-metro-ui-and-desktop.aspx

Not saying I agree with it, just showing you how to get around it!

And Microsoft has how to's, too! http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to

My Android smartphone, on the other hand, I have to look like a Windows 8 phone with those pretty tiles, act like an Android (because it is) and sound like an iphone (because I'm a geek like that and that's how I roll smiley )!!!