View Full Version : OMO Quick Windows 8 question
Owenski
18-10-12, 03:33 PM
No slagging just a straight answer please.
If I wait and buy a windows 8 OS laptop am I 100% certain my existing printer will work with it?
Tom_the_great
18-10-12, 03:36 PM
Yes :smt019
Owenski
18-10-12, 03:36 PM
Shhhh you, your bias.
Im still not convinced.
Spank86
18-10-12, 04:14 PM
I'd say possibly not straight out of the box but they're bound to sort out the driver situation pretty quickly.
Perhaps if you gave the model of printer or at least how old it is?
Yes - do you want a more detailed answer?
No slagging just a straight answer please.
If I wait and buy a windows 8 OS laptop am I 100% certain my existing printer will work with it?
No not 100% guaranteed. Fairly likely it will work but not 100% guaranteed. Quite a few old school printers and scanners were not supported after XP.
Just do a W8 driver search for your current printer then you'll know for sure.
Owenski
18-10-12, 05:18 PM
Yeah I'd like an explanation to the yes.
My logic is:
software is nearly always backwards compatible, eg windows vista will still run word 97.
However hardware is rarely forward compatible eg the scanner that came with my windows ME desktop didn't work when i got my windows vista laptop.
So why will me getting windows 8 not kill off my vista compatible printer?
Printer
make: HP
Model: Deskjet 3050a
Grant66
18-10-12, 05:42 PM
Not found a piece of hardware that I can't get to work with 7 by loading drivers in compatibility more. 10 year old scanner was a challenge, no vista drivers. Same scanner worked with 8 beta with less problems.
So short answer, yes...probably
Spank86
18-10-12, 05:45 PM
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Windows-8-Release-Preview/How-to-Get-Your-Inkjet-Printer-Working-with-Windows-8-Consumer/m-p/1334287
Owenski
18-10-12, 06:41 PM
Cheers spank, that's enough to let me tell Tom he was wrong and yet turned out to be correct too.
Guess ill give it a few weeks until windows 8 comes out.
You will get around it somehow. My super old printer I managed to finally get working on windows 7 by installing vista 64bit drivers...!
Yeah I'd like an explanation to the yes.
My logic is:
software is nearly always backwards compatible, eg windows vista will still run word 97.
However hardware is rarely forward compatible eg the scanner that came with my windows ME desktop didn't work when i got my windows vista laptop.
My response was in relation to a printer so didn't consider a scanner. But then MS Support should assist as the question has evidently been considered - re Spanks Link.
Tom_the_great
18-10-12, 07:28 PM
Cheers spank, that's enough to let me tell Tom he was wrong and yet turned out to be correct too.
Guess ill give it a few weeks until windows 8 comes out.
*cough* go swivel i said it would work and yes it will :) ergo im right ... :smt019
ps heres the direct link to the pc
http://www.ebuyer.com/395568-acer-aspire-v3-571g-laptop-nx-rzjek-010
No slagging just a straight answer please.
If I wait and buy a windows 8 OS laptop am I 100% certain my existing printer will work with it?
Yes (what printer do you have?) We have it in work, have done so the past 4 weeks or so. It found the wireless printer and the right driver software, then printed.
Yes (what printer do you have?) We have it in work, have done so the past 4 weeks or so. It found the wireless printer and the right driver software, then printed.
If it's a wireless printer, chances are it's not too old. You will often find real old printers have old printer drivers and those printer drivers are unlikely to have been ported to a genuine W8 driver and depending on the original architecture may well not work in compatibility or emulator modes.
You may well be able to fudge something together to get it to print but not necessarily with ALL the features and functions it used to have.
I stand by my original statement that it is not 100% guaranteed that your printer will work with W8. It is highly likley it will work but absolutely no guarantee unless you google and find a W8 driver for it already then you are getting closer to the 100% you are looking for. If you find a Vista or W7 driver you are well on the way too as that would suggest they are at least architected in a new-world compliant way.
Scanner drivers for some reason are even harder. Many old school XP compliant scanners fail to work at all under Vista/W7 etc. So any multi-function printer for example may have issues with it's scanner feature.
It doesn't need to be a W8 driver, you'll find that W8 is backwards compatible with W7 programs. All printers use a generic base program per manufacturer and will be compatible with the majority of the range. The one i use at home isn't the correct one, but it works none the less.
SoulKiss
19-10-12, 07:32 AM
Cheers spank, that's enough to let me tell Tom he was wrong and yet turned out to be correct too.
Guess ill give it a few weeks until windows 8 comes out.
No, rush out and get it now with Win7.
Never an early OS adopter be.
You can then pay £15 or so for the upgrade to 8 and then have the choice to use Win7 or Win8.
Install Upgrade, dont like it, then just restore to factory and get Win7 back (or at least I think that would be possible).
From people I know who have been testing it - and I may install it on a VM later, its nothing added to Win7, but with a front end suited to tablets and phones - ie touchscreens, with no option to get a "windows classic" look and feel.
Spank86
19-10-12, 07:36 AM
They've been pretty clear that it will have an option to use a classic look in all the stuff I've read. Not used it myself but I'd be surprised if they've taken that away.
Aside from that you make a very good point, for an extra £15 that's probably the best way to go if its all running on the same hardware.
My old printer doesn't work with Windows 7.
No drivers for it, latest ones were XP.
I have been using Windows 8 BETA, all the stuff you are actually going to use on a normal PC works in pretty much the same way as 7. All the extra stuff that makes it look like an Iphone is carp.
andrewsmith
19-10-12, 08:46 PM
From the reports I've had, it seems to be a case of get a one with Win7 back format.
Vista all over again
SoulKiss
19-10-12, 10:35 PM
They've been pretty clear that it will have an option to use a classic look in all the stuff I've read. Not used it myself but I'd be surprised if they've taken that away.
Aside from that you make a very good point, for an extra £15 that's probably the best way to go if its all running on the same hardware.
There IS a desktop, but not as you know it.
Driver wise, if your kit works under Win7 then it will work under Win8.
If you last used a device on WinXP, dont hold your breath.
A nice bloke just delivered two shiny new Microsoft Surface RT tablets to my door :-)
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