One usability problem I've found with installing PC freeware products is piggyback installs of other products. (I suspect this is a way of sponsoring certain distribution costs of the base product) . I was updating a popular PDF writer utility; I remember specifically opting out of at least one optional install, but somehow I missed any opt-out for AVG Safe Search toolbar. This is not a reflection on the intrinsic worthiness of AVG products, but I prefer to install products directly.
The first indication that I had unintentionally installed the toolbar was when I opened a new Chrome tab and found myself facing an AVG version of a Google search home page. I went to my extensions page and removed a relevant extension but even after restarting the browser, same issue. I went to my browser search list and removed AVG, but the problem persisted.
I did a Google search and found a cluster of similar issues. There was a link to an AVG home page on browser add-on removal; nothing useful there, except I noticed they referenced the Tools versus Settings menu (probably a Google menu reconfiguration, a different usability issue); I found it annoying that AVG hadn't updated its webpage accordingly, but I was more annoyed there was nothing useful there.
It dawned on me maybe the toolbar software wasn't removed, and I checked my Control Panel Programs and Features. Sure enough, I found the toolbar there and uninstalled. This resolved the issue; I now saw my expected New Tab look.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
A Wireless Keyboard/Touchpad, Software, and Usability
I have always liked touchpads. To me, they are intuitive to use, not unlike a toaster, and certain operations like tapping to click seem natural. I don't recall explicitly learning that I could tap to click; perhaps it was an inference from mouse click operations: I could, say, point the cursor at a close box to select it and then tap the box, closing the window or tab.
I had recently replaced my malfunctioning Microsoft wireless keyboard with a new compact Logitech 400r. I liked it, although the undersized right shift key required some getting used to. I liked the fact like many peripheral devices, after I installed the receiver into an available USB port, Windows could pull down the driver from the Internet, and the keyboard was immediately available, functionality as expected.
All went well until one day I discovered, for unknown reasons, touchpad tapping no longer clicked on selected objects. I could still click by using embedded mouse buttons below the touchpad.
I found a note on Logitech's website that referenced some user actions might result in disabling the tap to click functionality and could be toggled back on through touchpad options via the mouse tab through its related SetPoint software. I did not have SetPoint installed, so I had to download it from the Logitech website. The only problem was that once I installed the SetPoint software, I had a new problem: I didn't see the device tabs the Logitech fix presupposed.
I noticed that this was a common problem experienced by Logitech customers going back a few years. Logitech had a related problem report and suggested uninstalling and reinstalling SetPoint software, which I tried a couple of times, including the self-contained version in the event there was an Internet download issue, re-boots after uninstalls, etc. Still no device tab.
What turned out to solve the problem for me was a tip from elmoputz here. Basically you have to unpair (logically disconnect) the existing keyboard set in the SetPoint Unifying Receiver software and physically toggle the keyboard off and on (switch on the right side of the keyboard top edge). (If necessary, pair the keyboard back with the receiver.)
At some point after this, I now saw my keyboard and mouse tabs. I don't believe this resolved my original tap-to-click issue, and I was surprised to see the tap to click option was toggled on in SetPoint. I tried resetting the option, which I believe did finally resolve my problem.
There are some obvious lessons here. The manufacturer tech support website is an extension of the device's usability, and the suggestion to reinstall software should be a last-resort option. When that fails to work, the vendor's credibility is in question. Also, when users are posting questions on non-manufacturer websites and the same issues persist over time, service issues can adversely affect the vendor's reputation and repeat business.
I had recently replaced my malfunctioning Microsoft wireless keyboard with a new compact Logitech 400r. I liked it, although the undersized right shift key required some getting used to. I liked the fact like many peripheral devices, after I installed the receiver into an available USB port, Windows could pull down the driver from the Internet, and the keyboard was immediately available, functionality as expected.
All went well until one day I discovered, for unknown reasons, touchpad tapping no longer clicked on selected objects. I could still click by using embedded mouse buttons below the touchpad.
I found a note on Logitech's website that referenced some user actions might result in disabling the tap to click functionality and could be toggled back on through touchpad options via the mouse tab through its related SetPoint software. I did not have SetPoint installed, so I had to download it from the Logitech website. The only problem was that once I installed the SetPoint software, I had a new problem: I didn't see the device tabs the Logitech fix presupposed.
I noticed that this was a common problem experienced by Logitech customers going back a few years. Logitech had a related problem report and suggested uninstalling and reinstalling SetPoint software, which I tried a couple of times, including the self-contained version in the event there was an Internet download issue, re-boots after uninstalls, etc. Still no device tab.
What turned out to solve the problem for me was a tip from elmoputz here. Basically you have to unpair (logically disconnect) the existing keyboard set in the SetPoint Unifying Receiver software and physically toggle the keyboard off and on (switch on the right side of the keyboard top edge). (If necessary, pair the keyboard back with the receiver.)
At some point after this, I now saw my keyboard and mouse tabs. I don't believe this resolved my original tap-to-click issue, and I was surprised to see the tap to click option was toggled on in SetPoint. I tried resetting the option, which I believe did finally resolve my problem.
There are some obvious lessons here. The manufacturer tech support website is an extension of the device's usability, and the suggestion to reinstall software should be a last-resort option. When that fails to work, the vendor's credibility is in question. Also, when users are posting questions on non-manufacturer websites and the same issues persist over time, service issues can adversely affect the vendor's reputation and repeat business.
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