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Question: can I just take it out of the box and use it or is there software involved? I have a Toshiba laptop and Windows 8
Document: Installation was quick and flawless. Simply plug in the USB receiver and the mouse was recognized fairly quickly, although it took about 4-5 minutes before the mouse would actually function. I currently use a Toshiba L675 laptop with 64 bit Vista OS. The trackball speed was far too fast out of the box for my liking, so I went to the Logitech website and downloaded the software to customize the mouse settings.
No more scratches and wear on your desktop. And is great for desks with little room. The logitech software is always good. But you can always just let Windows configure it too. Great battery life. I think I changed the battery once in a year. I use it 8 hours a day m-f at work. ******A couple notes*****What ever you do, do NOT press down hard on the ball when rolling it.
DO NOT ASSUME THIS WILL WORK ON YOUR XP SYSTEM!!! It did not work on my system and don't assume their techies can help you if it will not work on yours!I have used many Logitech products and never had a complaint until I purchased this for use on my laptop running Windows XP 32-bit (listed as compatable with this product on the box by the way). The product would not work - my system could not find a compatable driver.
I have two, one in my house, and one I carry with my laptop(touchpads and windows 8 are a bad mix), plus I bought one for my boss(I use his comp. some, his mouse was making me nuts). He's made the transition to trackball just fine.I just changed the batt on my first one, after almost 2 yrs.! I absolutely love these things.
I really dislike using a mouse or a touchpad. I much prefer a trackball and this one in particular. I use the same one on my desktop and wanted one for my new Windows 8 laptop. With a $24.99 fix from Fry's to give me back my Window's 7 start page and remove the bloatware the manufacturer had installed on the new laptop, I'm now set to use the otherwise useless (for me) Windows 8.
It took some fiddling to get the installation correct, however, as out of the box, the Windows pointer was not moving fluidly around the screen. This was corrected by downloading and installing (with reboot) the latest software at the Logitech site.If you are a heavy computer user, I can recommend the M570. (But not for Photoshopping or other drawing activities -- get a drawing tablet for that kind of work).
The old motion of needing to move the mouse around the desk to get from one side of my desktop (48" wide) to the other is now gone. I flick my thumb and I'm there. Works well with Windows 8 too. I haven't programmed any buttons yet. I haven't felt the need to, but I am sure I'm missing something.I think it would take some getting used to if I needed to draw with precision and beyond the usual block diagrams I am used to.
This did not. I had to go to the Logitech site to download the software. That's not a problem, but I thought I would mention it to cover all bases.I don't know how this works on a Windows computer. I use a MacBook Pro (latest model), and my previous Logitech trackball had been hooked up to an older wedge-shaped iMac, a new flat-screen iMac and now my laptop. The trackball worked flawlessly with all of them.
Awesome product. I was able to pull it right out of the box and start using it. It reacts very well to both broad and small movements. I also appreciate the fact it has a good range so I don't have to be right on top of my laptop. Decent price and didn't take long to get it. I recommend this product to anyone.
I employ dictation software to convert speech to text:http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-NaturallySpeaking-Premium-12-English/dp/B008NP76FQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid;=1400088685&sr;=8-2&keywords;=dragon+naturally+speakingI find this method extremely efficient and comfortable. I have come to the point where I find that using a laptop trackpad or conventional mouse cumbersome and bothersome.
Answer: I don't know about Windows 8 since I have Windows 7, but if they are the same, then the answer is yes and no. Yes - as soon as you plug it in, Windows will find the drivers, install them and you're good to go.No - if you have multiple pointing devices from Logitech and you want to use them with a single USB dongle, then you need to download & install the Logitech Unifying Receiver software.Also, you may want to install their Setpoint software which lets you tweak the behavior (pointer speed, etc.).HTH, Amir