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spice003 · Sep 11, 2006, 02:19 PM

does anybody know how i can make my mouse use the click back button in the web browser like in windows, i'm tired of moving my mouse aroud just to go back and forward. i have Logitech MX900 bluetooth mouse. I already checked their website they don't have any drivers for mac, and windows doesn't even need drivers for that. you know i'm trying to switch to mac but this is the king of stuff that makes me wonna boot windows. and one other thing how do i play WMV files on mac, and i'm now talking about the files on the HD but the files that are on websites, like videodetective.com and other, i always preview trailers for movies and stuff and i cant in safari or firefox. and i have that flip for mac program installed.

analogika · Sep 11, 2006, 02:28 PM

Try this: Logitech - Support > Downloads

It's the Logitech control center (a control panel that goes in your System Preferences). It allows you to program the Logitech buttons.
Rather strange that it doesn't show up under the MX900 download section, but that should do the trick.

WMV files work just fine here, Flip4Mac installed.

RealPlayer installed for most other stuff.

VLC for anything I download that won't play in QuickTime with Flip4Mac or in RealPlayer.

www.videodetective.com doesn't work because the ****ING MORONS aren't using WMV - they've programmed their site to use an ActiveX plug-in. ActiveX is probably the single biggest security risk in Windows, and AFAIK, every sane, informed user should have it switched off. Requiring it for a website should result in a deluge of hatemail and a serious constructive criticism.

ActiveX will never be available for Mac OS X, and though you may disagree as long as those complete idiots insist on using it, that is a Very Good Thing™.

spice003 · Sep 11, 2006, 03:16 PM

yeah that logitech control center does not work, its says the is no device attached, and
this is what the browsers show when i go to the website i talked about.

mozila firefox:

safari same thing.

i have flip for mac and VLC player, windows media player installed. man i'm starting to hate OS X.

oh and how do you make a program run after you log in to OS?

iREZ · Sep 11, 2006, 03:33 PM

you hate an mac osx because logitech offers lousy software solutions for its hardware?

spice003 · Sep 11, 2006, 04:10 PM

you don't need any software when you are in windows, it just works, and i said " I'm starting to hate OS X"

ghporter · Sep 11, 2006, 04:39 PM

Windows is built around a multi-button mouse, so it has a lot of stuff built in around a second button. But I have ALWAYS had to load the Logitech driver for the scroll-button to do anything other than just scroll. THAT is the software that's allowing you to assign a function to the "third" button.

I use the "back" function on my own Logitech mouse on my PC desktop, but as I use a number of other computers, I just get along with the keyboard shortcut (backspace - I think that's control/delete or maybe option/delete) will go back and there's always the good old "back" button on the browser itself.

Logitech should fix and/or upgrade its driver for OS X so it gives the same functionality on Macs that it does on Windows, but that's NOT an issue with OS X. It's an issue with Logitech.

analogika · Sep 11, 2006, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by spice003

yeah that logitech control center does not work, its says the is no device attached, and
this is what the browsers show when i go to the website i talked about.

DID YOU READ MY POST?

The videodetective website, when you click on a video, will show this:

Originally Posted by videodetective.com's stupid asshole web"designers"

Our Videos require the Mozilla ActiveX Plugin
or the Internet Explorer Browser.

Firefox users: select your version below.
Firefox 1.5
Firefox 1.0.7
Firefox 1.0.6
Firefox 1.0.4
Mozilla ActiveX Plugin

Other browsers: please use Internet Explorer or install the activeX plugin for your specific browser.

They require ActiveX, which is a security nightmare.

That is what makes it Windows-only.

**** them.

Cadaver · Sep 11, 2006, 07:52 PM

The MX900 isn't supported on the Mac, for whatever reason, by Logitech. The Logitech drivers do not support Logitech's Bluetooth products on the Mac. Can't say why, but they've apparently decided not to.

You'll need a different (third-party) driver, such as USB Overdrive. I think there is another driver that people with the MX900 also have had excellent results with. Don't recall the name, but it'll turn up I'm sure if you do a search for "MX900" here on MacNN.

Most of Logitech's other devices are supported directly by their own software.

And for websites that require ActiveX... they can go to hell. There is no ActiveX support (from Microsoft) on MacOS X - which is a good thing, actually - and even the PCs at my workplace have ActiveX disabled on them due to security issues.

Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer websites that make Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows a requirement for their use.

Edit: And to add a program to the list of things to launch at login, go to the Users preference pane and click the Login Items tab. Add items to that list and you're done.

analogika · Sep 11, 2006, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

Edit: And to add a program to the list of things to launch at login, go to the Users preference pane and click the Login Items tab. Add items to that list and you're done.

i.e. just drag and drop them in there.

Alternately, you can click-and-hold (or control-click, or right-click <--these are the same thing) on an item's icon on the Dock and select "Open at Login" from the pop-up menu.

analogika · Sep 11, 2006, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

And for websites that require ActiveX... they can go to hell. There is no ActiveX support (from Microsoft) on MacOS X - which is a good thing, actually - and even the PCs at my workplace have ActiveX disabled on them due to security issues.

Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer websites that make Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows a requirement for their use.

And before anybody goes off at "those typical Mac users, always making excuses for when something doesn't work on their platform", please note that all Windows users I know who actually know what they're doing have ActiveX switched OFF - and that included the sysadmins at my last job (ca. 2000 employees).

Googer-Giger · Sep 11, 2006, 09:30 PM

Originally posted by: spice003: you don't need any software when you are in windows, it just works, and i said " I'm starting to hate OS X"

Dude...Fine sell your machine and go back to windows over a freaking mouse, either way, shut up! No one wants to hear you bitch about it like a true pc user.

analogika · Sep 11, 2006, 09:33 PM

nah, give him a break.

These are the sort of teething problems that make switching to the Mac an annoyance the first few weeks, especially since they happen while the whole system is still unfamiliar, and the basic Mac concept hasn't really begun to sink in.

He'll be fine in a few weeks.

At which point he'll hopefully have fired off a couple of strong, yet clear e-mails to Logitech and the proprietors of the videodetective.com website.

Googer-Giger · Sep 11, 2006, 09:34 PM

Ok.

ghporter · Sep 12, 2006, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by analogika

And before anybody goes off at "those typical Mac users, always making excuses for when something doesn't work on their platform", please note that all Windows users I know who actually know what they're doing have ActiveX switched OFF - and that included the sysadmins at my last job (ca. 2000 employees).

I am using Windows right now and yes, I have ActiveX turned off in IE--AND I USE FIREFOX UNLESS ABSOLUTELY FORCED TO USE IE because unless you load the plugin, Firefox CANNOT EVEN SEE ActiveX elements.

ActiveX is THE. Worst. Idea. EVER. It features "false security"; you can require an ActiveX control to be signed (through an option in IE), but there's no way to ensure that that signature means anything. A lot of IE exploits capitalize on this... ActiveX sucks; shun it and any site that requires it.