Upgrading to Windows 8 Pro

I was trying to upgrade the Windows 7 Ultimate Edition on my MacMini (late 2009) to Windows 8.  So I first tried out to upgrade process.  It was NOT a good experience since:

• Even though it seemingly did preserve all my system setting, the system experienced frequent freeze up for no good reason so frequent that the system was basically unusable.
• A lot of junky installation was left over from the Windows 7 world.

So eventually I have to do a clean install, basically wipe out the C drive of MacMini and install Windows 8 clean on that partition.  Here's are some tidbits based on my experience.

• Always turn on ALL the monitors that connected to my MacMini.  There were times that I thought the installation was not success, but actually showed up on the second screen.
• Use DVDR to install instead of Flash drive, and DO NOT use the DVDR drive on MacMini.  Instead use an external USB DVDR drive.  The DVDR drive on my MacMini simply cannot recognize the Windows 8 disc I burned.
• To create ISO DVD on Windows 8 with Nero Burning, I need to set the application to run in admin mode.
• It is still way better to use a wired keyboard to install Windows 8 on my Mac Mini.  The bluetooth  keyboards had problem being recognized dring the installation process.
• I need to explicitly install audio driver.  Windows Update does NOT seemed to be able to pick the proper one for me.
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Hmmm .. network problem

I was trying to test typing on my Type Cover with my Surface while I was laying on my bed.  So I typed up a Twitter message and tried to send it.  Failed on 1 app, so I tried another one, still failed.  And finally I tried the Microsoft official People app and STILL failed.  That's the moment when I realized that it's probably problem with the network connection.  So I turned on Airplane mode, turned off Airplane mode, and turn on WiFi connection again.   Problem sovled.

Still wanted the Type keyboard

Ok, eventually I found that I still love the Type keyboard much better.  So I am now back to Type keyboard, and probably keep using it until it breaks.

Turns out the Touch Cover ain't that bad ...

I was extremely negative about the Touch Cover when I tried it .... for less than 2 minutes ... yesterday, and instantly concluded that I would buy and only use a Type keyboard.   Today I got the 64 Gb that comes with the Touch Cover, and didn't support unbundled.  So I went ahead and brought the Type Cover, thinking that I would use Touch Cover as a spare.

Well, I was in a hurry in the office doing coding, and didn't have time to yank out the Type Cover from the bag.  Touch Cover was right there next to the device.  I was like, whatever, let me gave me it try.

5 hours passed, and I have to admit, this touch cover ain't bad.  Way better than touch on glass, and works great when you really want to type quietly (although the audio feedback on type definitely helps.

I still like the Type Cover better, but this Touch Cover really ain't bad.  A lot of design was put on it.  Nice work Microsoft.

How I lost Mail app ... and then get it back

Usually, whenever I got a new device, the first thing I do is done all the updates on the system and on the applications I have on the device.  I couldn't believe that by doing that on my Surface device, I turned out REMOVED Mail/Calendar app(s) from the system and could NOT get it back until I did something extreme.

Let me explain what happened: when I first used the Store app, I used the [My Apps] menu to get to the "Apps not installed on this PC", and the list was long because I already been using Windows 8 for for more than a year, and I accumulated quite some apps under my account.  So I chose another item "Apps installed on XXXX" which XXXX was my home machine.  Then I simply clicked everything, thinking that I want apps on my Surface to be exactly the same as the apps that I used at home on my home PC.

All went well until I realized that there's one app having problem updating, and that is Mail/Calendar/...  .  I was puzzled, thinking, so I tried and tried and update still failed.  So I looked at the screen, and saw that there's an option called "Stop Updating" (or something like that).  I clicked it, and update stopped.  But when I get back to home screen, I found that Mail, Calendar and other related apps were all GONE.  I mean GONE GONE.  Not unpinned, but GONE.

And the worst part was that I COULD NOT re-download these apps from Store.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ultimately, I found the following way to solve my problem:

Go to [Setting][Change PC Settings][general], and then click [Get Started] on "Refresh your PC without affecting your files".  After a while (like almost 20 minutes), I got my missing Mail/Calendar/... apps back, although I had to do some setting all over again, at least I got my missing apps back.

Exchange support ... not so well ...

Microsoft's reason of not including Outlook in the Office 2013 WinRT suite is that they already have a much better touch friend mail client called Mail on Windows Store App side.  Well I tried and failed to connect to my office Exchange Server account.  Maybe it's just me.... let me know if you have better luck ...

Finally ....

I brought my Microsoft Surface today, which is odd consider that just yesterday I spent 2 hours at the store finished a blog and concluded that I didn't want to buy that device.  But then it was my boss who kept persuading me, and eventually I decided that it's probably a good idea to have a ARM WinRT device to test our application with.  So there.