Been testing this out a bit now, and once getting used to the interface it is actually not too bad. I have Windows 8 dual booted with windows 7, so can choose which one to actually use. The idea is to eventually switch to only windows 8, but before I do so I would like to transfer a few things over, software settings etc, which is why I decided to install it on a separate partition and get it dual booted.

Wonder how the startup will react if I simply remove the windows 7 partition when I’m all set? Guess I should do some research before I go about doing that 🙂

The new system with apps, familiar for anyone that uses a smartphone or tablet, isn’t that bad. Missing a proper start button, an annoyance at first, but all a matter of getting used to the new way of doing things. And by now I am starting to get used to it. Admittedly there’s definitely a bit more clicking around though to perform different tasks, as many applications does exist as an app, but many more still installs like a normal application using the desktop view, so switching between applications isn’t quite as easy as just a click on the taskbar anymore, but almost.

There’s sort of a taskbar option if you hover the mouse in the top left corner, first you see the most recent app, with a bit tricky mouse movements you get a list of all active, plus you get the option to move to desktop view, if you are currently on home screen or in an app. Note, you can’t get to a desktop application window directly, you can only go to the desktop, where what you left on top will still be on top.

I have set up the most commonly used applications only so far, much to my surprise Spotify does not yet have an app option, that is actually something that I could see useful as an app. You can add a shortcut icon for it on the start screen, but it will switch you to the desktop view to open up Spotify when you click it.

Some things are not so obvious on how to find, took me a bit of clicking around to find a list of all apps and applications installed, this includes things that come with windows, such as the control panel. You can add anything to the start screen though, just got to find them first 🙂

Currently trying to set that machine up as a home web server, that isn’t working all to well. Though I don’t think that is the fault of windows 8 actually. It started with me downloading an installer package from MySQL, which I think is the same as I had installed when that machine were running windows 7, only problem is I got an error from the installer that the processor wasn’t supported.

And this with the exact same hardware. Granted I’m not 100% certain it was the exact same installer I got from MySQL it could be a different minor version of MySQL server, but it was MySQL server 5.1, which is the same as I had, and still have on the windows 7 boot, on that machine.

I downloaded a newer one that allows me to install just fine, the next problem I ran into was trying to get the already existing data to follow along with the install… I set the data folder to be the one I already got all in, but no, that doesn’t work at all. My phpMyAdmin install nicely connects to MySQL, but refuses to show any of the old databases. Ok, I redo the steps after realising the new installer package actually allows me to install 5.1, so I try this thinking it may be an version issue that prevents the old databases from showing up, no, still no luck 🙁

Next attempt, I install fresh up and points the installer to a diff, empty directory, to use for the data, somehow now I can’t find that at all :/ Guess something went wrong somewhere this time up too…

Now question is, how the hell do I get MySQL to play nice and read data from the old databases? I have done this maneuver before, taking the databases and successfully moving to a new machine, why should it be any harder when I switch operating system on the same hardware? I mean, technically, the steps should be virtually the same. Except the data would be moved AFTER MySQL being installed. Which is what I attempted in the last try, when I managed to lose the whole directory I wanted MySQL to store its data in. How did I manage that? How many attempts do I need before it starts working? Who knows. I will eventually get there though surely.

My apartment is starting to look like a home and not a storage area now. Most things are properly unpacked, only a few boxes left to unpack. Except for a sofa, I got all furniture in place, some things I’d like to switch out in due time though, like my dining table. A round table isn’t the best fit for my kitchen, but it does work and serve its purpose so won’t be the first thing to go buy new.

Gonna try doing a small experiment as well, and simply don’t get me a microwave oven. Didn’t use it all that often for anything but heating or defrosting things over at ex’s. For the former it often works well to heat the left overs on stove or in the oven. For the later, it’s all about planning, if you wanna have a steak dinner, make sure the steak gets taken out of freezer the evening before or at the latest in the morning before heading for work. This should be possible to get a habit out of.

We’ll see how well that goes in a few weeks 🙂 But hey, my mother, and grandmother, managed very well without a microwave when I was a kid, so why shouldn’t it be possible now?

Got new wallpapers put up in the entire apartment, so now I’m really hesitant on where to put things on the walls… Don’t wanna drill a hole in the wrong spot 🙂 No hurry with that part though, nothing that must go up right away.

So far it feels really nice to be living all alone, with only my cat as company. Speaking of the cat, she’s turned out be a coward..

The other day she seemed to say she wanted to go outside, I figured oh well, she can do my company when taking the trash out. She changed her mind when I opened the port. Turned around and wanted back inside the apartment. Why? There was another cat laying on the grass outside… Yesterday, she changed her mind even before I opened the port and rushed back in. Guess she’ll be an indoor cat for a while, until spring or so, as she doesn’t really like when there’s snow and cold outside, and winter is on our doorstep.