That's why I don't need iPad Mini

I just realized that I haven't used my Nexus 7 for more than a week, and I actually WANT TO use it if I HAVE TIME.  Sad.

USB problem and power cord

I was messing with my home server machine (running Windows 8 Pro) by turning on and off an external USB hard disk dock for quite a few times in order to check and resurrect a broken hard disk.  After a while, I realized that the USB hard disk dock was not being recognized.  Eventually I decided to reboot the machine, only to find out that ALL USB devices were not recognized.  I kept turning the machine on and off a few times and the problem still persist.  None of the USB devices were recognized, including keyboard and mouse.

Eventually I found out a simple way to resolve the problem: unplug the power cord for a few seconds. That solved the problem.  Now all USB devices were being recognized again.

Another problem solved by trial and error.

So this is Microsoft Surface

I don't care how long have you been using Windows 8 (Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, Release Preview, Final edition) on whatever hardware (Eee Slate, Desktop, Laptop ...), until you physically tried Microsoft Surface device, you can't make any judgment on how good or how bad that device is.  That's why I went to Microsoft Store, and gave this device a solid 2 hours spin.

My first comment on the device is: like the Type keyboard, really hate the Touch keyboard.  The best advantage of Surface to me comparing with iPad and Android is this awesome portable Type keyboard.  The Touch keyboard on the other hand reminds me everything I HATE about typing on iPad.  So there's now way I will buy a Surface device with anything but a Type Cover.

The kickstand is a nice touch, but it can be a double edge sword, like I can't adjust the viewing angel.  But I know I am just being pick.

The memory size of Surface can be misleading since you DO NOT get to use the full 32Gb for your 32Gb device.  In fact, in this demo unit I am using, which is a 32Gb device, I only get to 13Gb of space to use, and I DID NOT see a lot of app being installed (quite the opposite, I DID NOT see any Windows store apps other than the default ones.)  This mean that if you a serious about using this device, you better shell out the $699 to get the 64Gb one, plus I need to pay $129.99 for the Type cover.

Traditional Chinese handwriting was working fine after I installed the input method.  However, I didn't see a lot of fonts that I can choose from while I was using Microsoft Word.  Well, I can say to same to iPad, so, fine.  I did, however, managed to crash the application while I tested out handwriting on Word.  I also found that when I am in handwriting mode on desktop, playing with Windows size on my document so that the handwriting area won't cover up my writing area fustrated me.  Some day, when Microsoft finally relase a real Tablet specific Office, which takes into all the tablet specific issue and being sensitive to the tablet UI, I might have a better time mixing Chinese handwriting. 

Again, the hardware is top nourch, but again and again and again, it's the software the make or break the device.

So for me, I will buy it ONLY as a DEVLOPMENT device.  For others, it's way better to wait for a tablet that runs those "legacy applications".

Photo, Music, Video and Windows 8

Ever since I was using the Windows 8 Developer Preview, I was struggling trying to make the Video, Music and Photo Windows Store Apps recognizing the media content on my system.  I have them added to the corresponding Windows 8 Library, but these 3 apps refused to recognize my files, and got me very fustrated.

Interesting enough, SkyDrive for Windows (desktop) was able to recognize at least my photos library, and then show them up on all of the Photo App of all Windows 8 environment that I logged in.  In fact, I wasn't even realize that "Sharing files on this PC" setting on SkyDrive cloud app was for this capability until very recently.  I used to access my photo library at home using Blinq Photo on my iPad, and now I have one more app to do the same feature.

Well, back to my Windows 8 headache.  Yesterday I finally upgraded my home server to Windows 8 Pro with Windows Media Center.  I was hoping that the media library problem would be resolved, that I could really access the video, photo and music on my machine using the Video, Photo and Music WinRT app.  When it didn't work.  I even followed WinSupersite's advice, and still didn't work.

Funny thing happened when I tried the "Import ..." feature on Photo app, and that's when I realized that my media drive, Z drive, was being recognized as "external media", because when I used the import from media feature, Drive W and Z shows up.  I thought, and realized that W and Z are USB external hardisk, while my U an V drives are external SATA harddisk connected through eSATA port.  I started to wonder, if those media (music, photo, video) are on U and V drive, will the Video, Music and Photo WinRT apps recognize them?

Bingo, once I copied media to U drive, and added them to corresponding media libraries, they showed up in Photo WinRT app.  I was like, WTF.  So the system somehow discriminate the USB drives and treated eSATA drive as internal drive.  But then I really don't want to move all my stuff from Z to U ....

And then I installed SkyDrive for Windows on desktop, and something magical happened.  All the sudden the system started doing index on my Z drive, and then I see video, photo and music shows up in the corresponding apps!  So somehow merely installing this SkyDrive for Windows app triggered something and caused the system to "do the right thing". 

I have to say that right now I am still in WTF mode, seeing the Z drive kept accessing and indexing and wonder what is the world is happening.  Maybe I should just leave it alone for a while, wait for a night, and see what crazy result I got tomorrow.

Setting up Windows 8 as home server

Since I have a pretty well planned procedure to set up the home server, the process was relatively smooth.  Still, I had the following experience that is worthy to written down:

• I did a Windows 8 Pro installation on the top of the Windows 8 Release Preview, and found that even though I can't preserve all the installed apps, at least I can preserve some basic setting, like drive mapping, machine name and such.  Still, be prepare to reinstall everything.
• My first installed was failed because the system hanged up as the USB keyboard and mouse failed to work.  I didn't the install again and found that same problem.  Then I realized that it's the Z drive USB drive holding stuff up.  Restart that harddisk and everything go smooth since then.
• Google Drive failed if I don't have the Z drive ready after bootup, so I need to make sure that won't happen.
• SplashTop Windows 8 edition service running on Windows 8 causing problem with XBox Extender setup, causing the set up to fail at the very last step (reconnect to EXtender).  I will to uninstall that Slapshtop desktop service to solve the Windows Media Center Extender problem.
• When installing Air Video Server (for use with Air Video on iPad), I found out that the installation process for installing Java didn't work well.  So I had to install Java separately, and then run Air Video Server.
• When setting up audiogalaxy service, make sure you run the installation as administrator.
• Blinq Photo Server requires .Net framework 2.0.  So I had to use "Turn Windows FEature On or Off" to turn on Dot Net Framework 3.5.1 (which comes with 2.0)