Thanks for the tips. This coin really is for geeks (funny thing is - I AM one !). Now I can see why nobody's buying it - it's not even out of alpha yet.
ok, I've downloaded the blockchain but can't find any info as to where I should locate it. If I put it in the same folder as the daemon, then the log entry says 'Unable to load blockchain, creaating genesis block'. On the other hand, if I look in users/AppData/Roaming etc, there's no sign of a Monero folder created by the daemon.
If I downloaded the Windows binaries, do I still need to install any 3rd party support infrastructure (there was on cited on the Wallet download page but I forgot the name right now).
Thanks again for the tips !
EDIT: FOund where the blockchain goes - it's in a folder called 'bitmonero' in roaming, not monero.
Bitcoin itself was once a geeky skeletal framework. In fact in either case, it's not the coin itself that is geeky but rather the underlying technology. The task at hand is to bring the technology to the masses which is an evolutionary process.
I am the masses. I'm interested i'm Monero due to the involvement of people I respect. I have no computer skills. My new computer is windows 8.1 with a pentium chip so I wont be mining. I started using btc over a year ago. I have never downloaded the blockchain as I have only used the electrum wallet. I have considered purchasing XMR but the process of downloading, setting up, and transferring is daunting. I don't want use an exchange for storage. I see that an attempt is being made to make a deterministic wallet. Will this mean no downloading of the blockchain like electrum?
Any advice on how to get started with Monero would be appreciated.
This tutorial may help you https://monerotalk.org/t/bounty-create-a-useful-tutorial-on-how-to-setup-monero/13/4
Thanks I'll give it a go when I have some time. Just to reinforce how clueless I am, in 13 years of owning a computer I have never backed up anything This is another joy with using the electrum wallet, never a need to back it up. My seeds are safely stored in several secure locations and my btc will live on when I die.