To control namecoind, you need to use the command line, there is no GUI yet, AFAIK.
The commands for namecoind are the same as those for the command line Bitcoin client, bitcoind. The full list of commands can be found here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Original_Bitcoin_client/API_Calls_list, also see http://dot-bit.org/InstallAndConfigureNamecoin

I don't use Windows, so I don't know the exact syntax, but it should work like this:
Open the Command Prompt window, navigate to the folder where you saved namecoind and execute these commands:to see your current balance,to see your addresses for receiving namecoins
to send coins and for a list of commands.

Hope this helps!

No need to buy anything.

If you want to mine namecoins you need a miner like guiminer, not the namecoin client (like for mining bitcoins, you don't need the bitcoin client!)

The namecoin client is of course required if you want to have an address to send the namecoins you mine.

As for bitcoin, you need to make sure you downloaded ALL the blocks before checking the balance.


As for domains well, that's WHY namecoins exist, it can be used to get a domain that cannot be taken down, since it exist in the blockchain. So no government, censor, or laws can obscure it. Of course you don't have to use that, just consider namecoins like bitcoin and you are fine.

Here's my:
{
    "version" : 32150,
    "balance" : 0.00000000,
    "blocks" : 19200,
    "connections" : 9,
    "proxy" : "",
    "generate" : false,
    "genproclimit" : -1,
    "difficulty" : 94037.96111403,
    "hashespersec" : 0,
    "testnet" : false,
    "keypoololdest" : 1318360314,
    "paytxfee" : 0.00000000,
    "errors" : ""
}

--it looks fine with blocks, but hashespersec is zero. Why? Is it because Slush pool is set to namecoin and bitcoin mining together? Really don't understand it enough.

A couple of things...

You need an updated client. You should see
    "version": 32463
You can get the current client at dot-bit.org - this will let you see blocks higher than 19200.

If you are mining at Slush's pool, you don't actually need the namecoin client, except to receive your namecoin reward when it is distributed. Just use your usual miner in the usual way.

At some point you will need to do
to get an address for your namecoin rewards, but that's about it.

Exactly

By checking slush's stats page.  This link is directly to the namecoins https://mining.bitcoin.cz/stats/nmc/
When you use getinfo it says "blocks": and some number, when that number reaches the "current namecoin block" (link above) then you have matched them all.  Then it should start mining for them. although my balance hasn't got above 0.0000000000