Hey everyone! I've been using Windows since the '98 era and have liked it, but I've mostly stuck around because of software dependencies like FL Studio and Photoshop. Recently, I got a ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 with a Core Ultra 5 and 32GB RAM, and I'm planning to give Ubuntu a serious shot. I'm thinking about setting up a Windows virtual machine using VirtualBox or VMware for light photo editing (Photoshop) and occasional use of MS Office (Word, Excel). I'm not into gaming, so I don't need top-notch performance for those tasks. I know alternatives like GIMP and LibreOffice exist, and I plan to check out GIMP eventually, but I find them a bit tricky with my current workflow, especially for Office tasks. I'd love to hear from anyone who has made a similar switch: does it make sense to run Windows in a VM for my needs? Also, I have a Windows laptop; if the VM works out, I'll consider selling it or giving it away. Thanks a lot!
2 Answers
I’d suggest keeping a dual boot for now while you test out the virtual setup. That way, you can see if everything works smoothly with Windows in a VM first. If you find that tasks run significantly better when you boot into Windows directly, you might want to rethink keeping both systems. Just ensure your Linux apps are running well before you commit to anything!
Absolutely, running Windows in a VM can definitely work for your needs! If you're looking for better performance, you might want to check out QEMU to customize your setup. It's known for being a bit lighter on resources compared to VirtualBox. Just a heads-up, avoid trying to run your software through Wine, as it can be tricky and often leads to issues with older versions. Stick with VM for those programs!
Thanks for the suggestion! I plan to keep my Windows laptop handy, and if the VM does everything I need, I'll sell the laptop. Otherwise, I might just stick with dual booting.