On Mon, May 26, 2025 at 4:23 PM Hans wrote: > > Am Montag, 26. Mai 2025, 20:23:04 CEST schrieb Lee: > > For those of you that still use Windows, do you have a dual boot > > system where you select linux or windows at boot time or do you boot > > into linux and run windows as a vm? > > > > My wife is trying to decide if she wants to keep windows on her laptop > > or no. Obviously, it's easier not to decide & keep her options open.. > > but I don't know if dual boot or running windows in a vm would be > > better, or what the tradeoffs would be. > > > > Anyone care to say which is the better option, tradeoffs, pitfalls, etc? > > > > Thanks > > Lee > > My own opinion and experience with other customers: > > 1. Most customers are not happy with Windows in a VM. Too slow, too difficult.
I don't know about Windows in a VM but plain old Windows is slow. I've literally fallen asleep waiting for my wife's PC to boot up > 2. Linux in VM (namely virtualbox) also too problematic and mostly slower. > > So, IMHO, best solutions will be, to keep the installed windows, install > Debian additionally and make it dual boot. The good news is that it looks like her current laptop can be upgraded to windows 11 :) So the new laptop I suggested she get before the tariffs kick in can have just Debian installed. > Thus, you will make your wife happy, you make yourself happy and best of all, > if you create personal profiles (one for your wife and one for yourself) you > can both use Linux independent of each other without any danger. I've got a Debian machine that's up 24x7. She has an account there but pretty much never uses it. > Maybe she will be discover, how much better and comfortabler Debian is > opposite to Microsoft Windows. Maybe.. I suspect she spends most of her time in the browser, so as long as I don't install privoxy with my block-lists she'll probably be fine. Between firefox and libreoffice I think she'll be OK, but there is a learning curve.. I suggested she try Mint but she wants to run the same thing I'm running so she can get help with whatever. > My experience was, that most customers with dual-boot deleted Windows mostly > after 6-12 months after using linux. I still haven't switched over exclusively to Debian even tho I've had a Debian machine since .. 2019 at least. But my windows machine can't be upgraded to windows 11 so mid to late Oct will be the end of windows for me :) Thanks Lee
