"I don't know if it's a feature of the VM or not, but I find that Windows 10 seems to be constantly churning my processors, even when no program is running. It seemed better with Windows 7."
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That being said, I would simply use a stable Linux distro (MX-Linux 17.1, Ubuntu Mate, Netrunner, etc.) and install VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation. Then I would have a shared folder so that any Windows app data I need to access is available from there. Works extremely well.
However, if you really need to have Windows installed on your machine, I'd stick with Windows 7 Professional SP1. That's the very last, GOOD Windows you will ever find. Install it on a 40 or 50GB partition and only use when you absolutely NEED to "go there" for a particular app. If you take that route, simply create a Fat32 or NTFS data partition so that you can access it from Linux. Problem solved.
I only need Windows 7 if I'm doing hardware stuff (rooting Android devices, etc. due to better driver support). Even my girlfriend loves Linux and prefers it over Windows 7.
These days, I'm seeing casual Windows users generally getting fed up with the task of running Windows on the desktops & laptops - especially after updates. I predict 2018 will see even more converts than previous years. Why?
Because Desktop Linux is now ready for prime time.
It is a very good approach IF you can't run said app in VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation.
If you take that route, create a Fat32 or NTFS data partition and store your "shared" data there.
If you really need to install Windows on the hardware side, go with Windows 7 Professional SP1. Avoid 8 & 10.
"I don't know if it's a feature of the VM or not, but I find that Windows 10 seems to be constantly churning my processors, even when no program is running. It seemed better with Windows 7."
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Articles like this on ZDNet reaffirm my convictions on avoiding Windows 10 like the plague:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-april-2018-update-problems-use…
That being said, I would simply use a stable Linux distro (MX-Linux 17.1, Ubuntu Mate, Netrunner, etc.) and install VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation. Then I would have a shared folder so that any Windows app data I need to access is available from there. Works extremely well.
However, if you really need to have Windows installed on your machine, I'd stick with Windows 7 Professional SP1. That's the very last, GOOD Windows you will ever find. Install it on a 40 or 50GB partition and only use when you absolutely NEED to "go there" for a particular app. If you take that route, simply create a Fat32 or NTFS data partition so that you can access it from Linux. Problem solved.
I only need Windows 7 if I'm doing hardware stuff (rooting Android devices, etc. due to better driver support). Even my girlfriend loves Linux and prefers it over Windows 7.
These days, I'm seeing casual Windows users generally getting fed up with the task of running Windows on the desktops & laptops - especially after updates. I predict 2018 will see even more converts than previous years. Why?
Because Desktop Linux is now ready for prime time.