I run Linux Mint, but now and then, I need to use Windows 7 for one reason or another. My solution is to use Virtual Box. I can then install virtual machines using different Operating systems.  They use a structure similar to ISO files. Virtual Box works on Windows too. THere are a few tricks if you want to use peripherals such as USB ports. You have to use the "import appliance" function.

Has anybody else had experience with Virtual Box? I am having trouble with 3D drivers, but everything else works well.

If I get a virus on Windows 7, I'll just delete the virtual machine and install a new one.  I'd almost forgetten how annoying the updates were on Win 7.

muso wrote on Jun 10^th, 2012 at 9:19pm:

I'd almost forgetten how annoying the updates were on Win 7.

You can turn them off.

As far as "annoying" is concerned, I've found that any modern, contemporary operating system can be annoying when you first try it. It drives me crazy having to learn to do things a different way.

I remember when I first started trying Windows 7 (after having used Windows XP for a long time). I couldn't see anything because of the Aero interface. It felt like I was navigating a jungle. It's hard to read stuff when text appears over a semi-transparent button. I had an uncomfortable feeling in my eyes. I use Windows 7 99% of the time now and can't imagine going back to Windows XP, but I have the Aero interface turned off.

I had a similar experience with Mac OS X 10.6. The keyboard shortcuts are configured in a weird way. You don't use Ctrl to highlight a word. You use Alt. ....... and then there's some shortcuts that don't make sense and slow me down rather than speed me up. At least many of the Linux keyboard shortcuts are more like the Windows ones.

Quote:

At least many of the Linux keyboard shortcuts are more like the Windows ones.

Well they are on some Linux distros. Ubuntu has gone off at a tangent, and are now looking at heads up displays. THey started to go downhill with Gnome 3. Even Linus Torvalds described it as an unholy mess, and said that the standard interface looked like it was designed by some goth teenager who thought that black was cool. 

Windows 7 is not bad. I used it at my last job.  The Aero glass type interface is used on KDE too, but I found KDE really difficult to get used to, but I still use some of the better KDE apps on Linux Mint.  K3b and KVirc are pretty good.

I've been running Windows 8 in Virtual Box with no worries.

But I also run Vista, Me, Win 95c, DOS/Win3.11 and Ubuntu there.

And yes, getting decent 3D performance is a pain.

So I tend to use the VMs for generally mucking about but
if I want to actually USE any of the OSes, I use the desktop
machine.

I simply plug the relevant drive in (it has six, each with a
different OS installed) and boot up.