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If you are a long time Windows user and especially if you use it in your business, then you might be skeptical to changing everything you are used too - and more importantly; you might be even more skeptical to the costs this inevitably will involve. The Idea of implementing Linux might have crossed your mind since you more or less will be forced over to a new platform anyway.

With Windows 8 comes "secure" boot so it will limit your hardware to only Windows 8 - you cannot even install Windows 7 on a pre-configured Windows 8 computer.

Although there are ways around this, it is better to avoid that unnecessary problem.

So why not try the system that all the big computers use and the one that powers the most smartphones?
Linux is an option for most business desktop users these days, and it almost is the only option for server purposes in the internet.

You cannot traditionally combine Windows 8 with Linux on the same computer without some extra problems, but you can easily run Windows from within Linux - even Windows 8.

What you need is a set of computers that are not Windows 8 certified because the "secure boot" system is a Windows system that is not much securer but it does exclude other operative systems (again; there are ways around it..).

Once you have bought those cheaply, because they come without Windows, You can simply download a Linux version like Suse, Ubuntu or Debian, and burn it to a DVD.
If you get stuck Novell and Canonical will have the manpower to give you the service that you need if you so should desire (you can pay for the "enterprise desktops" which gives you the right to blame Novell if your Suse is not behaving etc).
Debian is on the list because it has this conservative approach - so once you have installed it you probably will not need any service.

Install one of the above to one computer after you have a perfect setup you can copy the same setup to at least 40 computers at the same time via your network by using Trinity Rescue Kit
In my tests it worked well.
Then you install Oracle's Virtualbox.
In that you can install Windows 8 by clicking "new" and create a virtual machine that you call "Windows 8" - VB will then recognize the OS version automatically and picks the best settings for it.

To install Windows 8 in the VB you will need an Installation DVD; - a recovery DVD or a Backup of your existing system will not do.

After having successfully done that you have a complete Windows 8 "computer" within Linux.
You can communicate with your network and do all your Windows work there.

If you get a virus it will never bring your computer down - so it is safer too.

You can do all this for free! And if you want commercial support - Oracle, Novell, and Canonical will be happy to take your money.

That's interesting. I have an unused OEM version of Windows 8, that I had thought might never be used. I must have a go at installing it in a vbox VM - although I have no expectation that I'll ever actually use it. (I'll have to use my magnifying glass to read the Product Key, the print used is so small as to be almost impossible to decipher!)

Jim

Windows 8 seems to be extremely cheap these days since Microsoft is not selling much of it. The PC manufacturers are left with boxes that only can be used for Windows 8 - that most people do not want.
I would say that as a business user Linux must look very tempting these days.

I don't use Win 8 either (I have XP in the VB - I do not see many advantages in Win 8) - Linux does it all but there are certain Book keeping software's (that require Windows) that business users may not want to part with.
Other than that Linux Foss in combination with proprietary software has it covered.

And those serial numbers are a time consuming part of the Windows installation.

If you confuse 8 B and 3 then you get to start all over again

viking60 wrote:If you confuse 8 B and 3 then you get to start all over again

Been there - done that - many times - but not this time.

The installation went well. Vbox additions are now installed along with the first batch of updates - 600MB. The second batch of 400MB is now downloading and I think that there are more to come after that.

I also have winxp in a VM - I have it just in case I need to access some old data from applications that won't install under wine.

Jim

Do give us snapshots