Microsoft just blew up the only reason you can't use a Linux desktop

Let me repeat that: Windows 365 will enable you to run your Windows desktop, apps, data, etc., etc. on Linux. That's the Linux desktop they're talking about.

Ever since I started running Linux back in the early '90s, I've heard over and over again that people couldn't possibly run a Linux desktop because it doesn't run this Windows application or that Windows program. Well, guess what kids, that excuse doesn't hold water anymore.

Microsoft, yes, Microsoft now promises that you can run Windows on your Linux PC. We don't know exactly how they're going to do that. It might be by using a native Remote Desktop application or by a web browser. I'll bet that on Linux -- and probably on iPads, Macs, and Android devices -- it will be done over a web browser.

After all, the Linux-powered Chrome OS has already shown that you can do most of your enterprise work on just a browser alone. Indeed, Microsoft's entire move to a subscription, cloud service-based desktop was foreshadowed by Google's Chromebooks.

According to Wangui McKelvey, Microsoft 365's General Manager, regardless of your platform, "The Windows experience is consistent, no matter the device." This makes me even more inclined to think that you'll be using Windows 365 via a web browser. And, in particular, Microsoft will encourage you to use Edge on Linux.

So, what exactly can you run with Windows 365 "on" your Linux PC? Microsoft promises it will support most of its business application suite -- Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform -- line. Microsoft also promises app compatibility with Microsoft's Fastrack App Assure. This is a service that will help your business with 150 or more users fix any end-user programs problems at no additional cost.

Microsoft has also been working with its independent software vendor (ISV) partners. The four biggest who will immediately offer their applications on Windows 365 are Nerdio, NetApp, ServiceNow, and UKG. In addition, Accenture/Avanade; Atos; Crayon; Content and Cloud; Convergent; Coretek; DXC; Glueck & Kanja GAB; Insight; and Netrix will bring their programs and services to Windows 365.

This isn't just for big businesses. For small and midsize businesses, Iconic IT; MachineLogic; and Nitec Solutions are already supporting Windows 365.

Of course, there are notable exceptions who aren't on board yet. I'm sure you noticed Adobe and Intuit aren't on the list. Sure, some of their programs, like Adobe Acrobat, will be available on Linux via Windows 365, but big name programs such as Photoshop, Indesign, and QuickBooks have yet to make an appearance.

Give them time. Microsoft's made it clear. The future for Windows in business is going to be on its Azure cloud. Microsoft doesn't really care that much about Windows on the desktop per se, it's all about getting subscribers to its Windows Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). Whether you choose to run it on Linux or a Mac, whatever, they're fine with that now.

That is old tech, used by Windows for ages, but it is far far slower to run off the swap partition rather than RAM.

"Run a two HD system, one in Windows, one in Linux back them up however you wish?"

That is what I usually do and speaking of which a SSD (solid state drive) is much to be preferred over a HDD (mechanical hard drive). And even then there is that of

M.2 and NVMe drives are becoming more popular in modern PC builds.... Unlike standard HDDs and SSDs, M.2 drives aren’t connected to a motherboard via a cable, they’re instead plugged directly into the motherboard using a dedicated M.2 connector slot.... It’s important to note that M.2 SSDs which utilize the SATA interface aren’t really faster than standard 2.5” drives, they just take up less space and look cleaner. If you want faster speeds, you’ll have to make sure your M.2 drive is utilizing the NVMe

NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express, and it refers to the way in which data is moved, rather than the shape of the drive itself.. Depending on your NVMe drive’s manufacturer, you can see speeds as much as five or six times faster than a SATA-based equivalent...There are some NVMe drives that are designed to fit into a standard PCIe motherboard slot much like a graphics card, but most NVMe drives use the M.2 form factor.

More: https://www.newegg.com/insider/m-2-and-nvme-ssds-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-benefit-your-pc/

Thus a SSD is far better than a HDD, and NVMe drives are much better than a SATA SSD, and this includes using a page file for RAM if you do not have enough, yet.

"Under best case lab conditions the fastest SSD is 46 times slower than DDR3 RAM." DDR4 is even faster. "RAM can serve up data in memory 1000 times faster than a NVMe drive even though the file size they can carry is about the same." "when you only have 8GB of RAM windows will take any file or program not used in the last 5 seconds and make a page file out of it and store it to the drive....So you see the issue with too little RAM is that after a while you have more and more items shuffling back and forth from system memory to drive and back again." - http://www.m-techlaptops.com/ShopOnline/pc/How-to-boost-your-computers-speed-and-longevity-d67.htm

All of which is relevant to using a VM.

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