The copy of XP home which was on the Asus laptop when I bought it remains, surrounded by Squeeze and all its works. Squeeze and all its works work better, andbut...
The XP volume was not installed properly, and some things do not work - for example, some software installations will not proceed beyond a certain - or rather, an uncertain - point. In any case, even for Billyware, XP runs at a snail's pace. It takes several minutes to unmount a USB memory stick.
"Oh, reinstall it!" is the usual Billyware user's remedy. As Penguinistas will well know, this will result in XP marking all the territory round it like an incontinent dog - so - here is the question: I have a (legal) XP Pro CD, SP 3, and WGA Crack.
What is the concensus of the cognoiscenti - should I install a severely truncated XP to USB memory, or run a similarly curtailed XP in Virtual Box?
I tend towards the former solution as the XP can then run any of my machines (any which will boot from USB, that is...), and running a virtual XP will surely take up nearly as much HDD space as keeping it in its own partition?
And, can I install it on a memory stick on the Acer without XP scribbling all over Squeeze?
Oh, I want XP (well, anything which will run Paintsho Pro, Photoshop and Irfanview) for some programs which IMO Linux-based programs can't match.
Please don't suggest The Gimp... I *do* use The Gimp, but only when I CBA to reboot into that very sub-standard XP installation.