One of the simple, sad facts about switching from Windows to Ubuntu is that you must give up certain Windows apps, unless you want to jump through some hoops.
One hoop is running a virtual machine under VMWare, or any of the Linux virtual environments. Downside: lots of work for a non-geek. Performance on an older machine will also likely take a hit, running multiple operating systems at the same time.
An alternate hoop is Wine. Downside: funky interface, you may need files to run Win apps that you are unaware of (meaning that they won't run).
However, for less than 75 bucks, you can buy yourself a copy of Crossover Linux Professional. And if you do, you will find yourself installing Windows apps in a heartbeat, even if you aren't very computer-literate. And you will see very fast load times of the Windows apps, and they will be well-protected within your safe, secure Linux operating system.
I downloaded the free-for-a-day install, which was a shell script. You can also download a deb file or an RPM. I ran the sh script as super user, and it installed with no hassles.
Once you access the program itself, you will see that there are a slew of supported Windows apps. That means that if you run into issues, Crossover's tech support will help you. But even if your favorite Windows app (Paint Shop Pro 7, in my case) isn't supported, you still have an excellent chance of installing and running it.
What Crossover does for you is add all the behind-the-scenes stuff you need, like core fonts, dll's, etc. Wine requires nuts and bolts on your part to supply the needed files.
Crossover also creates a Windows environment called a "bottle" for your app to run in. Each app gets its own bottle, eliminating the very real possibility of a necessary dll being overwritten by a subsequent install of another app.
In short, it runs the Windows emulator in a way that Windows itself is incapable of doing so. It insulates each application in its own little bottle.
It also simulates Windows reboots in a matter of seconds, required for many installs.
And your Windows shortcuts all end up in a Windows Applications container under the Applications menu.
You can browse to your Linux folders via the Windows apps. this allows me to keep all of my Dreamweaver sites in their traditional location, a shared folder which I was accustomed to accessing through my Windows virtual machine.
So download your eval version of Crossover Linux Professional. See if it doesn't put a big grin on your face as you find yourself running your most-loved Windows apps in your reliable Linux operating system.
Comments (1)
Thanks for the mention of CrossOver--we appreciate it.
Best Wishes,
-jon parshall-
COO
www.codeweavers.com
Posted by Jon Parshall | January 8, 2009 2:57 PM
Posted on January 8, 2009 14:57