Is there any point keeping a Netbook as a 'dual boot' capable?

**Willdat?** · 26th December 2010, 18:01

Purchased an emachines Netbook from Harvey Norman today, ($259 after cashback, insane!).
It came with Windows XP home, but no install CD/DVD (well it has no optical drive so that kinda makes sense).
I'm running Ubuntu 10.10, it seems fast, capable and pretty, should I delve in and just get rid of XP, or should I hold onto the XP install (just incase).

I have zero Windows software so there's no point maintaining XP for that.

All I really want the Netbook to do is manage an external WD 1Tb Hard drive that has photos/videos on it.

TIA

**Buyasta** · 26th December 2010, 19:26

Well, if you don't have a problem with using Linux, there isn't a lot of point keeping the Windows install, you'd probably be better off getting rid of it and resizing the Linux partition to take up the whole drive.

Does the netbook have a sticker on the bottom with a Windows serial on it?.. If you do at some point decide to reinstall windows, it's easy enough to make a bootable USB drive to install it from.

**rainman** · 26th December 2010, 20:23

I shrunk my Win partition way down and mostly live in Linux. Occasionally use Sketchup or Project so will leave Win there, but even so, it takes up not a lot of space. Mines an older netbook but has a 120G disk. Surely you don't need the room?

**Willdat?** · 27th December 2010, 09:46

It does have the Windows serial number underneath so that's good to know.

I also have a work laptop that runs Windows 7, plus an older home iMac running OSX 10.3.9.

Decided to bite the bullet and jump fully into ubuntu.

Best trick so far is that it can read both my external HDs, meaning I can now have it all in one place!

**SMOKEU** · 27th December 2010, 10:21

Ubuntu is great. It seems to run a lot quicker than XP on most computers.

**scissorhands** · 27th December 2010, 19:19

I have an Acer Aspire 1 dual boot netty with XP and an earlier android. I like to have both there, just for resale value even if I only use one.

Android and Ubuntu both use low power from battery, hence netbook applicability.

**SMOKEU** · 27th December 2010, 23:36

Originally Posted by scissorhands

I have an Acer Aspire 1 dual boot netty with XP and an earlier android. I like to have both there, just for resale value even if I only use one.

Android and Ubuntu both use low power from battery, hence netbook applicability.

XP is slow as phuck compared to Ubuntu and Windows 7.

**Willdat?** · 27th December 2010, 23:43

Resale value is not really an issue, as the purchase price was minimal from the start. Getting all the codecs etc. up to date is chewing through my Mobile broadband though! Neat trick for ubuntu/netbook...F11 = full screen browsing, makes the most of the small amount of screen real estate

**jonbuoy** · 28th December 2010, 19:21

Take an image then get rid of it, the XP licence for the netbook probably won´t work for an XP desktop install CD (shows as not a valid licence key, did for me anyway). You will need either the recovery CD for the netbook or an image of the drive to go back to XP.

**Brian d marge** · 28th December 2010, 19:45

I tried to get my money back for an unused windows Xp ,,,,,, pushing . sh uphill and pissing into the wind all rolled into one

the look on the salesman's face when I said , I didnt want windows full stop was priceless

he came out in to the car park to check a third time , That I didnt want windows

Stephen

**SMOKEU** · 28th December 2010, 23:02

Originally Posted by Brian d'marge

I tried to get my money back for an unused windows Xp ,,,,,, pushing . sh uphill and pissing into the wind all rolled into one

the look on the salesman's face when I said , I didnt want windows full stop was priceless

he came out in to the car park to check a third time , That I didnt want windows

Stephen

Yeah, that's Asians for you!

**Buyasta** · 29th December 2010, 11:36

Originally Posted by jonbuoy

Take an image then get rid of it, the XP licence for the netbook probably won´t work for an XP desktop install CD (shows as not a valid licence key, did for me anyway). You will need either the recovery CD for the netbook or an image of the drive to go back to XP.

When using an OEM cd key, you need to use an OEM image, and also you can't activate over the internet, you need to do it over the phone - it's pretty trivial, though - you just ring a number, enter your serial on the phone's keypad, and then it generates and reads you an activation key.

**Buyasta** · 29th December 2010, 11:40

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Yeah, that's Asians for you!

Right, it's not like there's a long history of people having to complain up the wazoo, and frequently also sue, in order to get their refund, in pretty much every country on earth... clearly it's those darn asians.

**Brian d marge** · 29th December 2010, 15:07

Originally Posted by Buyasta

Right, it's not like there's a long history of people having to complain up the wazoo, and frequently also sue, in order to get their refund, in pretty much every country on earth... clearly it's those darn asians.

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Naughty very naughty

Stephen

**SMOKEU** · 30th December 2010, 16:21

Originally Posted by Buyasta

When using an OEM cd key, you need to use an OEM image, and also you can't activate over the internet, you need to do it over the phone - it's pretty trivial, though - you just ring a number, enter your serial on the phone's keypad, and then it generates and reads you an activation key.

Waste of time. There are plenty of good Windows torrents out there.