For me it’s not a specific app or game. I keep Windows as a fallback and for troubleshooting when someone says, it only happens in Windows.
Also, printing is another one. I’ve generally had better luck from Windows, although right now I can’t print from it at all! I’m using my phone instead, so that argument isn’t holding up too well. lol However, sometimes it’s the reverse, and having Windows allows an alternatvie printing option.
So much of the world still runs on Windows that it makes it practical to at the least keep it around.
What about you? What’s the one thing keeping Windows in your life?
I used to use Adobe Audition as multitrack recorder and mixer (on a pretty fast HP laptop) which works pretty good with my 16 analog inputs (rackunits).
Since a while I dual boot with Ubuntu-studio and use Ardour instead so within a forseeable time I can wipe windows from that laptop. (b.t.w. windows 10 on that machine without networking ofcourse)
Oh, maybe I keep it for GuitarRIg (Native Instruments) until I have a Linux solution for that.
EDIT: oops, I forgot I also still need it for a microKorg synth.
I don’t dual boot but I do have a Windows laptop just to have. Once a week I power it up and check for updates then shut it down. Not even really sure why I have it other than to have it.
Now that I think back I did use a Win PC to update my Garmin but I haven’t had that unit for several years now. Forgot about that until @Jymm brought it up.
I kept Windows around in order to help others out and while I was working I also had it in case I needed to do some work that I could copy back and forth; when doing that became a “no-no” I had no further reason for keeping Windows. I can still help people in a pinch but I do that less and less, particularly in my retirement community where we have a tech staff that can help people - they are paid, I am not.
Same here, I used to help family and friends when their Windows install got messed up (all the time), but it has been so long now I have little idea of what to do to help them. My help is now I will install Linux if you want to try it otherwise you are on your own.
My HP ScanJet G4010 scanner is the primary reason I still dual-boot on a desktop machine. Though I just discovered the NAPS2 scanning program, which works really well in Linux, so that’s no longer a good reason.
On my MSI laptop, it’s the only way that I can get BIOS updates - MSI does not post BIOS updates to their website.
I do have some unique vehicle diagnostic applications on my laptop, and I’m not sure how well those will work under Wine or another VM as they have USB-based interfaces with non-generic interface drivers.
@ejkeerbs that does indeed sound like a safer bet. One thing is, we sometimes don’t figure out all the reasons until its no longer an option. That’s not the best way to find out. lol
Apparently, the recommended method is using M-Flash from the BIOS directly, so that is independant of Windows of Linux, and installing Linux as only OS will not touch your BIOS.
Maybe share with us the Make and Model of your laptop, along with the output of the following:
The computer is a Raider gaming laptop. The last BIOS update - which was about 18 months ago - was pushed from Windows Update and was not available on MSI’s website. At that time, I searched MSI’s forums, and the moderator was adamant that Windows Update was the only way to get BIOS updates for their laptops.
It’s a moot point anyway, I’m not planning to ditch the Windows partition. I have a number of vehicle diagnostic tools on the Windows partition on this computer that have FTDI USB drivers for the proprietary interfaces - these are not USB-to-RS232 interfaces, which I can set up without issue or special drivers in Linux, and given that I use the diagnostic tools about once every 2 years, I have not seen the value in trying to get these tools to run in a VM.
The only MSFT thing we have in our house is one of those nice keyboards with the curvy appearance; it’s a good keyboard, maybe the best thing they’ve ever done and still, it’s collecting dust in the corner!
