Windows 8–the Super Workstation OS

Vijayshinva Karnure, a Premier Field Engineer from India, writes about using Windows 8 as his primary work machine. Vijay works on Developer technologies, and like him, many developers use server OS installations on their desktop or laptop to ease testing efforts. In Vijay’s words:

I had my reasons to use a Server OS on my work laptop and have been doing it since Windows Server 2003… After nearly 9 years I have made my switch to a desktop version of Windows. My work laptop now has Windows 8 (RTM).

He also calls out the benefits of using Windows 8 are not only for those who have touch-enabled systems:

And before you drift into the world of Touch and Apps. My laptop doesn't have a Touch Screen. I am still a mouse and keyboard guy.

Windows 8 promises a lot for developers, and the availability of Hyper-V on Windows 8 makes testing on server platforms much easier, while retaining all the conveniences of a client OS.

I now have a Windows 2008 R2 server running virtualized on my Windows 8 machine. I can do all my risky experimentation on my VM and even if I end up rendering the VM unusable I can just restore back to an earlier snapshot.

He also brings forward an interesting perspective on using Apps:

The Apps run in a Sandbox and that way are very safe. We all download small apps like games or utilities from unknown sources… doing it from the Store is safer as all Apps in the Store are verified.

Read more at Windows 8 is the Super workstation OS I had been waiting for!