In a shock development, I am going to be abandoning Linux after Christmas and going over to the Dark side of the Farce (for a variety of reasons). I need to be able to do remote desktops and domain-type stuff.

Which version of Windows 8 do I buy? Can someone give me a reputable link? I haven't bought a copy of Windows for over a decade

You'll probably want pro (comes with hyper-v and has additional features you might need like domain support)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_editions




Have you got an old licence for xp/vista? You can get the upgrade edition for about £70 on amazon, other places are around £50 when it's on offer
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Pro-Upg ... =windows+8

(IIRC you can just do a clean install with it and 8.1 is a free upgrade anyway so if 8 is cheaper get that over a straight 8.1 licence)

If you can still get the 8.0 upgrade, that is probably the cheapest way, otherwise look for the system builder or OEM version. You can use it, but it is linked to the mainboard you install it on.

If you need to remote in and can do the domain admin over the remote desktop on the host machine, then you only need Windows 8, not pro. But I prefer to go for Pro if I can afford it.

With HyperV, you can then keep using Linux in a VM, it is Microsoft's equivalent of Xen.

IIRC you can't join a domain in 8, only 8 Pro (limited to Workgroups/Homegroups I think)

Correct, but if you are remoting in to a machine that is in the domain, then you don't need to be in the domain.

In fact, using RDP protocol, he could stay on Linux - I use an iMac at work and remote onto a Windows Terminal Server for many tasks.

Windows 7?

That's what I'd go for, less pointless adjusting in every sense.

It is a personal decision. Personally, I'd not go back to Windows 7.

If you're using it on a computer with a touchscreen, I'd say windows 8 is fine. if you haven't got a touchscreen, you will come to hate windows 8 with a passion and would be much better off with 7.

Alternatively, you could pay a relatively minor sum for some software that will make windows 8 forget it's been designed as if you had a touchscreen, like the stuff from stardock.

The thing is, 8 is actually a better OS than 7. In many ways. However the UI is utterly compromised by Metro and you either need to fix it or avoid it.

Or just boot into desktop and you'd never notice the difference between 7 and 8. Especially if you pin your common programme to the taskbar.
If you don't like the metro interface you don't ever have to see it.

I thought Microsoft were adding back the start menu and the other things that the customers were so use to? The fact that there are usually a number of ways to get to the program that you want launched should solve the issues for most people. Even have a launch manager so that you can load the app or document you want with a few keystrokes.

Windows 8.1. added some things back, begrudgingly. However they brought a 'start button' back, not the start menu. The start button simply takes you directly to the metro interface. As if not being able to find that was the reason people were complaining about there not being a start button.

I think it was a step too far for Windows users. Microsoft could clearly add multiple ways of doing the same thing at UI level. Start Menu or Start key are could be replicated one way or another. To introduce such changes arbitrarily might cause more problems than it solves. If they left the basic interface the same but added alternatives then people might have transitioned better.

Or just install Classic Start.

Start8 brings back the start menu etc for Windows 8.