I have found the ultimate Windows application. If you are not a true geek, you can stop reading now. If you are a geek, navigate and install the application from andlinux.org. This is Ubuntu 7.10 Linux configured to run on Windows. It is not running in a virtual machine like VMWare or VPC, but real binaries (similar to Cygwin, but MUCH better). It installs a service as LocalSystem and a network driver. Afterwards, simply start the X-Windows terminal and you have full access to the Ubuntu goodness minus the boring desktop (for which you *could* install if you really wanted the bloat). You have access to the full APT repository with no modifications or recompiling. You can easily cut-and-paste between the Linux programs and Windows, and can easily get at files on your Windows drive. It creates a 2GB file which contains the Ubuntu install, and if that is not enough space, you can easily use the Windows disk for additional storage. Since I routinely access many remote Unix installations, I no longer need to run Reflection or hack together Putty w/Kerberos authentication. I can simply pop into an Ubuntu shell, kinit and ssh away!
The best thing is I can now analyze malware and suspicious web sites from a safe web browser without risk to my underlying Windows installation. I simply launch FireFox in the Ubuntu shell which runs in the Linux context and have no worries about getting cooties!
Oh yeah, I also got a Corsair Survivor 16GB USB thumb drive. It is a little big since it is a waterproof version (about the size of those waterproof match cases), but it is 16 FRICKING GIG OF STORAGE!!!
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