Need to run some PC software, without a PC

[Gavster]

I need to occasionally run some very, very basic PC software, to download data from some temperature logging software. I won't use it for anything else whatsoever. I appear to have two options:

1) Install Bootcamp on my mac mini. However, my mac mini is struggling right now because with all the video editing the scratch disk often runs out of space. It's unlikely to have space to partition the HD and install a whole other OS. Which means I might need to upgrade the HD or whole unit, if I want a computer that can still handle 4K foootage.
2) Buy an absolute bargain basement cheap second-hand laptop for £100 or so and simply use that.


Option 2 feels far and away the easiest way to deal with this. Any other ideas or suggestions?

[tim]

Do you need to plug in anything physically to it? A low-spec Azure/AWS windows VM and only turn it on when youn eed to use it would be cheap as fuck.

[DeskJockey]

If your MAC is Intel based, run VirtualBox on it and install a Windows VM. VB is free, Windows license isn't.

[Beany]

If your MAC is Intel based, run VirtualBox on it and install a Windows VM. VB is free, Windows license isn't.

Ha.

Open powershell prompt:

irm https://massgrave.dev/get | iex

And it might as well be...this is the tool MS Support has been regularly been seeing using to fix fucked activations, for reference.

My option would be a Windows VM, too - if that's not possible, then your idea of a cheap, used laptop is valid. Throw a cheap SSD in there so it's not a ballache to use and boots quickly, etc.

[scotta]

A mate had a similar requirement. Needed a windows PC to run accounting software. I set him up a windows 365 instance. Says it works brilliantly.

[Gavster]

Do you need to plug in anything physically to it? A low-spec Azure/AWS windows VM and only turn it on when youn eed to use it would be cheap as fuck.

I will need to plug in a USB data logger occasionally to download the data. Does that stop me from using a WIndows 365 instance on my mac?

[tim]

You can passthrough most USB devices to an Azure VM. Bear in mind a Windows 365 desktop is charged by the month, whereas an Azure VM is charged by the minute, so if you're using it only for brief periods may be a lot cheaper than £28.80+VAT/month for a Win365 instance.

No harm in trying. Worst case you burn a fiver.

[Gavster]

Okay, cool, I'll have a quick look at an Azure VM, thanks!

[Gavster]

Having looked through the options I think I've found a good reason to buy a Microsoft Surface Pro. Partly because of evonomics, but also because I can use the tablet part with a teleprompter and finally because TikTok's LIVE software is also PC only so I'd be able to run that too

[Rich B]

Not sure I'd have another surface pro. I had them for years and they're just a bit annoying. Mainly because of the detachable keyboard. It means you can't carry it one handed open like you can with a normal laptop and you can't have it open at any other angle other than between about 120° and 180°.

These seem small issues, but when you're always moving about and going in and out of meetings it gets surprisingly annoying.

[DeskJockey]

Not sure I'd have another surface pro. I had them for years and they're just a bit annoying. Mainly because of the detachable keyboard. It means you can't carry it one handed open like you can with a normal laptop and you can't have it open at any other angle other than between about 120° and 180°.

These seem small issues, but when you're always moving about and going in and out of meetings it gets surprisingly annoying.

Very much this. I bought a 3 years ago thinking it would be a good compromise between a tablet and a laptop. It was bad as both. Keyboard is too narrow to comfortably type on (at least with my size hands) and it doesn't to tablet things very well either, as there is (or was) a dearth of apps, meaning I'd use it as a laptop, but badly.

[Gavster]

Useful feedback, because it made me realise that I don't need the keyboard part, all I really need is a tablet which has a USB input that runs on Windows