How-To Geek

I've been reading a lot about Wine lately, and the Wine page specifically states that it's easier on resources . . . flat out easier all around . . . than a VM.

Now that may be a lot of marketing hype or a case of the fox guarding the chickens . . . I really don't know. Which is why I'm asking the question here. I'm hoping that posters will give me a more unbiased list of pluses and minuses to each.

I'm tethered to Windows by virtue of Quicken and my on line banking. (I've looked at all the Ubuntu financial managers, and there is not one that does what I want . . . so I'm bound to Quicken.)

Currently I have a VM ("Sun Virtual Box") with XP on it, and I have loaded Quicken on it . . . and it works nicely. (Have the Guest Additions installed too, so it is seamless).

However, with all I've been reading about Wine, it may be a better way to go than the VM I am using. Don't know . . . which is again why I'm asking the question here.

My sense is that there are a lot of Wine users here that will give me their side, and there are a lot of VM users that will give me their side. With input like that, I'll be better able to decide which way to go for good.

One last note: I'm NOT a gamer. I say that because it seems like Wine is focused on gaming software, though I've seen that it certainly runs other software (Quicken is on it's Gold list). My only reason for using it would be Quicken.

I'm inclined to follow the truism "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". My VM runs fine and I can do my on line banking within it. But I want to take a look at what Wine may offer above a VM . . . if it does, that is.

re the VirtualBox

If you are using it for banking security reasons,suggest that you be careful,as in fact the same amount of anti malware should be installed.

A Virtual Box isnt immune from attacks

A virtualiser like Sandboxie is a better bet.

@mikisu,

No, I have no choice . . . there is no analog, or version of Quicken, that runs with Ubuntu. Consequently, I either have to run it in a virtual machine running Windows, or WINE in Ubuntu (and as I said, WINE doesn't seem to work running Quicken). So the "choice" to run it in a VM is NOT really a choice. I'm using a VM NOT for security reasons, but rather that's the only alternative I have.

And YES, I'm running anti-malware software within the VM.

Sandboxie, likewise, doesn't run on Ubuntu. (I did use to use Sandboxie when my main OS was Windows . . . and may run it within the VM).

@OzSpitt,

Is good to know that it may not be "just me". Some praise WINE, some curse it. I think I may end up cursing it.

Cedega is a commercial (I.E. Costs money) fork of Wine focused on gaming.
There is also a commercial fork of Wine for things like Microsoft Office and Quicken called Crossover Linux.
Wine can run some of those things but it's harder to set up.
There are a few free programs to help set up some programs with Wine like WineTools (Though it doesn't seem to do Quicken) and IEs4Linux (Sets up Internet Explorer).
Last time I tried it I was able to run a couple things in Wine like DVD Decrypter and with Crossover I could run Quicken 2006.
I didn't have much luck getting Microsoft Office to run at all nor running games with Cedega.
That was a few years ago though so things may have changed.