The Multi-Boot Configuration Handbook

Summary

OSs have varying needs with respect to hardware resources. Although adding a new OS necessarily removes some of your available disk space from use by other OSs, a new OS won't detract from an existing OS's capability to use your computer's memory or CPU (unless you run an OS under an emulator such as VMware). Nonetheless, it is important to understand the resource requirements of each OS you use; you might need to expand your RAM or upgrade your CPU for a new OS, simply because the new OS requires more of these resources than does your old OS.

One hardware resource that many people overlook is a backup device. It is important that you have—and use!—a backup device such as a tape drive on a multi-OS computer. Sooner or later, you will ...