Ideal Config? Partitions, Virtual, etc

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new notebook - a Dell D620 w/ a 100GB HD. (I really wanted a Thinkpad w/ a 14.1 WXGA+ and dedicated graphics card but, alas, bad timing for the T60 w/ the widescreen. I need the machine in the next week or two, not in January.)

I'm a consultant that travels quite a bit. I occasionally log into the client's LAN, often set up an Outlook profile to manage my e-mail from the client's Exchange server, and access my own company's network remotely while at the client (running Windows SBS 2003 in our office).

Main question is: How should I ideally set up my new system? I'm planning on at least 3 partitions (XP, documents, Dell MediaDirect). Should I add more? Would using some version of virtualization software help protect my company's files from being exposed to my client's network?

One of the things that annoys me with my current setup is that I have separate Windows logins to use at the client and at my office. This means that I have to log off of one account to check Outlook e-mail on the other account. On the new system, I'm thinking I can resolve this by just setting up 2 e-mail profiles & choose between them when Outlook opens.

Thanks for your ideas!

 

The people I work with (who are also consultants) use virtualization to solve this. They have their own notebook set up with their own software, access to our LAN and the company email account, and then they use VirtalPC (or VMWare) to set up a virtual OS to run everything related to their client. That allows them to access both without getting company files exposed to the client and without having to log off. Also means that afterwards their own systems are clean and they can just wipe the virtual pc to get rid of everything related to that client, without having to mess up their own system.

You don't need to create a separate partition for that though. They just use a big file on an existing partition to store the virtual harddrive image.

So yeah, I'd go with one partition for your own OS and one partition for data/documents. (And might as well leave the Dell one in there as well).

And then whip up a virtual pc you can use when working for the client.
Of course, this only works if you're somewhat comfortable with virtualization.

 

Thanks, Jalf, sounds like I was on the right track but you filled in some details for me. Appreciate your insight!