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Wubi allows you to install Linux form within your current Windows environment. That's right, your Linux installation will appear in the 'Add/Remove programs' list console of your Windows installation!. No partitioning, no boot loaders and a simple 'click' to remove in order to recover disk space and fall back to the pre-existing Windows state.

The way Wubi works is by launching a Windows installer that downloads Ubuntu Linux. You choose the disk space you wish to take up in your standard Windows drive(C:/), choose a language, root password and launch. On the next boot, you will be presented with the option of booting into Ubuntu Linux or Windows, a bootloader that is automatically installed by Wubi.

The first time you boot into Ubuntu Linux the installation process will take place, creating the necessary Linux partitions and setting up a base system. After that you're done. And on top of it, Wubi creates a shared folder in which to share files created in either operating system, so no manual mounting of file systems to access files between the two. And did I mention you can just click 'Add/Remove' programs in Windows to eliminate the boot loader, eliminate Ubuntu Linux and recover space taken by Linux with no partitioning tools whatsoever? This is one remarkable piece of software for Windows/Linux users.

The popularity and affordability of virtualization has taken a lot of the hassle of running both Linux and Windows simultaneously on the same system, with dual-boot systems loosing some of their appeal. However, virtualization is not for every piece of hardware, since not many can handle two operating systems running simultaneously.

So if you're looking at running both Windows and Linux on the same piece of hardware and don't mind re-booting to access each system. Wubi takes the hassle of using partitioning managers, boot loaders and the likes. Granted its only available for Ubuntu Linux, its the best experience you will probably have for installing a dual boot system using Windows and Linux.