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I want to run windows 8 as a guest os with virtualbox on some thinkpad (haven't bought one yet) running Ubuntu 12.04. Apart from virtualizing windows 8 (mostly just for use with the office suite app) my needs are very modest, I don't need much more than emacs and a browser. What I'd like to know is what kind of specs will be necessary to run windows 8 well as a vm, using the office apps. It would be a shame to waste money on overpowered hardware.

Are there any official guidelines from oracle or windows on this? Would this lenovo x220, for example, be sufficiently strong? (Edit: I plan to add 4gb more ram for the maximum 8gb)The specs below were taken from this review.

Intel Core i5-2520M dual-core processor (2.5GHz, 3MB cache, 3.2GHz Turbo frequency)
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
12.5-inch Premium HD (1366 x 768) LED Backlit Display (IPS)
Intel Integrated HD Graphics
4GB DDR3 (1333MHz)
320GB Hitachi Travelstar hard drive (Z7K320)
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (Taylor Peak) 2x2 AGN wireless card
Intel 82579LM Gigabit Ethernet
720p High Definition webcam
Fingerprint reader
6-cell battery (63Wh) and optional slice battery (65Wh)
Dimensions: 12 (L) x 8.2 (W) x 0.5-1.5 (H) inches with 6-cell battery
Weight:
    3.5 pounds with 6-cell battery
    4.875 pounds with 6-cell battery and optional external battery slice
Price as configured: $1,299.00 (starting at $979.00)
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    Yes, that should be fine, although more RAM will always help. Just take a look at Win8's system requirements, and ensure the host OS has enough resources available as well.
    – Karan
    Jul 1, 2013 at 17:08
  • yes, I should have hadded that I plan to add more ram (it can take up to 8gb)
    – user116354
    Jul 1, 2013 at 17:53
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    More of a question than answer/comment. @Tor have you figured out the flavour of Win8 you intend to run on VirtualBox ? Long (long) back, I remember reading some discussions where, I believe poster opined that some versions of Windows OS, cannot be installed on most Virtualized environments. Thought, I never got around to check if that was true.
    – bdutta74
    Jul 2, 2013 at 4:08
  • Hm, I assumed all kinds would work. That could be bad. I couldn't find anything about this after some quick googling.
    – user116354
    Jul 4, 2013 at 11:26

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I belive that this guide from Oracle themself will help you.

Also: More information about the RAM (memory) usage of VirtualBox here.

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