I am using a Mac so I do not have you problems. Is you laptop certified for a specific distro of Linux. Do you know that Dell and may be HP have laptops certified for Ubuntu and Redhat? I personally would try to use Linux, bash, git, apt-get, more performance. I would try to fix Linux issues. You could develop in Windows, Ruby works on it. Vagrant is good, you can just run ‘ssh vagrant’ and call tests and guard from you windows shell. The problem is that Windows shell is rubbish and you have to use putty because Windows does not have ssh. I would just avoid to use Windows entirely, it is too limiting. I would try to fix LInux issues on the laptop or buy another laptop, seriously.