I will be getting a new Windows computer for work but am interested in doing as much of my actual work as possible (emails, Office Libre, basic data analysis and Python scripting with Anaconda) via a Linux virtual box. Let’s say my new computer comes with 8-12 gigs of RAM and a 256 gig hard drive. Should I be allocating as much as possible of those resources to the VM since I’m not expecting/hoping to do much with the Windows setup? In other words, what considerations are there in making a Linux VM my primary computing workspace?
You can allocate disk space dynamically, so that it won't take more than is needed. Memory can be adjusted easily, so start with the recommended value and adjust as required. Start with a minimal Linux install and add what you need for your work. This arrangement works well, and you can used the shared drive feature so that you can edit files in the VM using the native Windows tools if desired. I find it is very handy for trying out distros and applications that you can blow away later.