Windows 7 Pro with XP Mode

This isn't always obvious to people who get Windows 7 (unfortunately it requires Professional or Enterprise or Ultimate to support XP Mode directly), but you can have a Virtual XP Pro installation that you can either run as a second virtual computer simultaneously as Windows 7, or, can use specific apps that are only installed on the virtual xp (known as XP Mode integration or so). Here's the info you need: Microsoft download page: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Samsung SGH-i727R Root and upgrade from ICS to Jelly Bean

• Download Odin3 v1.85 
• Download Odin tar.md5 recovery image (CWM or TWRP)
• Download and Install Samsung Kies (this provides the correct drivers for the phone)
• Reboot computer to allow Samsung Kies drivers to complete installing
• Download SuperSU-0.93-Busybox-1.20.2.zip and copy it to your phone using USB storage mode (/downloads folder works well )
• Unplug phone from computer
• power off phone
• Reboot phone into ODIN Download mode by following the next steps
• phone should be powered off to start with
• while holding down volume key, press and hold power key
• release power key when phone vibrates
• release volume key when black screen appears, or download warning screen appears
• to enter download mode, accept the warning by pressing the volume up key (the warning should mention to press Volume up to continue into Download mode)
• run Odin on the computer
• uncheck all options except Auto Reboot (important!)
• click on PDA button to choose your tar.md5 file (CWM 5.5.0.4 or TWRP 2.2.0.2)
• connect phone to computer using usb cable
• Odin should recognize the phone (a few visual cues), nothing should change on phone's screen
• click on the Start button in Odin
• the Odin log window should show success, and it will reboot your phone (assuming you selected the auto reboot checkbox)

• Root your phone
• shutdown phone
• while holding volume up AND down together, press and hold the power button down
• release the power button when the phone vibrates
• release the volume buttons after the Samsung screen flashes and then goes to a black screen
• wait for CWM or TWRP to load (up to a few seconds of black screen first)
• choose install zip from sdcard
• choose instlal from internal memory (or external if you put SuperUser on the external card
• browse to and highlight the SuperUser file and press the enter button
• with CWM you should see in the log lines that it was successful
• with TWRP you have to press the bottom middle button on screen to see the log to see if it was successful
• return to main menu and choose to reboot the phone
• run SuperSU#, accept its offer to update its files
• close SuperSU
• reboot into recovery mode (if doing this via Rom Manager, SuperSU will ask you to give Rom Manager root permissions to reboot the phone, Grant Rom Manager access, you may get an "internet not connected" or similar error message, simply choose okay for the boot process to continue, or it may continue without interaction and they are just warnings while processes are being killed during the shutdown process)

• Backup your phone's stock ROM before installing any custom ones
• reboot into recovery (CWM in this example)
• choose backup current ROM
• choose Backup to internnal SD card (or external, whatever floats your boat)
• this will take up to a few minutes
• reboot phone
• when booted up again, take a copy of the backup file over to your computer for safe keeping

• Install custom Jelly Bean 4.1 or 4.2 ROM
• Download your preferred Jelly Bean 4.1 or 4.2 ROM from xda-developers
• save it to your internal or external sd card on the phone
• boot into recovery mode

• Notes:
• I did all of the above steps with no SD Card installed and no SIM card installed, Wifi was on, Airplane mode was not enabled
• Always do things with a near full battery
• wipe data / factory reset, TWICE (x2)
• wipe cache partition, TWICE (x2)

I'm publishing this post, it's been sitting in draft for quite a while, and I don't know what (if anything) may be missing, I forgot to finish it while it was fresh in my mind.  I've since given the i727r phone back to it's owner.