VMWare

VMWare is the most popular solution for creating virtual machines in x86 computers. It runs on Windows and Linux, and just recently (in December 2006) was made available to run on Mac OS X. It is a proprietary solution (meaning it costs money), however they have a VMWare Server and VMWare Player available for free. The VMWare Workstation is required to actually set up virtual machines. The free VMWare Player can be used to "play" virtual machines created by others. VMWare Server can create, edit and play virtual machines using a client-server model.

For most, the VMWare Player will be the thing most sought after. It is free available and allows you to run any number of operating systems within the confines of a virtual machine. To set it up, simply download the installer file and run the executable. Once the player is installed, you can download virtual machine images from their website or from other locations on the internet. VMWare refers to these as "virtual applicances". There are many of them available right on VMWare’s website. Looking at their "operating system" category, one sees appliances for Ubuntu, FreeBSD, Knoppix, Windows Server 2003, etc. There are many appliances to choose from, for different applications. Each appliance can be thought of as similar to an ISO disk image. Each is set up the way the author intended and then provided as a complete and independent package on the internet. For example, there are appliances available which have PHP and MySQL installed to them for easy web developmnt testing.

VMWare is solid, and if you intend to run mainly non-Microsoft operating systems, it is really the only way to go. VMWare also supports features such as networking, USB pass-through and support for SCSI.

Microsoft Virtual PC

Virtual PC is a similar solution provided by Microsoft. Virtual PC 2004 is available for free, whereas 2007 Beta is provided for free provided you are enrolled in the Microsoft Beta program. The main difference between the two versions come down to hardware virtualization and stronger support for Windows Vista. The 2004 version, however does everything most users will need. It is also extremely easy to use. It also allows you to actually create virtual machines rather than simply using ones created by others. With VMWare, you will need the VMWare Workstation to create your own virtual machines. With Virtual PC, you can do it on your own. The flip side of that is that, in true Microsoft fashion, only Windows operating systems are officially supported. This doesn’t mean, however, that other operating systems will not work. Here is a useful list of tests of various operating systems with Virtual PC 2004.

If you wish to run Windows in a virtual environment, there is no smoother option than Virtual PC. The simplicity of it is a tradeoff, though, because VMWare is obviously a more flexible solution.