Windows XP virtualization for OS X coming from Parallels April 5, 2006
Posted by James Webster in : apple, virtualization , 4 commentsUPDATE: As per the rumour, Parallels have made a beta download of Parallels Workstation for Intel OS X. Now where’s my credit card…
Via virtualization.info; Techworld is reporting that Parallels, a competitor to VMware (albeit on the desktop end of the virtualization spectrum), will be announcing the details of a product that will support virtualization of Windows XP, Linux and presumably other x86 operating systems under Intel Mac OS X. W00t! Time to put in an order for a revision D MacBook Pro methinks?
The question remains; will this spur on VMware to produce a similar product for OS X? The more I think about it, I consider it less likely to happen. Although VMware are still making big money out of Workstation they are focusing on the enterprise space and sales of ESX Server. Intel-based Xserve’s and OS X Server have yet to be announced by Apple. The general view is that Apple (read: Steve Jobs) is increasingly uninterested in the enterprise market and focusing purely on the consumer.
So no free VMware Player for OS X then? Well, there is still Q, which may add true virtualization soon, and the rumours that Leopard will include virtualization support.
News from the world of virtualization… February 28, 2006
Posted by James Webster in : apple, virtualization , 1 comment so farA couple of interesting recent tidbits fom the world of virtualization…
- VMWare have announced the VMWare Ultimate Virtual Appliance Challenge, an open-to-all-comers competition (with a total of $20000USD prize money) to create the most useful ‘virtual appliance’ (read: virtual machine) using the VMWare Player and Server products. Now of course since licensing is an issue, non-free operating systems are less likely to form the basis for any of the serious contenders. The packaging of servers and workstation environments as appliances really resonates with me, as a way to shortcut much of the existing pain in provisioning new systems, especially for development teams, so I’m looking forward to what sort of VMs are produced by the community. Check out some of the existing one’s over at the VMWare Technology Network.
- Some work has been done on getting Windows XP to run on Mac Intel hardware via VMware Linux running on a Knoppix distribution installed natively to the Mac. If you must dual-boot, please do it with Linux :-). Of course, this won’t stop people from saying, ‘but I want it to run natively so I can play games’…
VMware’s game changing move: free VMware Server February 6, 2006
Posted by James Webster in : virtualization , 1 comment so farUPDATE: Its available, no sign of Workstation for OS X though!
Although not yet announced on their website, over the weekend it had been rumoured and then confirmed that VMware would be making available a free version of their VMware Server GSX product. The essential difference between GSX and the meatier ESX is that ESX operates its own host operating system exclusively for running guest OSes, whereas GSX (and the upcoming VMware Server) must still be installed on top of a host OS (Windows or Linux). For heavy-duty virtualization environments ESX Server will still be the preference. Availability of a free VMware Server will be particularly beneficial for many development teams wanting to test their software in a distributed environment without needing separate physical servers.
Of course, the open-source Xen has been offering a Linux-only server virtualization solution (Windows support coming sometime in ‘06 apparently) but I would wager that the VMware solution may be easier to get up and running.
virtualization.info has the scoop on the anticipated features of VMware Server. The VMware home page also hints of other big announcements today; ‘Find Out What’s Coming Soon From VMware, Monday 6th February’. I wonder if an OS X Intel version of Workstation and Player will be announced?