$999 Virtual Server Product Now Free!
Fred: Now that Microsoft has released its Virtual Server for free, I was wondering if you have any tips about setting it up and using it, since you use it and like it. Thanks! ---BBentley
The Microsoft Virtual Server is a more-refined successor to the "Virtual PC" product I've written about in the past--- and that I still use regularly for software testing. It lets me try out potentially dangerous tweaks and changes without risking my main PC or having to set up a second, stand-alone system. In fact, VPC technology is so good that I've been able to steadily reduce the number of PCs here in my office. Where before I used to have a large number of multi-boot machines for different versions of Windows and Linux, I'm more and more able to run everything I need on virtualized PCs inside my main system. It's wonderfully convenient--- and saves energy and space, as well.
The VPC software used to cost $50; the Virtual Server cost as much as $999. Now it's free: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/default.mspx
VPC info, much of which still applies to the now-free Virtual Server product:
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=vpc&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000
Why is Microsoft doing this? It's not charity, of course. <g> They're under intense pressure from "VMware," whose product has some advantages; and whose free "virtual appliances" are revolutionizing the distribution of software and entire OSes. If you thought a plug-and-play "Live CD" version of Linux was cool, wait until you try a Linux appliance--- a complete virtualized Linux PC, already set up and ready to use--- that runs entirely within your current operating system, and free! http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/
The virtualization battle is heating up, and we'll all benefit from the competition!
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