MS releases Virtual PC for $0, VMWare follows with VMWare Server for same price

[disciple]

Overview
Save time and money as Virtual PC allows you to maintain the compatibility of legacy and custom applications during migration to new operating systems and increases the efficiency of support, development, and training staffs.

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System Requirements

    * Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows XP Service Pack 2

Processor: Athlon®, Duron®, Celeron®, Pentium® II, Pentium III, or Pentium 4

Processor speed: 400 MHz minimum (1 GHz or higher recommended)

RAM: Add the RAM requirement for the host operating system that you will be using to the requirement for the guest operating system that you will be using. If you will be using multiple guest operating systems simultaneously, total the requirements for all the guest operating systems that you need to run simultaneously.

Available disk space: To determine the hard disk space required, add the requirement for each guest operating system that will be installed.

Virtual PC 2004 SP1 runs on: Windows 2000 Professional SP4, Windows XP Professional or later, and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or later.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6D58729D-DFA8-40BF-AFAF-20BCB7F01CD1&displaylang=en


and not to be confused with the existing free VMWare player...

The free VMware Server is based upon VMware’s proven virtualization technology. With this robust yet easy to use software you can:

    * Streamline software development and testing by allowing developers to create multiple environments with different operating systems on the same server.
    * Simplify IT testing of patches, new applications and operating systems by allowing systems administrators to test in secure virtual machines and be able to roll back to a clean state by leveraging snapshots.
    * Simplify server provisioning by building a virtual machine once and deploying it multiple times.
    * Evaluate software in ready-to-run virtual machines without installation and configuration.
    * Re-host legacy operating systems such as Windows NT Server 4.0 and Windows 2000 Server in a virtual machine running on new hardware and operating system.
    * Leverage pre-built, ready-to-run virtual appliances that include virtual hardware, operating system and application environments. Virtual appliances for Web, file, print, DNS, email, proxy and other infrastructure services are available for download on VMware Technology Network (VMTN).

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

[TriniXaeno]

This is great news.

I am a big fan of the technology and use VMWare products alot. Never really tried the microsoft ones but I am sure if they did not exist at the amazing price point of Zero Dollars, then VMWare would buss price on us.

For that reason, I am grateful that MS is in on the action.

My only bother is the constant expiring tactics of the VMWare server. A real pain in the ass to keep downloading new versions when the old one was working perfectly fine.

I think it is a scheme to have a means of charging in the not too distant future. This way, you can't just run an old "beta" version and avoid buying the new product, since it expires.

Means a lot of work but if they don't stop that nonsense, I'm gonna try the Microsoft product and recreate my virtual machines (shudders)