Sometimes one operating system just isn't enough, for example, when you're debugging new software or testing anti-virus programs. When that's the case, turn to VMware Workstation 3.0, an industrial-strength utility that uses software, disk space, and part of a real PC's memory to emulate hardware of a different system type. Like Sybil, your computer will sport multiple personalities--say, Linux, Windows 95, and Windows XP--on one PC.
VMware Workstation is pricey, can be tough to configure, and requires that you buy additional OSs to populate its virtual machines, but it's incredibly stable, fast as all get-out, and sophisticated enough for the most advanced applications. Virtual PC is a cheaper and easier buy for home users, but VMware Workstation is the way to go for businesses and demanding power users.
Start with Windows or Linux
VMware Workstation lets you build virtual machines on either Windows or Linux host PCs. The Windows version requires NT, 2000, or XP on the host, while the Linux edition needs Red Hat, SuSE, or Linux-Mandrake distributions. VMware's list of guest OSs, those you can install in the virtual machines you create within the application, is a lot longer: MS-DOS, any edition of Windows (back to 3.1 and as recent as XP), and any version of Linux.
Installing Workstation is a snap and preparing a virtual, or guest, PC is just as easy. We set up the Windows version of Workstation 3.0, which includes a nifty wizard that walks you through the creation chore, in less than five minutes. All you do is answer a few simple questions, including how much disk space you want to dedicate to the virtual computer's hard drive(s) and which OS you'll slap on it.
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Expensive additional Operating Systems
The roughest part is installing an operating system on the empty virtual machine. Unlike thriftier Virtual PC for Windows, VMware Workstation accepts full OS versions only, not upgrades. And although adding Windows to a virtual machine is usually straightforward, you'll probably need to do a little manual labour. To create a Windows 95 virtual machine, for instance, we had to partition and format the virtual drive ourselves.
Substandard sharing; sophisticated networking
Unlike Virtual PC for Windows, VMware Workstation lacks several features that make it easy to share information between the bas operating system and the virtual PC. While Virtual PC lets you drag and drop files between the two and set up shared folders on a whim, Workstation makes you use virtual networking establish connections between the host and guest(s).
To compensate, VMware excels at replicating complex networks. It installs virtual switches that bridge to the physical network, making the virtual system just another node on the network, or lets you create completely virtual networks inside the host PC from a series of virtual machines. Workstation supports up to three virtual network cards and nine virtual Ethernet switches, allowing ridiculously complex phoney networks.
We set up two networks: one that let us use the host's Internet connection and the other a more sophisticated set-up that connects three real PCs and two virtual computers. We didn't encounter any trouble with either, although it took us more than an hour to get everything working each time. Bottom line: Virtual PC, although less sophisticated in its networking, is much easier to configure for sharing Net connections and files.
Better than before
Workstation 3.0 includes a host of improvements over earlier editions. It no longer limits virtual drives to 2MB; you can now create drives as large as 256M. Workstation 3.0 also supports USB and CD-R/RW and DVD drives. We also noticed some performance improvements in this version, particularly when it comes to screen redraw times and the texture of mouse movement. The latter are smooth as silk within the virtual machines, a welcome change over the last edition's erratic mouse behaviour.
Fast as greased lightning
Because VM's host and virtual machine share the processor's time, the faster your real CPU and the more memory you can dedicate to each virtual machine, the closer the fake comes to the real thing. But there's no denying that Workstation 3.0 packs serious speed. Our virtual machines were super-quick as long as we dedicated at least 128MB of RAM to each. In these pretend PCs, the OSs booted quickly and opened applications and finished complex chores (including image editing) without any noticeable delays or crashes--a performance comparable to Virtual PC's.
When things go awry, however, VMware's tech support is prohibitively expensive for the single-license user. You can access the company's US-based online support service for 30 days, but after that you will have to pay AU$195 for every incident that requires you to revisit it. Realistically speaking most single-license users will be left at the mercy of VMware's Web FAQ or a relevant newsgroup. Volume buyers (20 licenses or more) qualify to purchase premium support packages, graded silver, gold and platinum according type and speed of response.
For power users only
At AU$695 a pop, VMware Workstation isn't for casual PC tinkering. For power users and professionals who demand industrial-quality emulation for modelling networks or running multiple OSs on a single box, it's an extremely powerful tool.
Vmware Workstation 3.0
Company: VMware
Price: AU$695
Distributor: Microway Programming Tools
Phone: 1300 553 313
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