Virtualization software

[Bruce Marshall]

On Sunday 02 December 2007, Kenneth P. Turvey wrote:
> I need to run Windows (XP or Vista) for some clients I have and I would
> like to run it in a window like I used to using VMWare.  It has been a few
> years since I needed Windows for anything so I thought I would check in
> and find out what the best way to do this is today.  VMWare used to be the
> only software that would do this well, but now I understand that there are
> a number of options.

I've been running VMWare for about 6 years and it always has worked 
flawlessly.

But as a home user, and having an XP machine right here, I didn't really need 
the expensive of paying for VMWare,

When it recently came time to upgrade to Version 6 of VMW, I decided it was 
time to look around and installed VirtualBox.  Although VB runs very well, it 
does not support USB in its free form and setting up the networking was a 3 
day task.   And I am not sure I like the way the networking works.  I have 
been unable to get Samba to work from VB to my other machines...  but I am 
sure that 3 more days of steady plugging at it *might* solve that problem.

So at this point, if clients are involved (the paying kind), I would say go 
with VMware as being a more stable environment at a not-so-great expense.  
The work involved in switching releases/kernels has never been a bid deal to 
me.  I was always able to get it to work after applying the patches to the 
module that are available on the net.