Run your EXISTING Windows Installation on Ubuntu with Vmware Player

[mtyoung]

This is (IMHO) the Holy Grail for winning converts to Linux.

If they can install Ubuntu on an old PC, and have their existing Windows 
OS run in a virtual machine, they get a very easy migration path.

If they have 2 hard drives instead of 2 partions (okay, 3 counting swap) 
then it becomes a no risk proposition. They can reorder the boot 
sequence in setup at any time to revert to their old machine.

Image a small business dedicated to adding a new hard drive and Ubuntu 
(fully loaded with codecs of course) to people's old PCs with Windows, 
and giving them an easy migration path. It's cheaper than a new PC

Like many of you on this list, I've grown tired of dual booting, and 
really just want to boot Ubuntu. But, there are several apps I probably 
won't be able to replace for some time. So, I also want is to be able to 
run XP in a virtual machine under Ubuntu.

It finally appears thats there's a way to do this.

I haven't tried this yet, but I'd like to hear what you have to say 
about it.

If you read digg or reddit, please vote this up so it can reach a larger 
audience.

http://digg.com/linux_unix/Run_Your_Existing_Windows_Installation_on_Ubuntu_with_Vmware_Player

direct link
http://www.advicesource.org/ubuntu/Run_Existing_Windows_Instalation_On_Ubuntu_With_Vmware_player.html