Top 5 Awesome Virtual Machine Applications
A virtual machine is a guest operating system that has been installed into the host operating system that normally runs on your computer. Once a virtual machine has been installed, it runs in a manner totally isolated from the host operating system. In simpler words, it lets you operate two separate operating systems on your computer, one within the other, usually through a process of software emulation.
The most important prerequisite for installing a virtual machine is adequate memory. But these days, even household computers come equipped with sufficient memory to run more than one operating system.
If you need a virtual machine on your computer, the first thing you will need, apart from memory, is a virtual memory application. Here, we list out five really cool virtual machine apps for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
1. VMware
VMware is one of the most popular virtual machine applications today. The primary version of this software is available for free, but if you need it for professional reasons, you may want to purchase the premium version for $189. VMware comes in two separate avatars, each targeted towards a different customer base. If you are an informal user and need the basic features of a virtual machine app without all the advanced solutions, you can make do with VMware Player. But if you are a professional user, and need more specific features, you’ll do better with VMware Workstation. VMware is available for Windows and Linux
2. VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a totally free software that has quickly become a favorite among people who use virtual machines. It is supported on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The biggest attraction of this software lies in its user friendliness, and the ease with which it can be downloaded and run. It is quite portable and folder sharing is simple, chiefly because the descriptions and parameters of the virtual machines are stored in plain text XML files.
3. Parallels
You have to buy the Parallels application for $80, but if you are using a Mac, it is well worth the investment. Though the Mac version of this software is the most well known one, it is available for Windows and Linux as well. The unique selling proposition of the Parallels software is that it creates a direct link to the hardware of the host computer, with selective focus. So when you open the virtual machine, your host OS automatically surrenders its processing powers to it.
4. Windows Virtual PC
The Windows Virtual PC will seem very limited in its offering once you have had a look at the other applications in this system, but it is really helpful for people who are comfortable in only working in a Windows environment, and want to have the freedom of switching to and from various versions of Windows. Since there are several programs that run only on certain Windows versions and not on others, this app is really useful for Windows users.
5. QEMU
QEMU, based on the Kernel Virtual Machine system, is a potent tool for installing virtual machines in Linux machines. The best part of QEMU is that it can even run on hosts without administrative privileges or access. This makes it ideal for building portable virtual machines in thumb drives.
