VMware appliances

[Keith]

Jim Brain wrote:
> On 2/17/2010 11:55 AM, John Foust wrote:
>>
>> For the Windows-based emulators, I suspect we'll soon have a file format
>> that bundles all of an application and its data into a redistributable
>> single-file format.  You can see glimpses of this already in the
>> enterprise tools that let you run an app this way, without actually
>> installing it into your registry and hard drive.  Maybe it'll be a
>> way from all this Windows ugliness.
>>    
> This is my primary reason for using VMWare.  My personal laptop is a 
> workhorse and I can ill afford to be without it.  When I am suspicious 
> of an application (not just for uncertainty on intention, but some older 
> apps for design work are bad WIndows apps), I'll load it into a VM.  If 
> it works but trashes the OS, I'm not out a lot.
> 
> Jim
> 

I forget who recommended it here, but that Symantec Application 
virtualization would be perfect for that type thing.  (but isn't 
supported under 64-bit OS's)

http://www.symantec.com/business/endpoint-virtualization-suite

It is trialware, but think it's unlimited, so basically free.

I also use VMware (workstation), because my Xilinx FPGA ISE software 
suite isn't supported on Vista 64-bit.  This may have recently changed, 
but I have an XP 32-bit VM installed, and then run it inside that.  It's 
also nice to have things separately installed --- it doesn't affect 
anything and nothing affects it.

There can be minor USB driver issues, especially if the host does not 
have a device driver for a particular piece of hardware.  This changed 
at one point, but lack of a driver on the host didn't necessarily 
preclude using it successfully under the VM itself.

I tried virtualbox, but had compatibility problems with it and other 
linux OS's, and had an XP installation blue-screen.  Virtualbox has some 
nice features like side by side host and VM applications on the same 
desktop.  But overall, the lack of compatibility made me uninstall it.

VMware has been stable, reliable, and has nice features for smart and 
automatic installation of certain types of windows VMs.  So it makes 
installing Windows VMs really quick and easy --- bypassing most of the 
normal setup screens.

Keith