Dual Virtual Systems Don't Duel

VMware upgrade runs multiple operating systems simultaneously.

David Essex, special to PC World

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You can download a 3MB beta version of VMware 2.0 for a 30-day trial. With it, you can run two operating systems--and many applications--simultaneously.

Most multi-OS utilities require you to reboot each time you switch operating systems, says Reza Malekzadeh, a VMware spokesperson. Powerquest's BootMagic (sold separately or bundled with PartitionMagic) and the free Linux Loader take that approach.

VMware 2.0 lets you boot each OS once and leave it, plus applications, running.

The utility applies technology derived from a much older IBM program that ran "virtual machines" on 370 mainframes so more people could use the massive computers. Virtual machines (the "VM" in VMware) are simulated PCs that run in memory. VMware's virtual machine has a software version of the Phoenix BIOS that manages hardware/software interaction, and its own Internet Protocol address. The virtual BIOS boots up when VMware switches among operating systems.

VMware 2.0 requires at least a Pentium II-266 or equivalent. It neglects the Macintosh, but the utility supports all flavors of Windows and Unix for the PC, including Linux and Sun Solaris. VMware markets a version for Windows NT and Windows 2000 PCs, and another for Linux PCs.

You install VMware 2.0 like a typical software application, Malekzadeh says. The first time a virtual machine starts, it displays the error message a Phoenix BIOS shows when it finds no operating system. Then you install the new OS. A key combination lets you toggle between the systems.

Here's the catch: Many applications run up to 10 percent slower on VMware virtual machines than on stand-alone PCs, Malekzadeh admits. Notably, 3D-intensive graphics programs and games take a performance hit, losing 30 or 40 percent of their speed on a VMware system.

Power User's Tool

But the two-tone approach has some specific uses.

"Our target audience is really the technical desktop," such as developers, technical support staff, and testers, says Malekzadeh. Some might use VMware 2.0 to migrate cautiously to Windows 2000

"You could test everything before installing it on your real machine," Malekzadeh says. And VMware's multi-OS feature provides a convenient way around incompatibilities between Windows 95/98 applications and Windows 2000. Windows 2000 has a dual-boot feature, but does not let you switch between the two.

The major new feature in 2.0 is a suspend/resume function like that found on laptops. You can power down your PC without "turning off" the virtual machines. Switch on the PC and up pop the systems and applications, right where you left them. Also new are SCSI and bi-directional parallel port support, sound input, and the ability to reclaim disk space by shrinking virtual disk files, according to VMware.

VMware 2.0 is scheduled to ship in March for $309 ($299 downloaded). Current owners may upgrade for a discount, based on the date of purchase. Version 1.0 for Linux and 1.1 for Windows are still available, at the same prices, with free upgrades to 2.0.

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