Desktop virtualisation shoot out

Desktop virtualisation is one of those technologies that confound the experts. Just when you think you've got it figured out, along comes some interloping development to upset the apple cart. Most recently, that role has fallen to Sun's VirtualBox, the plucky open source VM solution that's quickly gobbling up the general-purpose desktop virtualisation space left vacant by Microsoft and VMware. Users from the three major platforms - Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux - are flocking to VirtualBox for its scalability, robust networking, and bargain price point (it's free).

Meanwhile, VMware continues to steer its flagship Workstation offering away from the general purpose space and toward its lucrative niches in the software development, help desk operations, and server virtualisation and VDI support markets. At the same time, Parallels has finally seen fit to deliver a version of Parallels Desktop for Windows that's on par with its Mac product, complete with USB device integration, bridged networking, and guest OS SMP support. And up in Redmond, the sinewy remains of the once proud Virtual PC continue to wither away as Microsoft completes the product's transformation from versatile VMware challenger to brain dead host for Windows 7's Windows XP Mode compatibility layer.

Taken together, these developments represent the biggest shake up for desktop virtualisation in years.  Read on to see which products hit their marks, which overachieve, and which seem to miss the boat entirely

Randall Kennedy was an experienced US-based reviewer whose association with IDG, the publisher of Techworld, was ended when it was revealed that he also ran a test and research company under a pseudonym. We have deleted news and features articles containing references to that company, Devil Mountain from the Techworld site.

Kennedy also contributed a number of reviews to IDG publications. Having re-examined these reviews, we consider them genuine assessments of the products being considered. Some readers will, quite rightly, be sceptical of Kennedy’s conclusions. However, we have left these articles on our database as we think that readers will able to make up their own minds as to whether they provide valuable information.