If you have been following virtualization on the Macintosh before now, you know that many have been expecting a VMWare solution for Mac OS X for quite some time. Today, VMWare made it official.
Some of the features:
– Guest OSes: Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris
– Runs multiple instances/OSes at the same time
– OS Virtual Images can be shared between different Primary OSes.
– Can run already existing “Virtual Appliances” (pre-built solutions)
You can sign up for the beta here.
Official Press Release at VMWare.com
VMware Announces New Product for Apple Mac OS X Users
New Intel-based Macs will be able to Simultaneously Run Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, NetWare and SolarisSAN FRANCISCO and PALO ALTO, Calif., August 7, 2006 — VMware, Inc., the global leader in software for industry-standard virtualized desktops and servers, today announced a new product that will enable Intel-based Macs to run x86 operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris, in virtual machines at the same time as Mac OS X. VMware will demo the product today during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2006 in San Francisco.
“We are excited to bring our desktop platform product to Apple Macs. The demand for this has been unbelievable and it is clearly front and center for Mac users,†said Diane Greene, president of VMware. “VMware is in the business of providing the most advanced and robust virtualization platforms as well as phenomenal add-on functionality that leverages our virtualization platform. This announcement brings our desktop platform and add-on capabilities to Mac users, and it will allow them to run a wide variety of operating systems without rebooting. Mac users who also use the PC will be able to use this product to consolidate onto the Mac.â€
The new Mac product is based on VMware’s robust and advanced virtualization technology, shipping for more than seven years and used by more than four million people today. Moving forward, virtual machines created with any of VMware’s products will run on Intel-based Macs and, similarly, non-Mac OS X virtual machines created with the new product will run on the latest versions of other VMware platform products.