Oracle VM VirtualBox is an industrial-strength open source
virtualisation tool that makes it easy to create virtual machines (VMs),
simulated computers that run on your PC but act as though they were
separate systems. It's a powerful capability that has many different
applications.
If you'd like a closer look at Windows 7 before you upgrade, for
instance, then you could install Microsoft's latest in a VM, then access
it in a window on your XP or Vista desktop.
Or maybe you've upgraded to Windows 7 and find a favourite old app
doesn't work any more? Create a Windows XP VM and you might be able to
run it again.
VirtualBox can also be a useful security tool: if you download and
test apps in a VM, then any malware you might encounter will be isolated
from your main system.
And it's the perfect choice if you want to try out another operating
system with the minimum of hassle. Right now you can install Google
Chrome OS, all the mainstream Linux variants (2.4 and 2.6), OpenBSD,
OS/2, ReactOS, SkyOS, DOS, and just about every version of Windows
there's ever been. (Of course you'll need to have the system discs to
hand.)
New additions to VirtualBox 4 include an interface redesign, making
it easier to view and manage your virtual machines. VM displays can now
be scaled, so you can reduce a window size by half (for instance) and
still see everything that's going on. The ability to limit a VM's CPU
and IO time means the program will be less of a drain on your system's
resources, and there are a host of other performance optimisations and
bug fixes available.
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