Want to run Linux on a Windows machine without having to partition your
drive or reboot? Want to install a second copy of Windows to use as
your testing platform? Or how about installing a dedicated browsing
environment where you can surf the net without worrying about infecting
your computer with spyware? The new
VMWare Player, a free app from
VMWare will let you do all of those things. The program can run any
pre-built virtual machine, and the company offers several virtual
machines for free, including versions with Linux and VMWare's
Browser Appliance — a packaged distro of Ubuntu, Gnome and Firefox. (To run Windows in a virtual machine, you'll need
someone with a full copy of VMWare or Virtual PC, along with a licensed
copy of Windows, to create a virtual machine for you.) Note: don't try this at home if you don't have a broadband connection — and a big chunk of free space on your hard drive. Some of the virtual machines on offer are as large as 2GB.
Tags: commercial, osupdates
