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Microsoft Makes Virtual PC Freeware

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

July 12, 2006, 1:58 PM

Microsoft has released an update to Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1, and is now making the virtualization software available free of charge to all users. The company also promised to freely release Virtual PC 2007 next year, bringing support for Windows Vista.

Virtual PC enables users to run multiple operating systems on a single computer by creating "virtual machines." The move to freeware ups the ante with rival virtualization companies such as VMware and new market entrant Parallels. Microsoft previously released Virtual Server 2005 R2 as a free download. Virtual PC 2004 SP1 weighs in at just over 18MB and is available for download from FileForum.

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By pmould

posted Jul 16, 2006 - 9:37 PM

Clucks: Where in the world could you have something like Windows - imperfect - me too.

Score: 0

By pmould

edited Jul 16, 2006 - 9:32 PM

I "downloaded" virtual PC after reviewing show.
NO FIND!!!

Score: 0

By Grazer

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 1:38 PM

Waiting for VMWare to file suit with MS over anticompetitive practices.

Score: 0

By hesh

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 9:37 AM

This is good news. I've used both VMWare and Virtual PC 2005 and both have their pros and cons. I know some people love VMWare and say it's more efficient, but it's always run like a** on my systems and VPC has always worked very well. I can't wait to try out the new versions.

Score: 0

By ZenWarrior

edited Jul 13, 2006 - 9:22 AM

OpenDoc support. Yahoo-Messenger interoperability. Free Virtual PC. Hmmm...

...forgive me for being $u$piciou$, but i$ thi$ really Micro$oft about which we are talking? Gate$ *mu$t* have a $ecret ma$ter plan, currently not entirely vi$ible, in being $o "magnanimous$."

This just has to be a Microsoft-government conspiracy of some sort. Yep, just gotta be. (Templar, satisfied now with some semi-bashing?)

Joking about all of this -- but possibly not? As is the very old saying goes, a leopard does not change its spots.

Then again, maybe someone at Microsoft has finally believed the vast volumes of survey research -- that Microsoft is viewed very dimly by its customers and ranks right at the very bottom of firms considered trustworthy by consumers. Maybe these truly are attempts at an image make-over.

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jul 14, 2006 - 12:33 PM

They offer free products in markets to elevate their paid products. Every single free product helps their paid products make more moeny. COmpanies are companies to increase shareholder value first, and free and giving away stuff without a profit motive (or tax benefit) isn't in the books. It's even not allowed under SOX compliance. They can't even give away XBOX's to management under new accounting laws.

Score: 0

By glock__17

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 11:31 PM

Good news but... do Virtual machines XP licenses need to be validated ie call M$ for activation? I've only ever used VMWARE using Volume license version of XP... I'm sure even virutal PCs need to have a valid key... wonder what the legal issues are...

Score: 0

By spiked

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 12:04 PM

Windows Product Activation works exactly the same inside Virtual PC as it does inside VMware, which is essentially the same as on a real physical machine.

The only difference is that Virtual PC automatically generates a new MAC address for the virtual NIC whenever you copy or move a virtual machine (vmc file) to a different path. If you then change the memory allocation of this vmc, the 2 hardware changes combined will trigger reactivation (unless you are using VLK). When VMware detects that you have moved a virtual machine (vmx file) to a different path, it asks you whether you copied or moved it. If you copied it, then it generates a new MAC address. If you copied it, it keeps the same MAC address.

Score: 0

By templar™

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 9:39 PM

One of the best news in recent weeks!!! Yay!!!

PS: where's the customary MS bashing?

Score: 0

By RingMaster

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 8:54 PM

Cool

Score: 0

By RingMaster

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 8:51 PM

ddd

Score: 0

By lynn.cz

edited Jul 12, 2006 - 5:26 PM

it's truth, but only for windows users :-( not for me :'-(

Score: 0

By sjc001

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 4:39 PM

Will this work on XP Home Edition?

Score: 0

By The MAZZTer

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 8:29 PM

Has worked perfectly on Home for me, despite the fact it isn't officially supported. In fact, it works so well I wonder why it isn't.

Score: 0

By DJGM

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 7:52 PM

Yes, it'll work on XP Home, but it's not officially supported.

Score: 0

By Gunzip

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 6:49 PM

Looks like it only works on XP and 2000 Professional... not sure why it wouldn't work on Server, but this is what the link below says.

http://www.microsoft.com...ation/overview2004.mspx

Score: 0

By ms_t_rie

edited Jul 13, 2006 - 2:45 PM

It works on 2000 Server, we've been running it on that for quite some time. Running a batch of Virtual PCs and using Remote Desktop to get to the server machine, saves quite a bit of computer room space :)

Score: 0

By Don Juan

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 4:32 PM

Well I hope this SP1 changed a lot, cause the only OS this really does ok with is windows, go figure.

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 6:09 PM

The first non windows OS I tried, DSL, worked fine with no problems.

Score: 0

By RejZoR

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 4:16 PM

Aaaaaah, nothing beats playing Mechwarrior 2 on Windows XP :)Screamer 2 follows (i know it works) and i'll even try NFS3 in software mode (will probably run like crap but who cares ;) ).

Btw here is the official link:
http://www.microsoft.com.../virtualpc/default.mspx

Score: 0

By Gunzip

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 3:55 PM

Yep, this rocks!... Wish there was a VPC 2006 coming out this year, BUT I guess I'll just wait. :)

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 3:10 PM

Very. Very. Nice.

Score: 0

By zildy

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 2:36 PM

Cue Vmware Workstation freeware in 3...2...1...

Score: 0

By dejavu

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 4:07 PM

Why not?

Score: 0

By Das mod

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 3:39 PM

your wish has been granted ....

Score: 0

By Metshrine

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 7:57 PM

VMware server is free, workstation is not, but I wish it were as it is the superior product.

Score: 0

By RCS

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 10:14 AM

VMWare Player is free though.

Score: 0

By Spyderloco

posted Jul 12, 2006 - 2:19 PM

This kicks total butt.

Score: 0

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