VirtualBox: The Virtual Machine Done Right!

When you do a lot of beta testing, it's useful to install on a clean system. Virtual machines (VMs) are a great way to quickly test new software without causing harm to your main desktop system.

Lately I've been looking for a virtual machine environment that I can use on Windows (to run Linux) and Linux (to run Windows).

I used to use Connectix VirtualPC until Microsoft bought it. So much for decent Linux support. It was Windows-only as well.

About a year ago I paid for Parallels. It runs great on Windows (and Mac), but the Linux version is a complete dog. Sluggish graphics and it's a RAM hog. I'll be asking for my money back.

Then I found VirtualBox. Excellent cross-platform performance, including Guest Additions for both Linux and Windows (basically a set of drivers for video, network, etc.). You can easily transport virtual hard disks from one platform to another. Speed feels almost native due to the use of Intel VT-x and AMD-V technology.

Most cool is a feature the manual calls "Seamless windows", where you can run apps on the host desktop, essentially hiding the guest OS desktop. Parallels has had this for the Mac for a while, but has yet to keep the Windows and Linux versions in sync.

Oh, and did I mention the cost? $0.