The best virtual machines for 2020
Virtual machines have become an essential part of computing. They’re especially vital for businesses running cloud applications as well as home users. The most critical function of a virtual machine is that they allow users to run multiple operating systems.
Why is running different operating systems critical? Because you can run a multitude of apps without having to worry about system requirements. Of course, it’s the right virtual machine that will make all the difference.
Daniel Martin/ScreenshotVMware has been in the virtual machine game since 1998 and offers three different pieces of virtualization software: VMware Workstation Pro, VMware Fusion, and VMware Workstation Player.
The Workstation Pro package is ideal for professional users who desire a powerhouse virtual machine capable of simultaneously running applications on multiple guest operating systems. VMware’s Fusion, meanwhile, is a more straightforward application designed for home users who want to run Windows on their Mac machine, and it supports iMac displays.
On the other hand, the VMware Workstation Player, known until recently as VMware Player, is an attractive entry-level option: If you are using it for personal use (not commercial, not nonprofit), you can download a free version. It’s an excellent solution for a single home computer, and it’s often used by people who want to get more familiar with a different operating system or those who want to add some extra security to their computer activities — available for both Windows and Linux. The professional version starts at $150 and is enabled by a license key, though discounts are available for college faculty, staff, students, and even parents.
Speaking of pricing, VMware has a unique pricing model with several different options for all its virtual products. There’s a sliding scale for support levels and support terms that businesses can choose from, as well as a discounted option if you’re upgrading from an older version of the software to the latest model. None of the options are simple to use, but the installation is quick, integration between operating systems is seamless, and the guest software runs at near-native speeds. Best of all, they remain the most stable and reliable options out there. Note that the downloads do require a 64-bit operating system.
ParallelsWhen it comes to delivering the Windows experience to Mac users, Parallels Desktop 15 is, well, unparalleled. The latest incarnation of the software is compatible with the most recent version of MacOS, allowing you to emulate Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 as a guest operating system (although since support has ended for Windows XP and 7, you’ll want to be careful what you do with those). You can also conveniently run Mac and Windows applications side by side without rebooting, while also providing tools for quickly moving files between operating systems, launching programs directly from your Mac dock, and accessing cloud storage.
The newest version adds several other tricks, such as the ability to send email attachments directly from the Finder, sharing screenshots between operating systems, compatibility with Sidecar and the Apple Pencil, and many other welcome new capabilities.
The software features a simple setup wizard for beginners and supports Retina displays and advanced 3D graphics with DirectX 9 through 11. Parallels can also emulate the Linux and Solaris operating systems, but the tightest integration is when it’s coupled with the latest version of Windows. In addition to the basic software, there’s also a professional version with better integration, support, and networking options, and a business version for enterprise-level management. New licenses are available for $80, and an upgrade to the latest version costs $40.
VirtualBox is powerful, brimming with outstanding features, and, best of all, it’s free. It’s a stripped-down piece of software requiring little more than a recent Intel or AMD processor that boasts seamless integration and switching capabilities within the host desktop. It’s also available on all major platforms and features plain-text XML files for easy navigation. It remains coupled with special software packages designed to aid users with sharing folders and drives among guest and host operating systems.
The software functions nearly identically regardless of the host platform, and even offers 3D virtualization, multi-screen resolutions, and laudable hardware support, among other features. The latest updates include new compatibility with virtual machines for Oracle Cloud (VirtualBox is managed by Oracle, so this kind of compatibility is essential for the software), support for nested hardware virtualized on Intel CPUs, Linux host/guest features, GUI fixes, and additional 3D support. It’s not the quickest or most dynamic when compared to similar offerings, but then again, quality often comes with a high price tag. Fortunately, support and updates are both outstanding — although you may need some tech knowledge to get everything working just the way you like.
Boxes from Gnome is a creation and management tool for virtualization designed for Linux and can help you customize all kinds of virtualization tools — from specific workstation setups to enabling operating systems. The simple, elegant interface makes it easy to see what virtualization systems you have at any point and how they are performing. If you’re looking for a user-friendly virtualization solution for Linux, give Gnome Boxes a shot: It plays exceptionally well with QEMU and Virt Manager, which are ideal tools for more back-end work.
Note that Boxes will automatically allocate resources for virtualization based on vendor recommendations. If Boxes cannot find any recommendations or virtualization info from the processor, it will automatically assign 20GB of storage and 500MB of RAM, so be prepared for this.
Apple’s Boot Camp isn’t a virtual machine in any sense of the word, but it’s worth a mention given people researching virtual machines are often curious about it. The software, included on all Macs, allows users to dual-boot both MacOS and Windows. Instead of emulating an operating system, Boot Camp helps you set up a partition on the hard drive so you can install the Windows operating system of your choice. Since it’s running directly off the hard drive, running Windows via Boot Camp leads to a far better experience than any virtual machine offers.
However, your disk space will split in half, and you’ll be unable to run the best Mac applications and Windows apps side by side — the software requires disk partitioning. You’ll also need to restart your computer every time you want to switch operating systems.
It’s worth noting that, while Boot Camp itself is not a virtual machine, you can run your Boot Camp partition as a virtual machine with Parallels 14 (outlined above). This utility gives you quick access to Windows when you want it within MacOS, and full performance when you’ve got enough time to restart your computer and boot up Windows directly.
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