Windows 7: Vmware workstation vs Virtual Box

Hi guys
Virtual box seems to have come a long way since I last tried it -- back then vmware workstation was so far ahead that virtual box wasn't even regarded as a toy.

Now it seems that its more robust and almost as easy as vmware workstation to configure and use -- and best of all it's FREE.

So apart from the saving in licence fees for switching several computers to virtual box are there any downsides in moving away from vmware.

The host machines are a mix of Windows 7 and Linux Suse machines.

Vmware IMO seems to be going down the Red Hat route -- away from workstation and home users to a totally Enterprise corporate model so any workstation type developments are likely to be put to the lowest priority.

Cheers
jimbo

I can't really say much about VMware, cause I've never used it. But I can give you some perks of VirtualBox if you want. Some may be shared by VMware, I don't know.

• Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit guests
• Supports experimental 3D and 2D acceleration on Windows guests
• Native support for many Linux distros, as both host and guest
• Shared folders and clipboard

I have VirtualBox and use it incessantly, so if there's any specific feature(s) you want me to tell you about, let me know.

Been using virtualbox for a year now. Very iimpressed.

Have also used Virtual Box no problems yet..

VMWare is great for the corporate world but at home? Just use VirtualBox. There is even Seamless Mode or Fullscreen Mode for using your VM.

I've been using the VMware player (free for personal use with registration) and their conversion tool did a fantastic job of lifting my running Windows xp old computer and allow me to run it under the VMware player without missing a beat. No reinstalls, no lost programs, just acts as if it's the only computer. Devices can be toggled between the host and the virtualized XP system. Under the network settings I have both the Win 7 and XP under a common workgroup so the external hard disk is visible to both. I also use the player to run Linux so it's pretty neat to have Win 7, XP and Linux all running side-by-side at the same time.

I'm a user of VMWare Player at home. Mainly because I use vSphere and ESXi at work and I like the consistency. Vmware player 3.0 is also free, has Unity mode, etc. the only thing it's lacking is snapshot's...but I can live with that.

VirtualBox will have a "Unity" mode soon, we will contribute our code after more testing. Namely, taskbar and system tray integration from vm apps.

Screenshot:

http://www.vmlite.com/images/fbfiles...ntegration.jpg

http://www.vmlite.com/index.php/foru...e-version#2888