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Microsoft releases Virtual PC 2004 to manufacturing and it can run Linux
<b>The debatacle continues.. can it/will they and should they?</b>[blockquote]Microsoft has released its Virtual PC operating system virtualization software to manufacturing.
Virtual PC 2004 is the new version of the operating system virtualization software Microsoft acquired in February 2003 along with Connectix. It is due to be generally available by the end of the year and Microsoft is concentrating on highlighting the use of the product in reducing the cost and complexity of operating system migrations.
The successful launch of Virtual PC 2004 is particularly important for Microsoft as it attempts to encourage Windows users to move to the latest version, Windows XP Professional. However, assisting with operating system migrations is not the only use that Virtual PC can be put to. The product also allows users to emulate one operating system from within another. [/blockquote] <b>Some definition or lots of PR?[blockquote]Microsoft in February acquired the Virtual Machine assets of Connectix Corp., a privately held company in San Mateo, Calif., that has been involved in Virtual Machine (VM) technology since its inception in 1988.
Carla Huffman, Microsoft's product manager for the Virtual PC, told eWEEK that the software will be available by the end of the year, through Microsoft's existing retail and volume licensing channels, for an estimated retail price of $129, $100 less than the Connectix price of $229.
"The core scenario around this product is helping customers solve application compatibility issues, and we wanted to provide a cost-effective price point for them," she said.
The technology will run almost any x86 operating system in a Virtual PC environment, Huffman stressed. "So Linux can be installed on a virtual machine on Virtual PC. There has been some misunderstanding about this: You absolutely can run Linux in Virtual PC," she said.[/blockquote]<b>So it will still run Linux? No crippling in the software?[blockquote]"We have not removed any technical features that supported other non-Microsoft operating systems. So there is no negative impact to customers to running non-Microsoft operating systems on Virtual PC," she said.
The confusion around the product has been around official Microsoft product support services, Huffman said, adding that Microsoft is treating the use of Linux the same way it treats the use of any third-party application on a Windows operating system.
"We don't support Linux, and we also don't support third-party applications. We direct customers to their Linux providers if they have an issue running Linux on Virtual PC, and if that Linux provider triages that issue as a Virtual PC bug and submits a bug report, we'll work with them to fix the problem. We're treating them like we treat third-party applications," she said.
But Microsoft has optimized the product around key customer needs, which is helping them address application compatibility issues they are having with older, custom-written applications when they are buying new PCs and upgrading to newer operating systems, she said.
"So we have optimized our product around running those older operating systems in a virtual machine environment. That is why we support the older Windows operating systems and [IBM's] OS/2, which is a big pain point for those customers facing the end of life of OS/2 in the next year or two and who need to migrate off of it," she said. [/blockquote]<b>Source: <a href="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1378269,00.asp" target="_new">Eweek</a> / <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/33960.html" target="_new">The Register</a></b>
Virtual PC 2004 is the new version of the operating system virtualization software Microsoft acquired in February 2003 along with Connectix. It is due to be generally available by the end of the year and Microsoft is concentrating on highlighting the use of the product in reducing the cost and complexity of operating system migrations.
The successful launch of Virtual PC 2004 is particularly important for Microsoft as it attempts to encourage Windows users to move to the latest version, Windows XP Professional. However, assisting with operating system migrations is not the only use that Virtual PC can be put to. The product also allows users to emulate one operating system from within another. [/blockquote] <b>Some definition or lots of PR?[blockquote]Microsoft in February acquired the Virtual Machine assets of Connectix Corp., a privately held company in San Mateo, Calif., that has been involved in Virtual Machine (VM) technology since its inception in 1988.
Carla Huffman, Microsoft's product manager for the Virtual PC, told eWEEK that the software will be available by the end of the year, through Microsoft's existing retail and volume licensing channels, for an estimated retail price of $129, $100 less than the Connectix price of $229.
"The core scenario around this product is helping customers solve application compatibility issues, and we wanted to provide a cost-effective price point for them," she said.
The technology will run almost any x86 operating system in a Virtual PC environment, Huffman stressed. "So Linux can be installed on a virtual machine on Virtual PC. There has been some misunderstanding about this: You absolutely can run Linux in Virtual PC," she said.[/blockquote]<b>So it will still run Linux? No crippling in the software?[blockquote]"We have not removed any technical features that supported other non-Microsoft operating systems. So there is no negative impact to customers to running non-Microsoft operating systems on Virtual PC," she said.
The confusion around the product has been around official Microsoft product support services, Huffman said, adding that Microsoft is treating the use of Linux the same way it treats the use of any third-party application on a Windows operating system.
"We don't support Linux, and we also don't support third-party applications. We direct customers to their Linux providers if they have an issue running Linux on Virtual PC, and if that Linux provider triages that issue as a Virtual PC bug and submits a bug report, we'll work with them to fix the problem. We're treating them like we treat third-party applications," she said.
But Microsoft has optimized the product around key customer needs, which is helping them address application compatibility issues they are having with older, custom-written applications when they are buying new PCs and upgrading to newer operating systems, she said.
"So we have optimized our product around running those older operating systems in a virtual machine environment. That is why we support the older Windows operating systems and [IBM's] OS/2, which is a big pain point for those customers facing the end of life of OS/2 in the next year or two and who need to migrate off of it," she said. [/blockquote]<b>Source: <a href="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1378269,00.asp" target="_new">Eweek</a> / <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/33960.html" target="_new">The Register</a></b>
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