Virtualization has become an important part of computing and programming today. In general, it is widely used by programmers and IT experts to test software, games, and applications.
Furthermore, it can also be used to carry out coding experiments. Hence, virtualization helps to provide a testing platform for various types of users.
Earlier, people used to be confined to only a single Operating System. Hence, they would not be able to run certain applications that would run on a specific type of system.
Therefore, virtual machine software was developed to cater to these needs. It helps users to emulate different operating systems within the same system environment.
What is Virtual Machine Software?
A virtual machine software is an advanced application that can run multiple operating systems on the same computer machine. It runs a different operating system in an isolated window.
There are a number of virtual machine software available on the Internet. Some are free while some are paid. However, they differ from each other in a range of features and compatibility.
As a result, one must be sure about what his virtualization needs are. Working in a virtual environment will not affect the original operating system in any way.
Here, the original operating system is known as the host. The operating systems running in the virtual environment is known as the guest.
How does it Work?
Virtual machines work like any other software or operating system. You will be able to install and run files in guest in the same way as the host. Furthermore, it is very easy to share files and applications across the two.
As a result, a user can easily enjoy flexibility and productivity by using a virtual machine software. It helps to break the barrier of different operating systems.
For instance, there are different applications available for Windows and Mac. However, you can easily run either of them using a virtual machine software.
Usually, it is very easy to install a virtual machine software on your system. You can either install them directly from the internet or through a storage device. In addition, you can test out applications without having to test them on the host operating system.
Best Virtual Machine Software for 2019
Incidentally, there are a number of virtual machine software available for use. Some vary in features while some vary in price. Here, we have collected and ranked the best 4 virtual machine software for use in 2019.
1) VMware Fusion and Workstation Player
VMware is one of the leading developers of virtual machine software. They have developed separate versions for Windows and Mac.
Thus, they have produced VMware Fusion for Mac operating systems. Similarly, VMware Workstation Player is available for Linux and Windows. They are very easy to navigate and are widely used by users from around the world.
In comparison, these two versions are not entirely different. They are just tailored to work with their respective operating systems.
One of the top advantages of VMware is that they can run advanced applications very easily. In addition, they are highly stable and very reliable. Another added advantage of VMware is the Snapshot feature.
With this feature, users can easily roll back to a previous version of an operating system in the virtual environment. Thus, they can easily test any software or applications or they can roll back to a previous version in case of any error.
In addition, they have made it very easy to share files across the different platforms. Furthermore, they have a special unity mode. This allows the users to open guest applications in the host itself.
The VMware virtual machine can be downloaded and used for free. However, their paid versions can cost up to $100. Usually, the free version is also a lot slower than the pro version.
2) VirtualBox by Oracle
VirtualBox is the most used virtual machine software by professionals and beginners. It is an open-source free program offered by Oracle.
It is widely known for its numerous features and stability and is easy to use and very stable. You should go for this software if you’re new to virtualization.
In addition, it can easily run on older hardware and supports a lot of operating systems. It can even run older versions of Windows and IBM as well. Sharing files and resources is fairly easy as well. You can do this by just dragging and dropping the files across platforms.
In addition, it is important to note that some versions of the Mac operating system can only run on Mac hardware. This is due to the proprietary rights of Apple Inc.
However, VirtualBox offers multiple benefits over other virtual machine software. It can easily run multiple operating systems depending on the hardware.
Furthermore, it is entirely free. Even the enterprise version of VirtualBox is available for free at no hidden costs. They offer optimum hardware performance. In addition, they can easily utilize system resources to their full capacity.
3) Parallel for Mac
Parallel is the most popular Virtual Machine Software for Mac users. It can run different versions of Windows, Linux, and older Mac operating systems.
It is highly suitable and user-friendly for beginners. Furthermore, it is easy to install and has a special tuning feature. This helps the virtual machine to automatically tune the environment according to the user’s needs.
Therefore, users can auto-tune it for purposes like software testing, gaming, and development. In addition, it is very easy to share files across platforms with a simple drag and drop function.
Moreover, it offers a useful feature of a Unified Clipboard. This allows the users to copy text contents from the virtual environment to the host and vice versa.
Also, it is very easy to run advanced software applications within the environment. Usually, some virtual machine software are not able to handle such applications with ease. Besides, it also depends on the hardware running the software.
The Parallel virtual machine software is available for free. It offers great stability and performance to its users. However, they need to upgrade to the Pro version to avail more RAM and CPU resources.
4) Microsoft’s Hyper – V
Earlier, Microsoft had its own Virtual Machine Environment for running older versions of the operating system. This has developed over the years to become Hyper – V.
It is an advanced version of the old Virtual Machine Environment. In addition, it offers higher performance and productivity to its users. Furthermore, it is compatible with a lot of different operating systems and servers.
In comparison to other virtual machine software, it also offers the special Snapshot feature. This helps the users to save and roll back to a previous version while software testing. Therefore, it makes it easier for developers to test new applications and software.
Also, it is highly recommended for beginners and is a favorite software among the developers. Another added feature of this software is balancing the network and tracking various resources.
The Hyper – V is available for free for all platforms. It is also easy to install and use.
Wrapping up
To summarize, you should choose a good virtual machine software according to your needs. Different software provide different features that may or may not benefit you.
Nowadays, some organizations offer cloud-based virtual machines. This helps to eliminate the need for downloading and installing a virtual machine software. As a result, you can easily run it on any platform by just using a browser.
You can also share your favorite virtual machine software and other information in the comments section below. Let us know which one you use and why.
