VMware or parallels?

[bwanaaa]

Macbook pro w/3 gigs ram. need to run xp for testing a database app. Which environment is better for xp pro on this mac? I dont want boot camp because restoring the OS in the event of corruption is a pain.

 

[programmer]

I've only used Parallels, which is fine for the small amount of time I use it but most folks I work with prefer VMWare over Parallels.

 

[bwanaaa]

well, i gave vm ware a try. trouble is, minimum hard disk space in setup is 40 gig. how can i keep several virtual machines onmy laptop-? i only have an 80 gig hard drive in it. I only need 10 gig for what i need to do (OS+apps). Does anyone run vmware with less than 40 gig?

 

[sourceninja]

You can customize the size of the disk. VMware just defaults to 40 gig. I use vmware fusion on my mac, and when I teach my linux and Intro to Operating System courses we use virtualbox on windows.

 

[mc866]

You could try Virtualbox, it's free and ver 2 seems to be running a bit better than 1.6, I hadn't used it in some time because of some usb connection issues but ver 2 seems to have corrected them.

 

[Elias824]

I like VMware better, I worked at a mac store for awhile and I usually got better reviews about vmware. I would suggest you upgrade your hdd if you are doing more then one virtual machine. Its really not to hard on a mac book, take out the battery and the alumnium cover inside of the battery slot and you can pull the hdd right out. I replaced mine with a 250g without to much hassle. You can even use time machine to back up your stuff and restore to it from another hd

 

[Alienwho]

VMWare is by far the best. No question. And I've used (and am forced) to use them all.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: Alienwho
VMWare is by far the best. No question. And I've used (and am forced) to use them all.

given your experience, what's your opinion on speed performance? i currently have VMWare Server 1.5 installed on my XP box and i use it to load Linux distros. would VirtualBox be faster for such scenario?

(dont mean to hj the thread )

 

[sourceninja]

I enjoy virtualbox because it is not a 'service' like the free vmware server is. Vmware server is always running, even when virtual machines are not. VirtualBox is only running when it is well running. Virtualbox is more like vmware workstation.

It works great and is nice and snappy. I use virtualbox in my classroom for my operating system class. I use vmware fusion on my mac because it is better integrated. I use vmware ESX on my server because well, that is what it is for.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
I enjoy virtualbox because it is not a 'service' like the free vmware server is. Vmware server is always running

that's true.... that annoyed immensely at first. i managed to fix it by setting the Services to "Manual", then creating a batch file to launch them.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

I am testing out VMWare right now and I do like the Unity mode.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I am testing out VMWare right now and I do like the Unity mode.

Parallels has something similar called Coherence, but I personally prefer Unity.