Sometimes one operating system just isn't enough--for example, when you're debugging new software or testing antivirus programs. When that's the case, turn to VMware Workstation 3.0, an industrial-strength utility that uses software, disk space, and part of a real PC's memory to emulate hardware of a different system type. Like Sybil, your computer will sport multiple personalities--say, Linux, Windows 95, and Windows XP--on one PC. VMware Workstation is pricey, can be tough to configure, and requires that you buy additional OSs to populate its virtual machines, but it's incredibly stable, fast as all get-out, and sophisticated enough for the most advanced applications. Virtual PC is a cheaper and easier buy for home users, but VMware Workstation is the way to go for businesses and demanding power users.Sometimes one operating system just isn't enough--for example, when you're debugging new software or testing antivirus programs. When that's the case, turn to VMware Workstation 3.0, an industrial-strength utility that uses software, disk space, and part of a real PC's memory to emulate hardware of a different system type. Like Sybil, your computer will sport multiple personalities--say, Linux, Windows 95, and Windows XP--on one PC. VMware Workstation is pricey, can be tough to configure, and requires that you buy additional OSs to populate its virtual machines, but it's incredibly stable, fast as all get-out, and sophisticated enough for the most advanced applications. Virtual PC is a cheaper and easier buy for home users, but VMware Workstation is the way to go for businesses and demanding power users.

Start with Windows or Linux
VMware Workstation lets you build virtual machines on either Windows or Linux host PCs. The Windows version requires NT, 2000, or XP on the host, while the Linux edition needs Red Hat, SuSE, or Linux-Mandrake distributions. VMware's list of guest OSs, those you can install in the virtual machines you create within the application, is a lot longer: MS-DOS, any edition of Windows (back to 3.1 and as recent as XP), and any version of Linux.

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