14 DAY TRIAL // Desktop virtualization apps create a whole new way of exploring a PC by running multiple operating systems on it.
Whether the goal is to protect the operating system from risky apps by working in the same virtual OS virtually, or to run older utilities such as video games in an older Windows edition that still supports them, VMware Workstation provides the gateway to reach it.
Primarily developed for professional users, this application sports some sophisticated features for creating and running virtual machines (VMs), such as cloning, encryption, PC virtualization, shared VMs and remote server connections.
VMware's setup kit is large-sized and takes a while to unwrap. The complete package contains support for international keyboards, along with a Visual Studio plugin to simplify debugging tasks. These two modules can be included in the custom install mode, where a port may also be set for the Workstation server component to listen to.
The trial version lasts for 30 days and does not have any limitations. It may be activated with an email address (confirmation not required). At the end of this period, users may purchase the full edition for $249 / €225.
Considering the complexity of a virtualization software application, VMware has a fairly intuitive interface with a clean aspect, featuring support for multiple tabs that allow multiple virtual machines to be opened at once. New virtual machines can be created with the help of a wizard, in typical or custom mode, depending on the user's experience and preferences.
Virtual machine hardware compatibility may be set in custom mode (from Workstation 5.x to Workstation 10.0)
The final wizard dialog shows the settings applied to the new virtual machine and allows hardware customization. The amount of RAM allocated can be tweaked (VMware shows recommended memory, minimum and maximum recommended), together with the number of processors and cores per processor.
New hardware devices can be installed. Any of these settings can be modified later on. If virtual machines are already created but not linked to VMware Workstation, these can be simply opened via a file browser and stored somewhere on the PC. The supported types are VMware configuration files (VMX, VMTM), Microsoft Virtual PC (VMC) and Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF, OVA).
The PC can be converted into a virtual machine with the help of VMware vCenter Converter Standalone, which the program immediately offers to install. PC virtualization means that it will be saved with all its current files and settings, which is a great backup measure. The host name, administrator name and password must be established to start this process (User Account Control must be turned off in Windows Vista and later).
Connecting to remote server to work within shared virtual machines on another computer (with VMware Workstation, VMware ESC or VMware vCenter Server) installed is done by specifying the server name, user name and password. Details shown in the client PC include the CPU, memory and disk usage, capacity and free space for the server host.
The Good
High demanding apps can be run inside VMs with up to 16 virtual CPUs, on virtual disks with up to 8TB. The program automatically detects when a virtual machine disk file in stored on an SSD and makes the necessary optimization to the virtual OS (this works only on Windows 8 hosts).
An expiration date can be assigned to previously encrypted virtual machines, a feature that comes in handy when sharing them with other users, such as students or employees with a given deadline. Unity mode enables users to run VM apps directly in the host PC.
The Bad
The Truth
Those looking for a more straightforward approach to creating and running virtual machines while dropping additional settings may resort to its freebie counterpart, VMware Player.
