Anyone who has tried Virtual PC 2004 on Windows Vista knows that the experience can leave something to be desired. But today, from the hard working folks on the Virtual PC Team, we have Virtual PC 2007.
Virtual PC 2007 was optimized for using Windows Vista as the host operating system, allowing you to run multiple operating systems on a single PC and have an excellent experience doing so. Virtual PC 2007 has also been optimized for Windows Vista running as the guest operating system as well. Here it is running on one of my Windows Vista boxes:
Virtual PC 2007 can be a huge asset to business users. Many businesses have custom applications that are designed to run in a specific environment, and upgrading a PC to Windows Vista may break those custom applications. With VPC2007, business users can enjoy the upgrade to Windows Vista without to having to give up access to those custom or proprietary applications. Instead, custom apps are accessible in their native (albeit virtual) environment, exactly as you remember them.
For developers building applications on Windows Vista, VPC2007 can aid in backwards-compatibility testing of those applications by providing access to multiple OS platforms. For instance, there is a Virtual PC image available for Internet Explorer 6 for Web site developers needing to test on IE6 -- virtually -- while also testing on IE7, all on a single Windows Vista machine.
Companies that are part of Microsoft’s Software Assurance Program and are migrating to Windows Vista Enterprise can take advantage of VPC2007 by using the four additional Windows Licenses they're entitled to, to create multiple virtual machines, each with its own operating system, on a single Windows Vista machine.
You can download the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Virtual PC 2007 here. There is no cost for the download or use of VPC2007.
More information on building and using virtual machines can be found at the VPC2007 Web site, and in this white paper: Using Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 for Application Compatibility.
You should also check out Virtual PC Guy's blog for continuing news on the VPC and Virtual Server fronts. "Virtual PC Guy" is Ben Armstrong, Program Manager on the Virtual Machines Team here at MS.