It runs on older hardware, recognizes most USB devices, and offers a library of Guest Additions that are free and easy to install. A VM created on one host can be transferred to another host with a different operating system. VirtualBox runs several guest windows simultaneously and provides a level of portability. You cannot legally run macOS in a virtual machine unless the host environment is macOS. VMware Station is compatible with the following host platforms:Īpple doesn't allow macOS to function on non-Apple hardware.

The Pro version includes Unity Mode for Mac users, which hides the Windows interface, and lets you use the Dock to launch Windows applications.

Businesses looking to utilize the Workstation software must purchase one or more Pro licenses to use the application beyond the trial period.įor these features, and to create and manage encrypted virtual machines, purchase VMware Workstation Pro. Workstation Player is restricted from commercial use. The free version falls short on VMware's advanced functionality, such as running more than one VM at a time and accessing abilities like cloning, snapshots, and complex networking. It also allows for file sharing between the host and guest, features the graphical advantages mentioned above, and supports 4K displays. It allows you to create new VMs and supports over 200 guest operating systems. There are two versions of the application: Workstation Player and Workstation Pro. The package integrates seamlessly with vSphere, the VMware enterprise server virtualization product, resulting in the easy administration of all VMs in a company's data center remotely from the local machine. With multiple VMs, you can choose between fully isolated duplicates or linked clones that rely partially on the original to save hard drive space. Its cloning system makes deploying multiple instances of a similar VM a breeze. You can use VMware snapshots to set rollback points for testing. Its complete data center topologies can be designed and implemented when VMware is integrated with external tools - essentially emulating an entire enterprise DC. Its advanced networking features let you set up and administer elaborate virtual networks for VMs. The software allows for virtual machine open standards, providing the ability to create and run VMs from competing vendors within the VMware product. It permits advanced 3D solutions by supporting DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1, eliminating image and video degradation within the VMs even when using graphics-intensive applications. Its robust set of functions covers many virtualization needs. With almost 20 years on the market, VMware Workstation is often considered the industry standard for virtual machine applications. The default configuration may require changes.

How to run a virtual machine for mac