Get ready for it! You may not even know about it yet but it is out there. Virutalization has been around for a couple of years now and is building momentum. Microsoft is already gearing end users up for it by implementing their new “XP Mode” inside of Windows 7. Virtualization just means that you run another operating system inside of the operating system that you booted into when you turned your computer on. Currently this is a huge push for it on the server side of computing but it will soon be targeting home users.

While it may not make since to use it at home for the common user there are many practical uses for it. Say you upgrade your home PC or laptop before your work laptop and you need to use software on your home machine that is not compatible with Windows 7. Just use the “XP Mode” (a virtual machine) to run the software. It is also good vice versa.

There are several companies offering virutalization. You can use the VMWare player and the Sun Virtualbox for free. You will need a product key on operating systems that require it.