Within Windows Virtual PC Part 3|Comparison Side B

Graphics

Well, I got a comparison here.

For the latest version of Virtual PC, VPC 2007 SP1

Only one Direct Acceleration is available.

In Windows Virtual PC XP Mode,

Not any Direct Acceleration is available.

Thanks to its poor 16 bit graphics setting, which is not changeable, Windows Virtual PC XP Mode has the most crappy picture[left],

but disabling the integration features would result in a much better image quality[right], shown in comparison below. 

Both Virtual PC and VMware could provide a decent 2D looking with quality on bar with the right one.

In VMware Workstation 6.5.

Coupling with 128MB video memory, both Direct Acceleration are available, making it the best graphics of course.

A little show of power, FIFA in play.

It’s impossible, at least for present, for Virtual PC based solutions to run such a DirectX 9 game, and more to the fact, it’s impossible, for present, for any other virtualization solution to run DirectX games except VMware. So well done, VMware!

Communication

One problem concerning all virtualization solutions is how to better communicate with host machines, which mainly deals with, in essence, files exchange and sharing.

Virtual PC provides a Share Folder, through which host and hosted systems can exchange files for use.

There is a catch, no USB support for Virtual PC, the most flamed issue by users.

Well, don’t ask…

Windows Virtual PC XP Mode provides easier method for file exchanging. You can simply copy all the files you want on host machine and paste them into the hosted.

This time, there is good USB support! Thank God!

And Windows Virtual PC XP Mode pre-mapped all the local hard disks as network shares in hosted XP system, a quite easy way to share files.

As to VMware, all methods are provided. You can have a share folder, you can copy and paste, and you can simply drag and drop. And you can also map local disks through network share, just like Windows Virtual PC XP Mode.

Disk Tech

Microsoft’s virtualization solutions have one uniqueness, differencing disk, based on which various usage could be possible. VPC and WVPC both shared this.

During usage, you can update the parent disk by merging data, enabling easy future management and deployment, so that in future you can have a virtual system up just like the one you are using now.

VMware doesn’t have similar function, but it can “Clone” a set up virtual machine, which performs much like the differencing.

VMware can use physical disk as the virtual disk.

Virtual PC can also utilize physical disk as virtual component, but it can only use the entire disk, and it cannot use the disk where operating system resides.

Special functions

There is one special function for WVPC XP Mode, Auto Publish.

For any program you installed within the virtualized system, you can have it automatically show up in the start menu of Windows 7, enabling direct use of the program in Win7.

Windows will start virtual system automatically in background to run the specific application, which will prompt nothing, so for users, it’s like direct launching a native program.

VMware also got a way to function similarly, under the name of “Unity”.

Enabling it will provide host system a virtual start menu, from where you can launch any program installed in the hosted OS.

System Snapshot

System shot is a great function provided by virtualization, by which you can switch between saved system state freely. For example, developers can fully test their web applications in IE 6, 7 and 8 in three snapshots of system with respective versions of IE installed within.

There is no support for snapshots in Virtual PC based solutions. Although with some mods, you can achieve the same function by using differencing disks.

VMware takes great advantage of this function, within which you can take multiple snapshots of a hosted system and revert to the saved state at any time. This ease the maintenance by a great amount!

An ultimate advantage of Windows Virtual PC, XP Mode: Licensing

There is no doubt that Microsoft has the best and most resources for Windows when it comes to creating a component for MS OS.

This time, Microsoft provide a fully licensed Windows XP Professional with SP3 as the core of XP Mode. This is simply unbeatable.

Clever Microsoft utilized the OEM mechanism for Windows licensing to provide a special licensed system image of Windows XP Pro /w SP3 for any use in virtualization. Details about the mechanism won’t be discussed here, but one thing is sure, you can have the greatest potential out of a activated Microsoft operating system.

Conclusion

Improvements over Virtual PC is quite obvious in Windows Virtual PC, which address many problems that had been existing. They both are quite good solutions, especially considering their price, free.

VMware, on the other hand, is a business solution that carries a price tag. No doubt it’s the best solution for now, which has more functions, easier management, and superior graphics performance. However, VMware has made their VM Server, a product much like VM Workstation, free to all people to keep up the competition.

As a virtualization component for an operating system, Windows Virtual PC is no doubt successful. With its XP Mode, any application that requires Windows XP as platform can now run happily under Windows 7. Compatibility is no more a hurdle on the way of upgrading for enterprise and business customers.

It’s a right step, but not necessarily a bright one.

Adding a virtualization component require extra disk space, as large as around 4GB if you want to have it run in background nicely, and memory, for which at least 512MB should be provided exclusively for WVPC to let XP fly in virtualization, and it takes some to many CPU cycles to serve the user. Virtualization also brings complication to large scale management and maintenance…

Microsoft knew this well, so they don’t plan to release Windows Virtual PC to Windows 7 Home Premium, the expected most used home version. Only SKU higher than Professional could get it, and it won’t be integrated into the OS installation.

Still remember the very first abstract of the official Microsoft whitepapers?

Virtualization as a component for Windows is just a temporary step to encourage more people transit to embrace the new OS.

All in all, XP Mode is only a niche, a step Microsoft wouldn’t insist but couldn’t resist, and never forget.