Testing VMware Workstation 6.5
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After installing Workstation 6.5, I was up and running in a matter of
minutes. Workstation 6.5 can be installed on a wide range of Windows and Linux
OSes, both 32- and 64-bit versions. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with
VM creation will be up and running in a matter of minutes.
The Easy Install feature was surprisingly, well, easy to use. After starting
the VM creation process, I was asked to either specify an ISO
or insert the installation disk in the system. Workstation 6.5 then identified
the operating system and asked me to supply license information and user name to
facilitate a more automated installation. The Easy Install process also
automatically runs the VMware Tools installation after the initial guest OS
installation. Both of these features worked like a champ in helping me get my
Windows guest systems set up. Easy Install also assisted me during a SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 10 installation.
Unity is a helpful feature that allows applications running in a VM to be
used in a more interactive way on the host desktop. After the guest and
applications were installed, I enabled the Unity mode. This allowed me, for
example, to run Microsoft Word in one VM and PowerPoint in another, and drag
and drop information from one to the other without cumbersome switching between
VMs. Sun's VirtualBox has a similar feature, and this is a big advance in
general for this class of virtualization tools.
eWEEK Labs Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant can
be reached at csturdevant@eweek.com.
Cameron Sturdevant has been with the Labs since 1997, and before that paid his IT management dues at a software publishing firm working with several Fortune 100 companies. Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility, with a focus on Android in the enterprise. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his reviews and analysis are grounded in real-world concern. Cameron is a regular speaker at Ziff-Davis Enterprise online and face-to-face events. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at csturdevant@eweek.com.
