Rating: 
Summary: Microsoft has published a sandbox for the rest of us!
Review: You do not have to be a developer to have fun with Microsoft Virtual PC 2004. This program is the greatest sandbox I have ever played in. If you have lots of older software and operating systems, this program is for you. You no longer need several old PC's to keep in touch with old favorites.MS Virtual PC not only does away with the need for multiple machines for legacy programs (yes, even games), but provides for cloning virtual machines in order to test new installations and settings without risking arduous rebuilding of systems if disaster strikes. Recovering from a disaster is a matter of a minute or two. MS VPC also solves software conflicts by providing for alternate versions of the same OS that are tailored to particular tasks. Also, virtual machines are networkable with other physical computers on a LAN. Your hardware may require some adjustment when running MS VPC. For example, my CD drive is a Sony DRU120 CDRW/DVDRW and is not automatically mounted by VPC when creating a new virtual PC, but installing a CDROM driver from diskette quickly sets up the basic configuration needed to install any OS. This was the only part of the learning curve I had to master. For the rest, MS VPC has proven to be the easiest power program I have ever learned. I cannot say enough good things about MS VPC in the space allowed here. Buy it if you are running Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro. MS VPC is yet another reason for XP Home users to go Pro. This software is FUN because it invites so much experimentation and creativity. Have a blast!
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