MaximumPC 2007 02

94 MAXIMUMPC FEBRUARY 2007

We tackle tough reader questions on...

PVirtual Machines PVista PCRTs

PDesks PLinux PMobos

THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL MACHINES

In Paul Lilly’s article “Virtuality” (January 07), he

compares Microsoft’s Virtual PC 2004 , Parallels’

Workstation 2.2 , and VMware’s Workstation 5.5.

He complains about the cost of VMware’s product but

neglects several pretty big issues.

First, his complaint about the 4GB max RAM limit

is being addressed with the upcoming Workstation 6.

Individual virtual machines will have a limit of 8GB, and

the total RAM for all running guest VMs is unlimited

(up from 4GB).

Second, VMware has two free products,

VMware Player , released in December 2005, and

VMware Server , released in July 2006. I would have

expected him to at least mention those offerings

before dismissing the more expensive Workstation

product and opting for the Parallels solution. True,

Player does not have the utilities to create or edit a

VM, but there are several tools available around the

Internet (including my own VMX Builder , available

at http://tinyurl.com/kdl5u ) that give users the abil-

ity to do so, again for free.

I do hope Mr. Lilly takes a closer look at the other

offerings from VMware before merely dismissing its

Workstation product as being too costly. Most gen-

eral users of virtualization products, who appear to be

the target audience of Mr. Lilly’s article, can be aptly

served by the free VMware Player product.

—Robert D. Petruska

EDITOR IN CHIEF WILL SMITH RESPONDS: Our

official policy at Maximum PC is to review only

current, shipping products, which is why we

didn’t test VMware’s Workstation 6 or Virtual

PC 2007. Software changes during the testing

phase, and this can affect the final verdicts

given to products.

While we were aware of VMware’s free Player

software, its inability to create custom virtual

machines precluded it from the story. I haven’t had

a chance to fully test VMX Builder yet, but it does

look like a promising fix for Player’s shortcomings.

While your app might make VMware’s Player an

alternative to Parallels’ Workstation or Virtual PC, it

wouldn’t have affected the score Maximum PC gave

VMware’s Workstation 5.5.

WILL VISTA BE VAPID?

Your analysis of Vista has left me a little wary. You

stated that only the Business and Ultimate editions

will be able to connect to Windows domains. So

where does that leave home users? Will they still be

able to create an adequate home network with the

Basic or Premium editions?

Will Smith also comments that Vista may not be

worth it for machines more than a year old. Would

disabling things like Aero Glass lessen the load for

older machines? Is Microsoft seriously thinking

we’re all going to go out and buy new systems just

for its new OS?

—Peter Zunitch

EDITOR IN CHIEF WILL SMITH RESPONDS: Home

users will be able to create and connect to net-

work shares, they just won’t be able to join a

domain. That’s not a huge deal, outside of man-

aged corporate environments, where your IT

department controls every PC on its network.

Disabling Aero Glass will help the operat-

ing system’s performance, but you also will lose

one of the main benefits of running Vista. Even

with Glass disabled, you’ll probably still have a

better experience using XP than Vista on older

hardware. And yes, Microsoft does expect that a

large number of people will buy new systems just

to run Vista.

SAYONARA, CRT!

I’m finally thinking about retiring my CRT and upgrad-

ing to an LCD. One of the things that has kept me from

getting an LCD is that the refresh rate is too slow for

most games (something I seem to recall reading in

Maximum PC ). Is this still the case? Has LCD tech-

nology finally caught up to gamers?

—Jay Hellman

SENIOR EDITOR KATHERINE STEVENSON

RESPONDS: First, you should be aware of the

distinctions between the two technologies. A

CRT’s picture is produced when phosphorescent

material in the screen is activated by an elec-

Doting on a

Desk

I just moved and was looking for a decent desk.

I play games and edit photos, you know, hobby

stuff. I had a hard time looking for a desk online

that was right for me. Maybe you guys could

put together a computer desk review for regular

users and gamers. Heck, it could create advertis-

ing revenues for your company. I found a cheap

desk for now from Staples that I’ll use until I find

the right one.

—John Swiczkowski

EDITOR IN CHIEF WILL SMITH RESPONDS: We

don’t really have a favorite desk at Maximum

PC. Each editor has a slightly different solution,

ranging from an Ikea computer desk to a con-

verted kindergartner’s table to an antique van-

ity. The important thing is to find a solution that

allows you to maintain proper posture while

seated at your PC. You should be able to sit with

your knees and hips at a right angle and your

back ramrod straight. The desk should be high

enough so that when you assume the proper

position, your elbows are at a right angle and

your hands rest slightly above the keyboard.

Depending on your height, a desk that allows

this can be difficult to find, so you might need

to invest in a keyboard tray or footrest.

in outYOU WRITE, WE RESPOND

Former editor Josh Norem at his

favorite desk.