For a while there Microsoft did indeed state that Vista home basic and
Home Premium were not allowed to be virtualised meaning that if Mac
users wished to stay "legal" they had to buy Vista Ultimate or
Business. However, they relented at the beginning of the year and
changed the licensing terms:
-Mart
http://www.macworld.com/article/131732/2008/01/virtual_vista.html
"Microsoft clears Vista Home for virtualization
by James Niccolai, IDG News Service, IDG News Service
Jan 22, 2008 8:45 am
On Monday Microsoft loosened some of its licensing terms related to
virtualization, making it less expensive for Mac users to run Windows
Vista legally using programs such as Parallels Desktop andVMWare Fusion.
Users who purchase the Home Basic and Home Premium editions of Windows
Vista can now legally run those OSes in a virtualized environment,
Microsoft said. The company also announced new licensing rates for
corporate users.
Virtualization technologies separate the software on a computer from
its underlying hardware, allowing it to be deployed in more flexible
ways. Virtualization can allow multiple operating systems to run on
one computer, for example, or allow application workloads to be
shifted between computers more easily to improve hardware utilization.
The technology has been around for decades but was popularized in
server environments recently by VMware and others. The technology
became popular on the Mac when Apple switched to Intel processors,
allowing Macs to run Windows at near-native speeds.
Previously, only the $399 Ultimate edition of Vista could legally be
run in a virtual machine. This new announcement makes the $199 Home
Basic and $239 Home Premium versions fair game. In June 2007 Microsoft
appeared to be poised to loosen its licensing restrictions, but
reversed course and maintained the status quo. (Mac users have been
technically able to run Vista Home on a Mac using Parallels Desktop or
VMWare Fusion, but only in violation of Microsoft's end-user licensing
agreement.)
"This move is a good thing for Mac users, since they now have a cost-
effective way to access Windows Vista and its massive software
library," said Benjamin Rudolph, Director of Corporate Communications
for Parallels Desktop publisher SWSoft. "It also makes it even easier
for Mac users to keep using OS X, but still integrate with a Windows-
centric office. This shows that Microsoft is committed to the
virtualization market."
The announcement came as Microsoft laid out plans to become a bigger
force in the market for virtualization software, stepping up its
assault on established leaders such as VMware.
Microsoft's plans include the acquisition of a start-up company,
Calista Technologies, whose graphics technology is designed to improve
the end-user experience for people who access their Windows desktop
remotely from a server, Microsoft said.
Finally, Microsoft extended its partnership with Citrix Systems to
make that company's Xen virtualization software work better with
Microsoft's server and desktop software, it said."
-Mart
------------------------------------
Martin Hill
email: mart "at" ozmac.com
homepages: http://mart.ozmac.com
Mb: 0401-103-194 hm: (08)9314-5242
On 10/05/2008, at 12:03 PM, Ian Reid wrote:
On 10 May 2008, at 12:08 AM, Adam hewitt wrote:
One thing to keep in mind that no one seems to have mentioned yet is
that
there are licensing issues running windows under virtual machines.
As far as
I am aware only Vista Ultimate is licensed to be used inside a VM
and using
any other version is the same as using a pirate copy. I am not so
familiar
with the XP licensing however I would imagine that it's the same
deal, ie.
Pro version only.
Adam and Others
I purchased my Windows XP Home integral with Virtual PC some four
years ago for my G4iMac. Is there any legal or other reason why
someone (admittedly a bit more expert than me) should not be able to
legally separate it from VPC on my new Intel Mac and install it in
Parallels. Must one buy a new copy of a program for every new
computer.
A Parallels ikon is sitting on my desktop with the name <Microsoft
Windows XP.pvs> but so far I haven't been able to go any further.
Maybe it isn't meant to do so.
Ian
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