• On GameSpot: So-called 'Halo killer' gets 23 to life
July 1, 2009 12:47 PM PDT

VirtualBox receives major update

by Jason Parker
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 9 comments
VirtualBox (Credit: CNET)

It's no secret you can run various flavors of Windows on Intel Macs using Apple's Bootcamp or other popular virtualization software options like Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. Any of these work great if you need to run Windows software on your Mac or even test beta software worry free, but a fairly recent discovery of mine might be a better choice. VirtualBox is the free, cross-platform, open-source virtualization software I used to get the Windows 7 beta running on a Mac, and it just received a major update.

VirtualBox 3.0 (Windows or Mac) lets you create a secure virtual environment to run the OS of your choice without effecting anything else on your computer. This means that in addition to being able to run software meant for a different system, you'll also be able test beta software without fear of conflicting with your current regular setup.

VirtualBox

A handy wizards make it easy to set up a virtual system quickly.

(Credit: CNET)

The new version of VirtualBox offers a huge laundry list of new features and fixes, but the major version updates include the capability to run up to 32 virtual CPUs; run programs (games!) that require Direct3D 8 or 9 (Windows); and newly added support for OpenGL 2.0 for Windows, Linux, and Solaris.

Jason Parker writes software reviews and features for Windows, Mac, and iPhone. If he learned to dance, it would make him a fabled "quadruple threat," but we can't get him to do it.
Recent posts from The Download Blog
Log in with your face
See what's under McAfee's new interface
Tales2Go: Get on-demand audiobooks for children
Microsoft, Google split over browser bug bounty
Mozilla plans to drop Mac OS X 10.4 support
TweetDeck gets a few tweaks
Adobe promises faster Flash on Macs
Security software maker Vitamin D exits beta
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (9 Comments)
  • prev
  • next
by Orion Blastar July 1, 2009 6:23 PM PDT
It is a good virtual machine program. It also can use VMWare images and the HaikuOS VMWare image works great with it.<br /><br />Note that it lacks BSD Unix support as a Guest or Host OS except for OpenBSD, but it was really designed for Linux via the Xen program to have kernel mod support.
Reply to this comment
by ikevinTV July 3, 2009 2:05 AM PDT
Looks Great! Now this version of VirtualBox 3.0 supports SMP, it seems that Parallels and VMWare Fusion might become irrelevant. I also like the fact that it is from Sun and support Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris with "Additions"<br /><br />On the Wikipedia page for VirtualBox, it says that "memory ballooning" feature is in the works. I am really enthusiastic for this technology to become avaiable soon.<br /><br />Kevin Pan<br />Open Source Cloud Computing Developer<br />http://ObjectsOnClouds.org
Reply to this comment
by ikevinTV July 3, 2009 2:06 AM PDT
Looks Great! Now this version of VirtualBox 3.0 supports SMP, it seems that Parallels and VMWare Fusion might become irrelevant. I also like the fact that it is from Sun and support Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris with "Additions"<br /><br />On the Wikipedia page for VirtualBox, it says that "memory ballooning" feature is in the works. I am really enthusiastic for this technology to become avaiable soon.<br /><br />Kevin Pan<br />Open Source Cloud Computing Developer<br />http://ObjectsOnClouds.org
Reply to this comment
by ikevinTV July 3, 2009 2:07 AM PDT
Sorry for the double post above. I hit the "Submit" button but nothing appeared in the page during the first time. <br /><br />Kevin Pan<br />Open Source Cloud Computing Developer<br />http://ObjectsOnClouds.org
Reply to this comment
by chrisl121212 July 3, 2009 5:55 PM PDT
About time an open-source virtual machine program has Direct 3D support. VMWare Workstation was not very great with its Direct3D support.
Reply to this comment
by queticomn July 4, 2009 10:31 AM PDT
Good god, Virtual Box also supports Linux and Solaris BIAS C-NET!<br /><br />Run winbloze on your Linux machine :)<br /><br />http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Reply to this comment
by GODhack July 5, 2009 7:04 AM PDT
No fun how this page treats Linux like it do not exist at all.<br /><br />Compare VirtualBox what authors write in their homepage:<br />Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh and OpenSolaris hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4 and 2.6), Solaris and OpenSolaris, and OpenBSD.<br /><br />VS<br /><br />VirtualBox 3.0 (Windows or Mac) lets you create a secure virtual environment to run the OS of your choice without effecting anything else on your computer. <br /><br />:(
Reply to this comment
by lwilson77 August 7, 2009 1:22 AM PDT
Cnet's Download.com is notorious for ignoring the free Linux and BSD Unix operating systems. They seem devoted to making sure that Microsoft America and Apple America don't lose their stranglehold on the world's operating system market. In Thailand, among other countries, PC's come with a free Linux operating system on them. If you want Micro$oft, then you will Pay.
by n25philly July 6, 2009 12:34 PM PDT
I'm already back to version 2.2.4. The latest version is a mess. I would advise sticking with the older version until this gets some updates
Reply to this comment
(9 Comments)
  • prev
  • next

Search Download Blog posts

advertisement
Click Here

About The Download Blog

Download.com editors cover the world of downloadable software and beyond.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Download Blog topics