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VMware Workstation Pro

Great utility for setting up virtual machines in a network environment

6.0

303 Votes

  • Category Operating Systems
  • Program license Trial version
  • Version 16.2.4-20089737
  • Size 317.65 MB
  • Works under: Windows 8
  • Program available in English
  • Program by VMware

VMWare Workstation is a desktop application which allows users to run different operating systems within a simulated environment. Whether you are running the latest version of Windows 10 but want to take an occasional stroll down memory lane and run Windows 95 or XP, or maybe you are experimenting with Linux but not quite ready to make the switch, VMWare allows you to boot up and explore whatever operating system you want in only a few clicks.

Easy to download and install, VMWAre Workstation is a paid program but allows for a 30-day free trial. When that trial expires, users will still be able to start up and use all of their virtual machines using the freely-available VMWare Player, but they will have to look elsewhere to create new virtual machine configuration files (.vmdk disk files and .vmx program settings files). More advanced users can find tutorials online describing how to write .vmx files and create .vmdk disk files using freely-available programs like Qemu emulator.

However, VMWare Workstation makes the setup of new virtual machines easy, even providing a wizard to help new users. Users will be able to specify the virtual hard drive size (the virtual hard drive will only consume space on your real hard drive as it is filled with files), RAM allocation to each machine, default screen size, and even networking settings (bridged versus NAT). These settings can all be modified after creation, either by modifying the .vmx configuration file manually or more easily by using the built-in configuration tools in VMWare Workstation. More advanced users can even easily specify what type of architecture they want their virtual machines to have, selecting from a list of different processor and architecture types. USB devices can easily be connected and disconnected from the virtual machine and connected to the local computer, allowing for easy file transfer. VMWare Workstation can be run in full-screen mode at any time or can be run as a smaller Window.

There is virtually no limit to the number or variety of operating systems which can be run on VMWare. Mac, Linux, Windows, etc, users can play games, experiment with different operating systems, or even do more sophisticated networking and compatibility tests between operating systems. Users with a sufficiently large amount of RAM in their system will find that they can even run multiple different operating systems simultaneously in separate desktop windows.

Pros

  • Easy to download, install, and use. A wizard can guide first-time users in setting up a new operating system.
  • Easy to modify existing virtual machine profiles, including RAM and screen size.
  • A highly stable and well-tested program.
  • Users with enough RAM and processor speed can run multiple virtual machines at once.
  • Users will still be able to use all virtual machines made with VMWare Workstation even after the trial period expires by using the free VMWare Player.

Cons

  • This is a paid software, with only a 30-day trial.
  • Virtual machines can be major RAM and processing power hogs.
  • Virtual machines "take control of" the mouse and keyboard and only release them with a special keyboard combination, which can be an annoyance for new and old users alike.
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