virtual

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week people wrote in with questions about OWC's SSD firmware updaters for Mac systems, the chances of Apple offering Snow Leopard for virtualization, and details on 16GB RAM support in MacBook Pro systems. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

NOTE: The "contact us" box for e-mailing us will hopefully be back soon, but until then please use the … Read more

Recently VMware released version 4.1 of its Fusion virtualization software for OS X, which in addition to offering a number of bug fixes and speed improvements has lifted its restriction on virtualizing the Client version of Snow Leopard.

In the past, and as is the case with other virtualization options, when you tried to install Snow Leopard or another operating system that is restricted from virtualization by its EULA, Fusion would issue an error message notifying you of this restriction. Now VMware appears to have changed this so its software only requests that you abide by the operating system's EULA, … Read more

When it comes to virtualization on OS X there are three basic solutions: Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, and VirtualBox from Oracle. While VirtualBox is developed more as a free hobby and experiment package by Oracle, the other two are commercial packages that have been neck-and-neck in competition in the areas of speed, stability, and compatibility.

In its past few versions, Parallels Desktop has been significantly faster than VMware Fusion for a few tasks, which Parallels has regularly blogged about.

Today VMware released a new version of its Fusion virtualization software (available through its built-in updater) that in part offers a … Read more

If you plan on running multiple operating systems on your Mac, one route you can take besides a direct installation like Windows in Boot Camp is to use a virtual machine, which installs the OS within OS X so it and its applications will run alongside your OS X applications.

There are several virtualization options for OS X, including VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop, both of which offer robust solutions for running multiple operating systems that integrate the guest operating system well with the Mac OS. Recently, Parallels released an update to its latest version of Parallels Desktop that, in … Read more

The most common question I get from those I brief about OpenStack's new network service is "How does Quantum relate to software defined networking?"

Especially confusing to many is the difference between these kinds of cloud networking services and the increasingly discussed OpenFlow open-networking protocol.

In part 1 of this series, I described what is becoming an increasingly ubiquitous model for cloud computing networks, namely the use of simple abstractions delivered by network systems of varying sophistication. In part 2, I then described OpenStack's Quantum network service stack and how it reflected that model.

Software defined … Read more

Citrix landed 40 deals worth more than $1 million each to fuel strong third quarter results that blew away estimates. The company also upped its outlook for the year and projects more growth via a bevy of product announcements from its Synergy customer powwow in Barcelona.

The company on Thursday reported third quarter earnings of $92 million, or 49 cents a share, on revenue of $565 million, up 20 percent from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings were 64 cents a share. Wall Street was expecting non-GAAP earnings of 58 cents a share on revenue of $544.8 million.

As for … Read more

OpenStack's Quantum network service project is an early attempt to define a common, simple abstraction of an OSI Layer 2 network segment. What does that abstraction look like, and how does Quantum allow the networking market to flourish and innovate under such a simple concept?

OpenStack itself is an open-source project that aims to deliver a massively scalable cloud operating system, the software that coordinates how infrastructure (such as servers, networks, and data storage) are delivered to the applications and services that consume that infrastructure. Easily the largest open-source community in this space--others include Eucalyptus and CloudStack--OpenStack consists … Read more

There certainly has not been a shortage of gaming headsets by way of third-party manufacturers in the past few years. We've seen impressive entries in the market from brands like Turtle Beach, Astro, and Logitech, all of which perform well, but are priced as high as $250. … Read more

VMware reported strong third quarter results and upped the outlook for the fourth quarter.

VMware reported third quarter earnings of $178 million, or 41 cents a share, on revenue of $942 million, up 32 percent from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings were 53 cents a share.

Wall Street, which bases its estimates on non-GAAP earnings, was looking for third quarter earnings of 50 cents a share on $929.4 million.

As for the outlook, VMware projected fourth quarter sales between $1.03 billion to $1.06 billion, up 23 percent to 27 percent from a year ago. That range is … Read more