Intel-based Mac OS X users now have yet another virtualization solution to choose from now that Innotek has announced a Mac version of its VirtualBox virtualization software. This time though, the product is based on open-source code and is the first professional virtualization product being made available free of charge to the Apple Macintosh platform.

OS X is the third major platform that VirtualBox supports as it was previously available to both Windows and Linux users. The product supports a wide variety of x86 compatible guest operating system such as: various versions of Windows from NT to Vista, DOS, OpenBSD and Linux. Features include USB support, snapshots and command-line scripting.

The OS X version is currently available in its first public beta version and is based on VirtualBox's new version 1.4 codebase. The product is expected to be completed in the 2nd quarter of 2007.

VirtualBox is free for personal use and evaluation under the terms and conditions of their license. There is also a VirtualBox Open-Source Edition (OSE) which uses the GPL, but it lacks a number of features found in the enterprise version.

If you have used the product, either on Mac OS X, Linux or Windows, I invite you to share your experiences using the product with the rest of us by commenting below.

You can download the product, here.

Posted by David Marshall on April 28, 2007 12:53 PM