VirtualBox 1.6 is a major update to the open source desktop virtualization platform from Sun Microsystems. This is Sun's first release of the product since acquiring it from the German company Innotek back in February.

This latest version of VirtualBox 1.6 now offers full support for Mac OS X and Solaris as host operating systems. For some time now, support for these platforms was available from Innotek, however, it was only experimental. With full support available, Sun is now entering into a competitive marketplace with VMware and Parallels.

New features in the 1.6 version also includes a Web service API, a SATA hard disk controller, experimental support for Physical Address Extensions (PAE) and a new guest addition set for the Solaris operating system.

Another feature that is now commonly asked for in a desktop virtualization platform is a seamless windowing mode. Like Parallels Coherence or VMware Unity, VirtualBox now provides just such a feature - seamless windows for Linux and Solaris guest systems.

Find out more about VirtualBox or download the product and try it for yourself.

Posted by David Marshall on May 5, 2008 06:38 PM