Conclusions

From Intel datasheet: “Intel Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) and for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefit will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. Intel Virtualization Technology-enabled BIOS and VMM applications are currently in development.”

So far, VMware Workstation 5 (which costs between USD 189.00 and USD 199.00) and VMware Player (which is free but you need to have virtual machines images created with Workstation or other software ready; on http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/vm/ you can find a lot of pre-build virtual machines for several different operating systems) support Intel’s Virtualization Technology.

It is not clear to us if Intel will release any VMM software on its own or if they will just wait for other vendor to change their virtualization software to support VT.

As for the BIOS, the solution is to wait for motherboard manufacturers to release VT-enabled BIOS (or at least certify that your current motherboard BIOS works fine with VT).

On the good side VT promises to have a better performance than VMWare, but we will have to wait until VT VMM software reaches the market to check if this is really true or it is just Intel propaganda.

Total or partial reproduction of the contents of this site, as well as that of the texts available for downloading, be this in the electronic media, in print, or any other form of distribution, is expressly forbidden. Those who do not comply with these copyright laws will be indicted and punished according to the International Copyrights Law.

We do not take responsibility for material damage of any kind caused by the use of information contained in Hardware Secrets.