Leopard to include VMWare-like virtualisation software?
Reliable sources informed MacosXrumors that Apple is developing virtualisation software that could be added to Apple's next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard. The technology will allow users to create and run virtual machines with Mac OS X …
Context & Ripple Effects
This virtualization rumor arrives four months into Apple's confirmed transition of the Mac lineup to Intel processors, the move that first made running non-Mac operating systems on Apple hardware technically straightforward. MacosXrumors frames the feature as potentially bundled into the next major Mac OS X release, Leopard, rather than sold separately.
First-order effects
- If Apple ships virtualization inside Leopard at no extra charge, VMware's paid Mac virtualization products face a free, OS-integrated competitor from the platform vendor itself.
- Buyers weighing Intel Macs against Windows machines gain a way to run both environments on one machine, sharpening the position Apple already holds as a stated threat to Windows Vista.
Second-order effects
- Third-party virtualization vendors would be pushed to differentiate on performance, management features, and enterprise support rather than on the base capability of running a second OS.
- A built-in hypervisor lowers the switching cost for Windows-centric users considering a Mac, feeding hardware demand at the moment Microsoft's Vista cycle gives buyers a reason to evaluate alternatives.
Third-order effects
- If Leopard ships with virtualization included, OS-level virtualization follows the pattern of other once-premium software being absorbed into the platform as a commodity feature, leaving standalone vendors the higher layers of the stack.
The trend: With Macs moving onto Intel silicon, virtualization is migrating from a paid third-party add-on toward a default capability of the operating system itself.