All thanks to Apple for having adopted CPUs powered by Intel for its fresh line of MacBook laptops and iMac desktops, which has made it possible for both to run Windows Vista. Vista Ultimate, tracking this development has stated,

“Apple’s free Bootcamp ver 1.1.2 (beta) lets you install Windows on your Mac and select the OS of choice by holding down the Option key at startup.

Commercial alternatives are available in the form of virtualization software like VMware’s Fusion (Free - currently in beta) and Parallels’ Desktop for Mac ($79.99). They offer more features like the capability to run in 64-bit, switching from Mac to Windows Vista without a reboot and running Windows Vista in a window within Mac’s OS X”.

Microsoft, prioritizing security, has constructed a wall around virtualization, which many have conceived purely as a business move. This is so because the virtualization software’s 14-page agreement prohibits the use of the least expensive versions of Vista, allowing the purchase of the $299 Business or the $399 Ultimate editions only. Vista Ultimate points out other such bans, stating,

“The license agreement also prohibits virtualization programs from using Windows Vista’s BitLocker data-encryption service or from playing music, video or other content wrapped in Microsoft’s copyright-protection technology”.

So, which software do you think will suit you the best?