I love testing out new software, but I like to use virtual machines to see what the software is like before I go installing it on my actual system. A virtual machine is a virtual computer environment which allows you to run one operating system form within your current operating system.

Microsoft just released updated Virtual PC images for Windows XP that users can legally download. Virtual PC images are a single file that contain a “clone” of an operating system. The Virtual PC software is a free download provided by Microsoft and is used to run multiple operating systems inside of Windows.

I’ve been waiting for Microsoft to release Virtual PC 2007 and it looks like they finally have. I still remember the day that Microsoft started making Virtual PC a free application, and they are super smart for doing so. It allows users to install other Windows operating systems to test out new software, or more importantly check for software compatibility issues on the new Windows Vista.