shownotes_MCM20110921

Intro
  With the new version of Parallels being released I've been playing around more with Virtual Machines and I thought it was time for me to discuss the advantages and how I use them.
What is a Virtual Machine
  A way to create a completely isolated operating system installation within your normal operating system.
  Differs from emulation which would emulate the hardware, say letting you run an OS written for Intel processors on a Power PC (Virtual PC)
    In a Virtual machine the host OS simply passes the execution of the guest virtual machine directly to the native hardware.
  Basically uses disk images to create a separate environment for a guest OS
Some uses
  Running a server
    ISPs use virtual servers, since many server applications don't maximize a computers resources
    Some environments require specific servings, security, and configurations that may conflict with another server or application
  Testing items in other OSes
    More secure since environments is sandboxed.
  Running apps not supported by your native operating system
Why not just use Boot Camp
  Boot Camp is ideal if you need native access to the full resources of the machine
  Also not all apps will work in virtualized environments, especially some that need access to external hardware.
  Main advantage of Virtualization is you can run concurrently
Why i use Parallels
  Performance
    For a while a switched back and forth between Parallels and VM Ware
    Parallels 6 just seemed faster and I like the UI
  Ease of use
    Installing "appliances" is super easy in Parallels 7
      Support for OS X Lion, Chrome, Ubuntu, Windows built-in
      Windows, you can buy, install, or migrate
      Also download "appliance" images directly from Parallels
  Other virtualization options:
    VMWare Fusion
    Oracle Virtualbox
Using the virtual Machines
  Control the number of CPUs and the amount of RAM
  View modes
    Windowed
    Full Screen - good option to place it in it's own Desktop
    Coherence - Desktop is hidden. My favorite mode
    Modality - transparent, always on top. Good for monitoring.
  Sharing
    You can map folders and define volumes that are visible to the virtual machine
    copy and paste between OSes
  Suspending instead of shutting down.
Playing with Windows 8
  Share first impressions of Windows 8
  Metro vs. traditional desktop
    Metro has active tiles and apps
    Metro seems built for touch, but exists in desktop too
  Traditional Desktop is still there, but seems to play a reduced or supplemental role.
    Use traditional "Desktop" for file browsing and navigation.
    Windows Explorer integrates the ribbon.
  Experience seemed schizophrenic to me.
    Internet Explorer has 2 different experiences depending on where you launch it from
    Desktop seems to have a "Start" bar, but it just returns you to Metro "Start" screen
  I think the idea from Microsoft's point of view is to have one experience across tablets, notebooks, and desktops
  An interesting idea, but I'm not sure it works. Apple took the two tier approach and is now merging some elements, but I think they see that some rings are right for touch and other for a more traditional mouse and keyboard.
  Navigating the "Metro" interface with a mouse works, but there was something "unnatural" about it.