VMware Workstation Editor's Review

Run a guest OS on your PC with this industry leading Windows app.

Running the application you need on your computer isn't always as easy as you might think. Yes, a native app may exist for your OS of choice, but if it doesn't or if you need to keep your OS free of clutter, things get complicated. Getting access to the cloud can also be challenging. This is one reason why I like VMWare Workstation. It’s a virtual workstation manager for Windows.

VMware Workstation is cloud capable and cloud aware. VMware Workstation's operating system support, user experience, feature set and performance will dramatically change the way you work with virtual machines. It's one of the best companion apps for any technical professional as they move to the cloud.

One of the most popular reasons why corporate customers use a virtual machine is to evaluate the next generation operating system. With VMware, you can install, say, Windows 8 and give users access to it, without actually upgrading a specific machine or risking introducing an undesirable user experience into the enterprise. The latest version of VMware Workstation is optimized for running Windows 8 on Windows PCs. Its Easy Install feature simplifies the task of creating Windows 8 virtual machines. Its Unity mode will intelligently scale windows with Metro applications and multi-touch support will ensure you get the true Windows 8 experience in a virtual machine.

One of the BEST reasons why you'd use VMware Workstation is its new web interface. It allows you to access your virtual machines from a tablet, smart phone, PC or any device with a modern browser. No plugins or special add-ins are necessary. Now you can power on, off, or suspend your virtual machines and interact with them from almost anywhere.

App Pro’s: Access virtual machines from the web, keep your working PC free of questionable applications

App Con’s: Expensive, complex app isn't easy for the average user

Conclusion: Using a virtual machine on your computer is one of the best ways to use incompatible applications. It also makes it easy to keep your PC free from poorly written apps or apps that don't uninstall cleanly. VMware wrote the book on virtual machines and is one of the BEST ways to accomplish these tasks.

The biggest problems with VMware are that its expensive and complicated to setup and use. At $250 for a single workstation license, you need to make sure you take advantage of its 30 day trial before you buy. Its also a very complicated application to setup and configure. Many consumer users will need to either seek assistance from the help file, printed documentation or support forums to insure that they get the best performance out of the app. Please note that I've given this app a low usability rating because of its level of complexity.