MacosXrumors.com reports that
"reliable sources" have indicated that Apple is currently developing
virtualization software that may be part of the upcoming Mac OS X "Leopard" (v10.5) which will allow users to run Linux or Windows alongside Mac OS X on any Intel-based Mac. (All at the same time.)
According to the article:
The software, which is said to be code-named "Chameleon", will be made available in "Client" and "Server" versions. The Client version will have similar features to Virtual PC and will be included with Leopard Client while the Server version will act as a virtualisation server and will come with Leopard Server. Apple may also sell the solution separately just as it currently sells Apple Remote Desktop.
Sources also claim that Apple is developing the technology hand in hand with partners such as Intel and Microsoft. We don't know if Apple's software will be compatible with Intel's virtualisation technology announced last year but the possibility that Apple's software becomes inter-operable with Virtual PC and VMWare has been mentioned. We also don't know if Apple will use Rosetta technology so as to make the creation of PowerPC based virtual machines possible.
This is potentially great news for those needing certain functionality from other operating systems, but not wanting to
boot into Windows or
Linux to get the task done.
Mac OS X Leopard is expected to be shown at Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in August.