Can I install 3 virtual machines?

[latthraz]

I use Parallels 5 and have Windows 7 installed there. I like W7 but most of the games available on the market run only on XP or Vista yet and there almost no Mac games. So my question is: Can I have MacOS, W7 and XP at the same time on my laptop? If yes then how much memory it consume, would it slow down computer and would I be able to play games in XP?

 

[spinnerlys]

You can install as many VMs as your HDD permits, so that means you can install XP, Vista and Seven if you like. But running all of them at the same time might slow down your Mac if you don't have enough RAM, but that can be circumvented by running only the VM you are going to use.

 

[sushi]

Just to add, you could have multiple versions of 7 if you wanted.

VMware Fusion and Parallels both work well doing this.

 

[latthraz]

thats cool. thank you guys.

 

[aki]

yes actually this is one of teh best things about parallels-like solutions imo. you can have a clean install of your windows os, a trashy one you mess about with and dont care too much about, and old XP one for running older incompatible software etc etc etc. its one thing that is actually cooler than a "real pc".

 

[sushi]

^ Yep.

Plus once you get your PC set up, cloning is real easy. Just duplicate the image file.

Restoration is easy as well. Save any files you want to keep. Trash the image. Duplicate the backup. Rename. Launch. Sweet.