Mark HoltzerMs. June WestIST 257April 13, 2014Computer VirtualizationMany people and businesses don't have enough money to purchase hardware for every instance of an operating system they need. It's cheaper to purchase high-performance hardware for a computer and then run multiple operating systems on a single machine. To do this, virtual machines are necessary. Virtualization is vital for people and businesses who need to run multiple operating systems cost-effectively. A virtual machine is a simulated computer that runs on a physical computer, the host. For example, a host computer running Windows 7 would be able to open one or more virtual machines acting as their own computers. These virtual machines can run the same or different operating systems and can be assigned different amounts of physical computer hardware. Virtual machines still have the same minimum system requirements as physical computers, so it is important to have a powerful host computer (Angeles). Virtual technology is important because it allows users and businesses to run multiple computers efficiently. Virtualization has different advantages depending on the market. For home users, virtualization allows them to run a virtual machine as a quasi-sandbox, or contained operating system, of their computer in order to test new software, different settings and check the reliability of each . It is best to do this in a virtual machine because a backup can be made on the machine before testing. This way, if something goes wrong, a user can simply delete the corrupted virtual machine and start again. With a physical computer, this would require formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system. Another advantage for a home user is the middle of paper ......h Mac and Android, giving access to virtually any device that might need it. Horizon's exceptional performance brings many useful features such as 3D graphics, high-quality media streaming, touchscreen support, the ability to use local resources and much more (Horizon with View ). DISADVANTAGES?!Citrix's XenDesktop is a more customizable solution for desktop virtualization than Horizon with View. It is similar in that it has the ability to virtualize 3D graphics, can be used on desktop or mobile devices, and centralizes management. Beyond that, it supports adding contractor and partner access to various XenDesktop features and allows access to devices that users bring from home. Another notable feature of XenDesktop is that it allows offline client virtualization. This means users can still access their desktop when not connected to a network..