VMware finally completed its newest and coolest application: the VMware Player. Initially planned to be released with upcoming Workstation 5.5, is now out alone, available for Windows and Linux platforms. VMware Player permits to run any pre-created virtual machine with any VMware product (Workstation, GSX Server and ESX Server), any Microsoft product (Virtual Server and Virtual PC) and even Symantec LiveState Recovery images. For free. The key features are:

• Run any virtual machine Run virtual machines created by VMware Workstation, GSX Server or ESX Server. VMware Player also supports Microsoft virtual machines and Symantec LiveState Recovery disk formats
• Revert to previous state Revert virtual machines to a previous 'clean' state within seconds
• Access host PC devices Use host CD/DVD drives, network adapters, and plug-and-play USB devices
• Copy and paste Copy text and files between the virtual machine and the host PC
• Drag and drop Drag and drop files between a Windows host PC and a Windows virtual machine
• Shared folders Use shared folders to easily share files between virtual machine and the host PC
• Multiple networking options Virtual machines can share or obtain new IP addresses or be isolated from the network and host
• 32- and 64-bit host and guest operating system support Run a wide variety of virtual machines containing 32- and 64-bit operating systems simultaneously on the same physical PC. Compatible 64-bit guest operating systems include select Microsoft Windows, Red Hat, SUSE, and FreeBSD distributions
• Adjustable memory Tune virtual machine memory for optimal performance
• Configurable shutdown Power down or suspend the virtual machine when closing VMware Player

VMware also published a product comparison to clear what VMware Player can do and what cannot: http://www.vmware.com/products/player/comparison.html A dedicated forum on VMTN Online is now open: http://www.vmware.com/community/forum.jspa?forumID=123 Notice that VMware Player, 28mb sized, requires administrator privileges for installation and won't install if VMware Workstation is already present. I really hope to see this wonderful application in every Linux livecd distribution in no time.