> I much prefer using the free VMware server for development and > testing different OS versions. It's far more difficult to screw > the pooch using virtual machines, and one can always make snapshots > before upgrades or major changes making it easy to undo the > changes and try again. I find this invaluable when testing major > software installations. Yes, this seems like a case where virtualisation is a good solution. I've only just started learning to run Xen myself, but the advantages of virtualisation over dual/triple booting etc are pretty clear. As well as the ones you mention, different machines can also be run concurrently and networked.