VMware ESXi Available For Free Starting Today

Mierdaan writes "VMware's bare-metal hypervisor is available for free starting today. ESXi, which can either be installed or run from an embedded device available in certain servers, has a 32MB footprint and gives small businesses an easy way to get into the virtualization world, with easy upgrade paths to enterprise-level features such as (H)igh (A)vailability and (D)istributed (R)esource (S)cheduler. ESXi runs on most any hardware with a server-class disk controller, and previously retailed for $495. VMware is obviously shooting to prevent Microsoft's Hyper-V technology from gaining a foothold in the marketplace."

Comments

What did you expect?

[zappepcs]

As the money changers at the door to the cathedral begin to realize that you need buyers looking at your wares and not mulling around in the bazaar figuring out how stuff really works, their attempts to lure shoppers from the FREE stuff will take on all the twisted plot turns that an ad agency could ever dream of selling. Countdown to seeing real professional crippleware make a come-back in 3.. 2... 1...

I'm glad to say that short of some very twisted legislative efforts I can't see this going anywhere except closer to where RMS wanted software to go. The issue of security will shortly raise it's ugly head again, and when F/OSS starts being perceived as out-performing it's competition in this area, the dam will have burst. No little brute from Redmond will be able to put a chair in the hole either.

Sorry, no car analogy!

Re:more info.

[Shadowruni]

Preach brother preach... I hate when the uninformed try to drop knowledge on VMWare....

Re:small footprint

[Tony Hoyle]

The ESXi footprint is only 32mb. It can just be an extra chip on the motherboard.