The use of virtual machines provides many advantages to various categories of users - from beginners to IT specialists. This includes increased operational security, ease of deployment of new platforms, and reduced cost of ownership. And therefore, it is no coincidence that today virtual machines are experiencing a rebirth. The book discusses the three most popular tools today designed for creating and managing virtual machines: Virtual PC 2004 from Microsoft, VMware Workstation from VMware and a relatively “fresh” product - Parallels Workstation, created by Parallels. Moreover, the description of all “competing” programs is built according to the same scheme, so that it is easier for the reader to compare them with each other and make an informed choice.