Today in the Windows 8 Blog, Microsoft talked about the integration of Hyper-V embedded into Windows 8. The company plans to offer Hyper-V with Windows 8 when it launches, allowing consumers to create virtual machines on their desktops or laptops without the need for third-party software, like VMware.
Hyper-V will likely be available only in the Professional or Ultimate edition of Windows 8, although edition information has not been released, and will require the machines they run on to have a 64-bit version of Windows 8. In order for machines to support and run Hyper-V correctly, the minimum requirement for RAM will be 4GB, but more will definitely be needed for better performance. Hyper-V will be able to support both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of operating systems. Microsoft does state in their blog that users will be able to run 3 or 4 VMs with 4GB of RAM, but will require more RAM if users wish to run more VMs on the same machine.
The VM Console will be able to support a single monitor view with 1600x1200 resolution in 32-bit color. Windows 8 will also launch with native ISO and VHD support, allowing users to create virtual machines directly from an ISO file.
Windows 8's feature list is really starting to come together and we can expect some further exciting announcements next week at the Microsoft BUILD conference in California. Neowin will be live from the event between September 13-16.
Microsoft included a video demonstration of Hyper-V support on their blog, which can be found here.
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