Fact of the Day: 14/10/2021

What is operating system virtualization and why does it matter?

Some software programs are designed for a specific computer operating system. In the good old days before operating system virtualization, to run such specialized software, you’d need to have a computer with that operating system. For example, to run Windows-only software, you’d need to buy (or obtain access to) a Windows computer. But now, you actually don’t. 

Operating system virtualization refers to using software to run multiple operating systems on a single computer. Suppose you have a Mac computer. You can get software that allows you to install and run Windows on a separate browser on your Mac computer. This way, you can run that Windows-only software without having to get another computer. This is especially useful for web developers and designers who need to test websites on various different operating systems before launching them.

Cool, right?

Further Exploration: If you’re a Mac OS user and you’d like to have a look at some software you can download to run Windows, check out this article: https://kb.iu.edu/d/ahjj

(If you use other operating systems, like Windows, and you have some tips for other non-Mac OS users, feel free to send a webmail to Ms. Jones and the STEAM Team will update this fact!)

Fact Author: Ace 

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