Out of Cheese

Word came out today that Microsoft is buying most of Connectix. I’ve known about this for a while — I overheard rumors of it before moving from Washington — but I’m still not sure what to think about it.

Virtual PC is almost an afterthought in the purchase. I can’t imagine that Microsoft cares about it all that much, and it wasn’t a reason for the transaction. Instead, Microsoft saw the demand for virtual server systems like VMWare’s and wanted to integrate that technology into Windows. I suppose VMWare was probably too expensive, so Microsoft settled for Connectix’ solution. Virtual PC, meanwhile, came along for the ride.

On MacSlash, Microsoft’s Dan Crevier mentions that the Virtual PC team will now be rolled into the MacBU and will report to him. That’s good news — Dan and his team are terrific.

I wonder if they’ll get management’s support in the long run, though. I don’t really see what the incentive is for Microsoft to continue to produce a high-quality PC emulation product for the Mac. True, each sale of Virtual PC with Windows includes the full price of a Windows license, but the purchaser then runs it on a system on which Microsoft is unlikely to earn additional revenue from other pieces of software. I also wonder how many people buy Virtual PC with DOS and then install a creatively-acquired copy of Windows.

Personally, I just hope that any future versions of Virtual PC include the support I’ve come to depend on for installing non-Windows operating systems. At various times I’ve installed OpenBSD, NetBSD, and Linux on Virtual PC. It’s far more convenient to install them via VPC than to sacrifice a computer for the same purpose.

It’s also worth mentioning that if Microsoft decides to discontinue VPC for any reason, chances are that someone else will step into the market with a replacement product. The Mac user base has supported at least one PC emulator for the past six or seven years — Insignia first, then Connectix when Virtual PC proved to be better than SoftWindows — and I can’t see that changing any time soon. Unless Apple increases its market share by a factor of 10, there are always going to be some number of Mac users who are required to run one or two Windows-only pieces of software and who are willing to pay a reasonable surcharge for doing so. If Microsoft provides the solution, that’s terrific, since they know Windows better than anyone else. If they don’t, though, I’m sure someone else will.