Virtualization is the latest buzzword in the world of web, but most people don’t really know the real meaning of the word. A virtualization software program such as VMware Fusion or Oracle VM VirtualBox lets you run a Windows system inside a Linux or Mac, or one version of a Windows inside a different version. The software program creates a virtual machine and you don’t have to use additional hardware components as all required hardware components exist in the form of bits and bytes. If you are about to buy a virtualization software program this year, check a few things you need to know below.

Virtualization software programs always tend to hog memory and every guest system you create using the program would require about 10 GB to 30 GB disc space. There’s a new app called Veertu Mac virtualization app which uses in-built resources to reduce its footprint, but most programs won’t offer you this feature. Hence, checking the RAM and disc space is essential before you buy a virtualization software online.

The cross-system integration capability of different virtualization apps and desktop programs widely vary, and it’s always advisable for you to check the integration sweepstakes. Parallels Desktop is one application which can bring all the files and folders on your Mac desktop to your virtual Windows desktop. Now that is some level of integration which you may not want to use, and chances are that you may just want to drag and drop the files from your Mac to your virtual Windows. Wineskin Winery is an application which enables users to share text using the clipboard and share folders easily.

There are feature-heavy commercial apps such as VMWare Fusion which offer advanced integration features such as adding shortcuts to OS X so that you don’t have to start the system and then manually launch the program. By using such enterprise-class programs, you can easily set the host and guest systems and use the keyboard customization options too.

The choice essentially boils down to your working habit and your needs. High-end virtualization apps allow you to run almost any app or computer game. Corporate users can also test programs on virtual systems without affecting the main hardware components of the host system. A virtualization software program will let you play a game on your system without really installing it, but there’s much more you can explore if you are going for the top virtualization programs.