VMware ESX
Virtualization will drive computing into a very interesting future. I’ve been fiddling a fair amount with virtualization, preferring VirtualBox and VMware Server. The problem with those two solutions is the fact that they are not native (or bare-metal) virtualization solutions. In other words, the software that performs the virtualization function is installed on top of a host operating system, then utilizes that operating system to provide services to the guest systems it contains. That leads to poor resource allocation and, most of all, poor performance. The component that performs the virtualization is the Hypervisor, and ideally that component should be installed directly onto a system without the need for an operating system. In effect, the Hypervisor is the operating system, albeit one that performs very specific functions.
Of course, these solutions exist. They are just far too expensive for the hobbyist or small to medium enterprise. But, once again, there is hope. Aiming to gain traction for its high-end ESX virtualization product, VMware recently announced the free version: VMware ESXi. Certain features that make ESX a groundbreaking solution in large computing environments are not provided in the free version, but the most important virtualization functions are there. Best of all, the installed system is only 32MB in size! Has to be Linux 
The ESXi Hypervisor is installed in place of an operating system and hosts guest operating systems as required. I’ve downloaded the software but haven’t had the opportunity to try it out yet. It should run on a non-certified system, provided the components within the system are not too outlandish and support certain standards.
