VMware recently introduced version 9 of its award-winning VMWare Workstation, a software which allows you to run a Windows or Linux/Unix system in a virtual environment on top of Windows 8.

Why anyone would want to run a virtualized PC on a Mac is practically a no-brainer (and since you asked, running OS X on a non-Apple hardware is a no-no for legal reasons). Your Mac doubles as a PC while giving you the ability to use the clipboard and file sharing across these two systems.

But why would you want to run a virtual PC on a PC? This setup can be very handy if you happen to use specialized hardware such as a CNC cutter or some other device with a dongle. Or if you need to rely on drivers which are tied to a specific version of Windows and there is no telling what will happen should you upgrade the OS. Will the vendor force you to upgrade its proprietary hardware? If this is the case then it’s a safe bet that the new hardware will come with no additional features but a steep price tag.

With a virtualizer such as VMWare Workstation, you can dodge the pricing policy of your hardware vendor and get away with a far lower expense.

By virtualizing the old PC on top of a new PC, you escape the compatibility trap and avoid an avalanche of upgrades. In a VMWare virtual environment, your old PC will automatically run at a higher speed, frequently delivering a performance several times that of your old hardware.

Tip: If VMWare’s unreliable checkout powered by Digital River is giving you the chills, you can get your upgrade with electronic delivery of keys from techxtend.com.