VMware opened up the beta phase of its most “unknown” product: P2V Assistant. As many customers probably experimented having a P2V trial isn’t so easy.
So this is a great chance to try it and understand how it works (the trial will offer you 5 P2V conversions).
The new 2.1 beta brings a major feature: the product is now based on the 3.8.1 version of the best-known Linux livecd distribution: Knoppix.
Knoppix is a revolutionary approach to desktop computing, providing a so flexible architecture that everybody can custom the product to create its own live desktop OS, bringing it everywhere without hardware installation hassle.
VMware customized Knoppix for physical to virtual needs and this will grant an always updated and improved platform. Knoppix also will provide a huge hardware compatibility to P2V Assistant, simplyfing the use on many physical hardware server.
This support could eventually grow if VMware choose to adopt the just released Knoppix 4.0, distributed on DVD by default, on future releases.
Read other changes on the release notes and sign-up for the beta here: http://www.vmware.com/programs/6/p2vBeta.do