Virtualization from Intel in future Macs

Quoting from Architosh:

Intel has launched this week the beginnings of its future line of processors that will support “virtualization”. These new chips are known as Intel Pentium 4’s 672 and 662. Essentially virtualization technology (or VT) enables a processor to run multiple operating systems or applications in independent partitions, or what is often called “containers”, on the same chip. This type of technology has been around for years on big iron servers from Sun Microsystems and IBM, for example. Intel is not creating anything new in that regard.

However, what is new is this type of technology inside of a typical personal computer. And this begs the question: was this part of the consideration in Apple choosing Intel?

Today Apple has mastered the art of moving from one computer user’s space to another with its graphic cube effect. This is commonly known as Fast User Switching and is a system preference in Mac OS X. This feature, unique in OS X, allows a truly graceful way in which multiple users can utilize one shared computer, and Apple’s Expose technology is at the heart of this interface transformation.

But imagine a world wherein you can cube the cube? Imagine that each user account can have multiple instances of operating systems (perhaps OS X and Windows, or Linux and OS X) running simultaneously. From the Apple menu a user would select an OS environment and an Expose cubic switch would literally swing around a different OS environment, just like today’s Fast User Switching.
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An interesting fact about VT in Intel’s chips is that data inside a given partition can be completely erased after use. Information such as banking data, personal identification, codes, et cetera, can all be deleted after a given session. This may tie in to what Apple would like to do with video via it’s iTunes Music Store. Critical code attached to a downloaded movie or television show may sit in a separate partition that is erased after the movie or TV show is played one time, thereby ensuring that customers get what they pay for and no more. And also ensuring that hackers don’t try to reproduce video content…

Read the whole article at source.