VMware Brings Windows To Kindle Fire

EMC’s virtualisation unit VMware has released new client software that will allow Amazon Kindle Fire users to use Microsoft Windows on their device.

This is thanks to the new VMware View Clients for the Kindle Fire, Mac and Linux, as well as updates to its existing VMware View Clients for Android and iPad devices.

Desktop Virtualisation

VMware says it is offering this VMware View client software as “technology previews” (i.e. the full commercial version is still on its way), which will provide users with “an easy-to-access, high-fidelity desktop virtualisation experience optimised for the device of their choice.”

“More and more people want the freedom to choose the device that best fits their computing needs in school and into the workplace,” said Pat Lee, director, end user clients, VMware. “With the new VMware View Clients, both IT and end users win with a complete, secure and easily accessible virtual desktop on the devices that best meet their needs.”

Essentially, VMware View allows organisations to port Microsoft Windows desktops across to other non-traditional devices such as tablets or even Apple Mac machines.

Indeed, VMware points to the proliferation of new devices across all industries today, and it cites the education sector as an example, where both Windows and Mac desktops are normally supported. However students also bring in their own own tablets, laptops and PCs that are based on OS X, Windows and other platforms.

VMware believes that the arrival of its new VMware View Clients for Mac and Linux will enable ‘campus IT organisations’ to better support these end users. It says its Mac client for example has been “designed from the ground up for the Mac and with support for Lion Full Screen mode, Mac users can seamless switch between their Mac apps and their VMware View virtual desktop with a swipe on the trackpad.”

Post-PC World

The VMware View client for Linux will be available in the Ubuntu Software Centre in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the VMware View Client for Android will also soon be available in the Amazon Appstore for Android for the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The new releases are part of VMware’s vision of the “post-PC” world.

“Steve Jobs likes to say that ‘We’re entering into the post-PC era,’ and we agree with that,” VMware chief executive Paul Maritz said in a speech in August. “But there are still hundreds of millions of PC users, and we need to do a better job of allowing those people to get access to the applications that they need.”