Especially with beta OS versions (like Win7 now), many programs don't work as intended any more.So what I'd like to see in the future would be better VM integration. Seamless so to speak. Like WOW for 16 --> 32 bit compatibility or 32 --> 64 bit compatibility.I'd install an old OS version into an OS + all the applications that don't work in this beta.Windows would then allow me to create shortcuts to these applications to the HOST OS (not guest).When an application would be started this way, the VM would start in the background (if not already started) and the application in question would be "translated" to host OS. In the end it would look like the application would be running in the host OS, not in the guest OS window.Unfortunately, there are a few problems I can see right away:1. It's probably quite hard to do the "translation" from guest to host2. Virtual PC doesn't support all the hardware. Particulary, USB, Firewire, Bluetooth and similar virtual devices are currently not translated well or not at all to the Guest OS3. The solution would probably have to be "open" so that the regulators and competition wouldn't cry foul...4. Added: Sorry, forgot the drivers for the host. This of course can't solve driver issues when drivers for the previous OS version don't work.I have seen a remote desktop solution that does something similar to "translation" for remote desktops. Namely the application will run in it's own window instead of RDP "machine" window, so this is more or less doable (if I forget the ridiculously thick window border this particular solution makes around the application window). Maybe the system notification icon is left a problem.As for the second problem, I currently don't see a suitable solution. Maybe the next version of Virtual PC will include support for these devices?Thoughts?

Virtualbox already has a seamless mode,and slightly better support for hardware than VirtualPC. Though, like VirtualPC, it's running an entire OS, so the taskbar/start menu aren'tintegrated with the host.The mainproblem is when a virualized program works with a native one.Hopefully it can be done. Actually I know it can be done, Apple did a similiar thing back at the beginning of the century when they went from OS 9 to the completely different OS X. To a lesser extent they did it once more when they went from PPC to Intel.It's more a question if Microsoft will actually bother to do that, taking the opportunity to create a new OS completely from scratch. That part is more doubtful.

Microsoft's new MED-V technology will provide that, amongst other things.http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/med-v.aspxWatch the introductory video - it's a bit tedious but the live demo is very impressive:http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization/assets/media/chv/local/index.htmThack