OS Trifecta
Originally uploaded by acousticdad

This OS triple-play was not nearly as difficult to pull off as you might think.
Ingredients

1) Intel-based MacBook
2) VMWare Fusion
3) Windows XP Professional
4) Ubuntu Feisty Fawn
Steps to Implementation

1) Download VMWare Fusion and install on Mac OS X.

URL: http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/features.html

Installation directions are exceptionally easy to follow and require only 10 to 20 minutes to complete including reading time. 30-day evaluation licenses are available for those interested in preliminary inquiry only. Retail price for a single license is USD$80.

2) Launch VMware Fusion Library

Select New and follow the prompts. You will first be asked to Choose an Operating System, followed by a series of prompts that configure the settings. If you’ve read the instructions there won’t be any surprises; nor is there anything particularly complex.

NB: Be sure to have the installation disc/s ready for the virtual machine you intend to set up.

3) Install OS as per normal

When you reach the end of the set-up prompts in the VMware Fusion Virtual Machine Library you will begin the installation of your virtual OS. At this point the process becomes exactly the same as though it were a fresh install on a brand new machine.

NB: At the end of the Windows XP installation most drivers and hardware were detected automatically, though I have so far been unable to get either Ubuntu or Win XP to see the internal Mac web camera. Everything else has been smooth sailing.

4) To install another OS repeat steps one through 3.

You can do this as many times as your harddrive space permits.

Note though that running multiple virtual machines – as I have in the first picture – is not advisable as the system resources required to run it are likely more than your machine can handle. My laptop spat the dummy shortly after this screenshot was taken.
Additional Screenshots

Installing Ubuntu on Mac OS X

Windows XP Professional on Mac OS X