Have you ever wondered if you could get a private-use version of ZENworks Application Virtualization. The answer is yes.

You can purchase a single license from online distributors like CDW. The list price at CDW is $47.99, and this gives you the license plus 1 Year Standard Maintenance, for one user, one instance. You may find different pricing from different distributors, so shop around and let us know what you find.

Using it at home is actually a pretty cool idea, since ZAV makes it so easy for you to carry your favorite applications around on a thumb drive. This would be useful for anyone who regularly uses computers away from home, and can't always count on finding their apps installed on them.

For example, somebody recently added PowerPoint Viewer to the ZENworks Virtual Application Knowledgebase.

(NOTE: The Knowledgebase doesn't contain the actual virtualized apps, because of licensing restrictions. But it does contain tips, tricks, knowledge, and results of virtualizing specific applications with ZENworks Application Virtualization. It functions like a database of successfully virtualized apps and how they were configured, so you can understand the best way to build your own.)

With a PowerPoint Viewer virtualized on your thumb drive, you don't have to worry about finding that app when you need it. If you encounter a PC that doesn't have PowerPoint installed on it and you want to use that PC for a presentation, there's no install necessary – PowerPoint is ready for use. Just pop in your thumb drive, launch the viewer virtual app, load up your presentation, and you're ready to roll.

Check both the Knowledgebase, and the Application Compatibility List to find applications that are known to virtualize well.

How Hard is it to Create a Virtualized App?

You don't have to be an IT professional to build a virtualized app. They've made it pretty darned easy to do, with a handy wizard to walk you through all the steps. Try it for yourself, using the ZAV trial version. http://download.novell.com/index.jsp?product_id=&search=Search&families=13729&x=34&y=

1. Install it.

• Launch it.

• You'll see three big buttons. Choose the one to Snapshot an App Installation.

• Follow the wizard.

• Complete the app installation.

ZAV captures all of the changes the installation did to your PC, and creates an EXE out of the changes. In about 30 minutes you've got your virtual app.

Once you see how easy it is, you'll want to buy the single-user version your favorite online distributor. All apps built with the trial version will expire after a few weeks.

Learn more about ZENworks Application Virtualization here.

Let us know what apps you end up virtualizing -- just leave a comment below. Also, let us know which distributors you find that offer it.