Virtualization Takes Another Step
Imagine that you've got a computer set up just the way you want it, but you now want to create a virtual machine that mimics the setup you've lovingly crafted. Using VMWare or Virtual PC, you've long been able to do this. Although Brian Randell has managed to tackle this task manually, it's never been fun (and if you have to deal with issues like OEM versions of Windows, the task gets even trickier).
I've been living with the Mac for a while, and using Parallels Desktop for Mac to run Windows flawlessly. The folks at Parallels have a free product named Parallels Transporter (it's tricky to find, so follow the link), which allows you to create a full virtual PC from your existing desktop. It also allows you to migrate a Microsoft or VMWare virtual hard drive into a Parallels VPC, in case you need to do that.)
Imagine the possibilities! You can do all your work on your main machine, and then when you need to go somewhere else and work, you can create a virtual version of the machine, copy the image to a portable drive (along with a copy of Parallels Workstation for PC or Parallels Desktop for Mac), and then work as if you were at your original computer.
I'd like to consider using this technology for backups. Using Parallels Transporter, you'd have a completely live backup of your main computer. Should something go wrong with the computer, you could boot up the image on a separate computer, and have your entire environment ready to go immediately.
VMWare also has a competitor, although I haven't tried it. It's in beta, and it's named VMWare Converter. Download it here, for now (this link will inevitably change, so will be broken at some point in the future). Give them a try, and see what you think. This is useful technology, and amazingly, it's free.