How to choose/configure VM for offsite demos?

Question

I am setting up a laptop to take to customer site to run software demo. Laptop runs XP Pro as host OS and needs to run Windows Server 2003 as guest OS. I have successfully created both VMware Server and VPC VMs. When the laptop is disconnected from our network I use MS Loopback Adapter on the host and when it is connected I disable the Loopback Adapter and use the LAN connection instead.

Is VMware Server or VPC better suited to this ephemeral setup where the laptop is being moved on and off the LAN and, in particular, is there a way to automate the network settings so the manual process I described above is not required?

Answer 1

I suggest VMware Workstation (the paid product). Version 6.5 and above can be set up to automatically detect the currently-available LAN connection and use that, so you don't have to mess with the settings every time.

(Disclosure: I've been a very satisfied paying customer of VMware Workstation for 5 years now, since version 4.5. I otherwise have no relation to VMware whatsoever.)