I have low problems with Mac users only, lots of problems with Windows users only, an in between lesser figure with virtual Windows on Macs, and major headaches with virtual machines on Windows products. As the virtualisation hosts improve, speed and general machine agility has certainly improved. I absolutely agree totally with you on the training aspect, and also to creating at least some documentation relevant to the users, with preferable access to online (and updated) procedures, even if it means contracting specialist writers. What costs in training and ongoing support for users, can certainly make up for the lost productivity, paying bums on seats when the user stops work altogether whilst waiting for help, less help desk operators, less support staff....etc. However it seems almost impossible to get this point over to the upline management realistically. The global financial crisis has resulted in less access to training and other "non productive" methods. In some cases on call support firms are being utilised, as the in-house support staff simply can't cope when it seems that every user has problems all at a similar time. One thing that has surfaced, is that users with virtualisation on Macs can actually have standard Windows faults occur, as if they were using Windows only! From a psychological point I've noticed that the normal "happy Mac" users get much more irate at the problems with Windows on their machines, than the Windows users who have to put up with faults etc much more constantly. A final point is that going virtual with Windows on Windows or Server is certainly a much greater "challenge" to us poor lot who try to sort the difficulties out. But hey, that's why we get paid the big bucks!!!!