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Testing on a different version of Mac without buying OSX Server or multiple machines

In Windows, testing various OSs is done using simple virtual machines. Is there an easy way to do something similar for Mac testing where I might need to run on Tiger / Leopard / Snow Leopard to test the functionality?

AFAICT, to run OS X in a virtual machine, do you need an OSX server or buy several Mac computers - is that what people do? Or are there other cheaper options?

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You can have one Mac with different partitions for each OS, or you can virtualize the OS X server. Within the EULA limits of Apple Mac OS X, you cannot virtualize Mac OS X.

Paid Apple Developer Connection memberships include the ability to download and use a number of previous versions of OS X and OS X Server for developer testing purposes. Since the selected membership is $ 500 and OS X Server is $ 499, then I think it will be cheaper if you want to test several server options.

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Because of the license, you must use Mac OS X Server if you want to virtualize. If you get an early Intel Mac that will run 10.4, you can split the disk and install 10.4, 10.5, and 10.6 at the same time, although rebooting on each OS can be a problem.

There are more Mac OS X options for testing these days than just major releases of the OS. Depending on your target customers, you can also test on PPC, i386, and x86_64 architectures.

If you are fortunate enough to live near Cupertino, Beijing or Tokyo, and you are a member of ADC Select or Premiere, you can use ADC Compatibility Labs for this kind of testing.

Nevertheless, you could probably pick up a couple of old cars quite inexpensively and get a few varied equipment.

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