Final answer:
A machine with virtualization software allows multiple applications and various operating systems to coexist on a single platform. This encompasses a technological progression from mainframes and minicomputers to personal computers capable of similar multi-user support due to advances in virtualization.
Step-by-step explanation:
A machine with virtualization software can host numerous applications, including those that run on different operating systems, on a single platform. In the history of computing, we've seen a transition from mainframe and minicomputers, which were once widespread and powerful enough to support many users, to more powerful personal computers which now can also support the workloads of those earlier systems through virtualization.
The development of operating systems has seen a similar transition from proprietary systems controlled by manufacturers such as IBM and Hewlett Packard, software businesses like Microsoft, and workstation companies like Sun Microsystems, all of whom developed their own versions of the UNIX operating system. The commercialization of these operating systems contrasts with the philosophy of free, open resources that have also been part of the computing and network narrative.
Today's computers, using virtualization technology, can not only serve multiple users but also simulate different environments - allowing a level of flexibility and resource utilization that was once the domain of mainframes and minicomputers. This technology serves as a bridge between the single-user oriented personal computers and the multi-user capabilities of traditional, larger computing systems.