Docker for Mac and Windows launches out of private beta

Startup Docker today announced that its native app for Mac and Windows is now available in public beta, following a private beta that began in March. You no longer need to add yourself to a waiting list in order to get access.

Docker’s widely adopted open source software lets developers run applications inside of containers that can be easily moved to different computers. Containers generally rely on the single operating system of the host and tend to be more efficient than virtual machines as a result.

The native app doesn’t require Oracle’s VirtualBox software. Instead it uses Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization software on Windows, while on Mac it’s using Docker’s open source HyperKit. The beta version includes the release candidate for Docker 1.12, which comes with the container orchestration capability, Docker developer relations director Mano Marks wrote in a blog post.

The app lets you set CPU and memory usage and can receive automatic updates when new releases become available.

More than 70,000 people signed up for the private beta. You can download the public beta version of the app here.

Also today Docker announced that its software is now available in beta right on top of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure public clouds — without the need for the clouds’ container deployment services.