Simulation, emulation, virtualization, and containers explained

Simulation, Emulation, Virtualization, and Containers: The Restaurant Metaphor

“So what’s the difference between a container and a virtual machine?” I get this question a lot. And the answer usually involves terms like “hypervisor,” “kernel sharing,” and “hardware abstraction” — which just creates more questions. But there’s actually a deeper question lurking here: what’s the difference between simulation, emulation, virtualization, and containerization? These four concepts are often confused, but they’re fundamentally different approaches to solving the same problem: running something in an environment it wasn’t originally designed for. ...

February 23, 2026 · 7 min read · Tom Meurs
kubernetes alternatives, docker compose, nomad, container orchestration

When not to use Kubernetes

I write a lot about Kubernetes. I use it daily. I’m a fan. But Kubernetes isn’t always the answer. In fact, for many teams and projects, Kubernetes is the wrong choice. Too complex, too expensive, too much overhead for what they’re trying to achieve. This is the post I’m writing for everyone considering Kubernetes adoption. Not to discourage you, but to help you make a conscious choice. The Kubernetes hype Kubernetes has won. It’s the de-facto standard for container orchestration. Every cloud provider offers managed Kubernetes. Every DevOps job posting asks for Kubernetes experience. ...

January 17, 2026 · 7 min read · Tom Meurs