The 2nd part was a demonstration of installing VirtualBox and setting up a virtual machine using the image provided. All instructions can be found in the VirtualBox Setup Guide.pdf in this directory.
NOTE: The image on the shared drive is going to be UPDATED Monday 8/4/13. The new version will fix some bugs and will hopefully provide better integration and less rough edges.
The desktop is NOT changing. We're still using LXDE, so nobody is being forced into another, unfamiliar desktop. Everything will be the same, except there'll be slight differences in the programs preinstalled, the menu icon, and the desktop wallpaper.
The old image is still usable. If you've made customisations already to the old image and don't want to throw them away, it's okay to keep the old image. The new image simply aims to provide a more integrated and smooth experience. You can still easily follow along with any demonstrations given on the new image if you're still on the old image.