SillyDog701 Message Centre

[Antony]

VMware Inc, has released the first public Beta version of VMware Fusion, a virtualisation client, similar to Parallels Desktop for Mac.
VMware Fusion has been out in Beta for quite a while, but it was only available as private beta.

VMware Fusion's feature:

Fusion allows you to:

• Create and run a wide variety of 32- and 64-bit x86 operating systems on OS X without rebooting. You can simultaneously run PC applications next to your OS X applications.
  
• Leverage Virtual SMP capabilities to gain additional performance improvements. On any Mac with dual-core processors, you can assign multiple CPUs to your virtual machine to gain additional performance for CPU-intensive workloads.
  
• Access physical devices from the virtual machine: read and burn CDs and DVDs, and use USB 2.0 devices like video cameras, iPods, printers, and disks at full speed. Even devices that do not have drivers for OS X will work in a virtual machine.
  
• Drag and drop files and folders between OS X and virtual machines to easily share data between the two environments.
  
• Leverage the cross-compatibility of VMware virtual machines. VMware virtual machines created with existing VMware products are all cross compatible, including virtual machines created by VMware Workstation, VMware Player, VMware Server and VMware Infrastructure 3.
  
• Run any of the 360 virtual appliances available from the Virtual Appliance Marketplace (http://vam.vmware.com).

For more information and to download Fusion public Beta, please visit Fusion Beta Program (page)

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MozInfo701 | MacCentre701 | AntBlog701 | don't steal music.

[Antony]

I installed it and there are some screenshots. During the installation, I noticed the screen blinks and resizes quite a bit when trying to detect the screen. I do not recall this problem with Parallels Desktop for Mac. Once installed, the screen is quite stable.

Some screenshots of VMware Fusion:

Fusion's start up screen:


(the VMware BIOS?)


This version of Fusion is Beta, and the Debug option is on and can't be turned off.


Windows 2000 Pro running under VMware Fusion Beta.


After some quick test, Windows 2000 Pro runs fine for me. It's a bit too early for me to compare the preference between VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac.

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MozInfo701 | MacCentre701 | AntBlog701 | don't steal music.

[Antony]

Cnet has a report, VMware Fusion beta for Macs goes public.