VMware Fusion 2.0 exits beta, can do 'virtual quad-core'
Version 2.0 of VMware's Fusion -- a rival to Mac-based desktop virtualization software from Parallels -- adds a new virtual machine control console along with the ability to run multi-OS applications on up to ten monitors.
A day after making a major move into cloud computing, VMware announced today that Fusion 2.0 -- a new edition of its Mac-based desktop virtualization software for running Mac OS, Windows, and Linux applications -- has left beta and entered general release.
Fusion 2.0 adds support for multiple monitors, and does so in a big way, bringing the ability to run applications in up to ten physical displays. In addition, users can now run up to four virtual CPUs per virtual machine (VM).
A new control console called Your Virtual Machine Library shows a more intuitive graph of the running status of each VM.
VMware has also added new 3D graphics support for games, enabling DirectX 9.0 rendering with Shader Model 2 -- which represents the highest-level graphics attainable on Windows XP. There's also enhancements to USB device detection, printing, and folder sharing, according to posts on the company's Web site.
| A demonstration from VMware of Fusion for Mac in the Beta 2 stage, which shows off new functionality features including special recognition for Microsoft Office 2007 applications. |
As with VMware's Fusion 1.x, Fusion 2.0 offers features such as "Unity View" -- for running Windows applications like Mac apps, and for switching between Windows and Mac apps -- and "AutoProtect" for automatically recording snapshots of running VMs at specified intervals.
VMware claims that Fusion supports more than 60 operating systems, including Windows Vista and Windows XP. Version 2.0 adds support for Mac OS X Leopard Server.
Fusion competes closely with Mac-based desktop virtualization software from Parallels, a company that expanded into Windows Server-based virtualization earlier this year.
The suggested retail price for Fusion 2.0 is $79.99. VMware is also now offering free 30-day trials, free 2.0 upgrades to Fusion 1.x owners, and $30 rebates on competitive upgrades. Operating systems besides Mac OS, of course, must be purchased or obtained separately.
Also today, VMware bridged its cloud and desktop rollouts at the VMworld conference in Las Vegas, with the announcement of VClient initiative, a new strategy to build "universal clients" able to access applications hosted in a data center from just about anywhere.