The new VMware desktop product for the Mac, codenamed Fusion, allows Intel-based Macs to run x86 operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris, in virtual machines at the same time as Mac OS X. It is built on VMware’s rock-solid and advanced desktop virtualization platform that is used by over four million users today.
With Fusion, you can run traditional PC applications on your Mac: if you need to run PC applications, you can now do so by leveraging the power of virtual machine technology.
Fusion fetaures:
• 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.
• 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/
• Fusion supports all Intel Mac hardware, including the new 64-bit Mac Pro and iMac.
• Your virtual machines can have multiple virtual processors, taking advantage of the Intel Core Duo chips in today’s newest Intel Macs.
• Fusion supports high-speed USB 2.0 for a huge range of devices. Even devices that do not have drivers for Mac OS X will work in a virtual machine.
• Simply drag and drop files and folders in and out of your virtual machines to transfer your data.
More info and download link here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Richard” for the heads up.]
Related MacDailyNews articles:
VMware ‘Fusion’ beta released – virtualization for Mac OS X – November 03, 2006
VMware’s Desktop Virtualization for Mac codenamed ‘Fusion’ – October 17, 2006
So, how is this different or better than Parallels?
VMWare is the expert in this field. Parallels is a cute upstart.
VMWare has too many more resources and expertise at their disposal. Parallels has only a brief head start as their only advantage.
VMWare will be what enterprises and power users choose.
Parallels are making huge strides at this time; VMWare does, however, already offer multi-core support which Parallels doesn’t. USB2 is apparently coming with the new Parallels beta.
But will we see any VMWare equivalent to Parallels’ Coherence integration?
It’s good to see the pressure is on in both directions…!
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Whatever. Have you even bothered to look at the incredibly fast progress that Parallels has made in the last couple of months?
Parallels has such an immense head start now that VMware will likely never catch up. Plus the development from Parallels moves at light speed compared to what VMware has ever done. Parallels is definitely where it’s at when it comes to virtualization on the Mac.
JBR: Parallels is definitely where it’s at when it comes to virtualization on the Mac.
You are exactly right. I’ll print that out now and tell my boss. Oh, wait. Parallels doesn’t recognize USB printers! VMware does. Can’t say I see that immense head start.
Agreed, Switcher ’99, VMWare will be what the “power” users choose.
Which I guess makes me a power user, because I’m looking forward to VMWare, when it’s released.
I moved to Mac OS X from RH Linux 3 years ago, and now do all my local Java web work with it. With Java and MySQL, things work quite smoothly for me connecting to Linux servers via ssh and svn.
But when I upgrade my 17″ PowerBook to a shiny new Intel machine (one of these months), I’m looking forward to running VMWare, and running IDENTICAL vm images that we use at work with VMWare on Linux.
Maybe run a few complete images of CentOS, for example for individual development projects.
I have no particular intention of running Windows on my Mac, though I guess I might try to run an image of whatever the *least offensive* version of windows is. Windows 2000? Recommendations? Stable-ish and not phoning home to MS is essential.
But anyway, in answer to Cubert’s “So, how is this different or better than Parallels?” question, I’d say it’s better by a long shot for people who are currently working with VMWare for the management of virtual machines. Someone with a real need for VMWare compatibility.
But for someone just wanting to (or thinking they want to) run Windows on an Intel Mac, and maybe would like for fun to run a copy of Ubuntu Linux or something, Parallels looks like a great user-friendly product at a good price.
And it has the advantage that it really exists, and it’s out now, and people seem to like it.
And How much is it going to cost?
“…the *least offensive* version of windows”?
Is there a least offensive version of gonorrhea?
Don’t bother.
I have no dog in this fight. Competition is good and Apple and Mac users are the main beneficiaries. Good luck to both VMware and Parallels.
Windows ME is the least offensive version of Windows.
Trust me.
Would I lie about Microsoft’s crowning glory?
In time, VMware will push Parallels out of the lead spot.
For one thing, VMware has years of virtualization experience. Their core functionality is already written and has been stress-tested for a long time, in the form of VMware Workstation. For another, VMware has far more resources at its disposal – it’s just a bigger, more well-established company. Randolph Kirkpatrick’s point about Fusion being able to interoperate with Workstation-made VMs is also a good one.
For me personally, Fusion’s multiple core support is the biggest reason to choose it. This is VMware’s previous experience at work – they don’t have to implement it from scratch.
I’m also betting that Fusion will have a better interface (since they’re writing it in Cocoa) than Parallels Desktop. Parallels Desktop’s interface, to put it mildly, sucks. Hard.
VMWare is the Big Kahuna of virtual machines. A LOT of people have been waiting for their stuff to come out.
Parallels has a head start, and they’re making rapid progress, but t looks as though VMWare is going to pretty much catch up with their release (as USB issues are one of the largest complaints over Parallels)
imo, BOTH companies are *auditioning* for Apple to license their technology for Leopard (or future versions), as the successor to BootCamp. It’s the logical progression, IMO.
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