VMware today announced that VMware Fusion 3 is now available. With more than 50 new features, VMware Fusion 3 makes it easier than ever to run Windows applications with Mac simplicity.
With the new built-in Migration Assistant for Windows, VMware Fusion 3 is more than two times faster than other “Switch to Mac” solutions. Users can move their entire PCs — including applications, files documents, and settings — to their Macs with a simple Ethernet cable, a FireWire cable, or even wirelessly.
VMware Fusion 3 includes more than 50 new features and enhancements. Key highlights include:
• Performance, Finely Tuned. Support for 4-way SMP to maximize performance on the latest iMac and Mac Pro. Lower overhead and up to 2X faster resume time for a suspended virtual machine.
• More Mac-Like Than Ever. Banish the start menu and launch Windows apps from the new “always-on” applications menu, even when VMware Fusion isn’t running. VMware Fusion provides convenient new ways to experience Windows applications like Mac applications.
• Optimized for Snow Leopard. Built from the ground up for the Mac, VMware Fusion 3 leverages Mac OS X Snow Leopard’s advanced architecture with a new 64-bit core engine and native support for the 64-bit kernel, delivering even better Windows on Mac performance.
• Ultimate Windows 7 Experience. VMware Fusion 3 will be the first to enable the full Windows 7 experience, side-by-side with your Mac, complete with Windows Aero and Flip 3D.
• Best-in-Class 3D Graphics. Support for OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 will enable users to run their favorite 3D Windows games and applications — all without rebooting.
VMware Fusion 3 is now available at the VMware online store and at authorized United States retailers for a suggested retail price of $79.99 and will be available at authorized worldwide retail locations beginning November 4.
Upgrades from previous versions of VMware Fusion to VMware Fusion 3 are now available for US$39.99.
More info here.
Source: VMware, Inc.
Now my mom can play After Dark Games on the Mac. Her favorite game.
” …will be available at authorized worldwide retail locations beginning November 4 …”
* Wonder if this will be available at all of the worldwide Microsoft Retail Stores.
That’s more than an upgrade to Snow Leopard costs.
@ CYxodus
My mom is vaguely aware of what a computer is.
Is this any better than Parallels?
@ DogGone
Yes.
@ChrissyOne – how so? Thinking of switching from Parallels (since I’d have to upgrade from v2 anyway) and curious what you like better about it…
VirtualBox from Sun is free – and just as good as Fusion or Parallels.
I recently upgraded to Parallels 4.0 for Win 7 and have had no issues at all. I believe they are about the same in performance so it’s really a matter of preferences
Oooooh! It’s the first to work with Windows 7. Isn’t that the one that just came out YESTERDAY?
Actually, I’m probably not the one to ask any more. I used Parallels originally, and I liked it only because I had the option of switching the command and control keys, which VMW didn’t originally let you do. I switched to VMW (by this time it had also switched the keys) and I found the interface to be cleaner and less in my way. A lot of people also like Unity mode where Windows windows float freely around OS X, but I prefer to go fullscreen using Spaces – I found that Parallels didn’t always play nice with Spaces.
That said, I haven’t used Parallels for a couple of versions, so I’m not sure how it’s evolved.
“Users can move their entire PCs”
Wow, you can’t even do that in a “real” PC.
Please Steve ballmer, remind me why you prefer “real” pcs?
Unfortunately, many of us trying to upgrade are unable to do so. They are having major issues with people trying to upgrade. Seems entirely appropriate since it does involve windows
US$40 is a fairly steep upgrade price, so I’ll need to think carefully before upgrading from version 2. Personally, I doubt that it would be “more than two times faster” than VirtualBox, which seems to get faster each update.
Can you really play graphics-intensive Windows games on it? That’s the only reason I occasionally boot into Windows on my MacBook Pro. It would be nice to get rid of the separate partition.
To heck with VMware. I want my $30 rebate for v2 fools. Don’t trust a
company that cheats its customers.
“VMware releases Fusion 3; Seamlessly run Windows, PC applications on your Apple Mac”
That’s a coincidence. Psystar have just released RebelEFI to seamlessly run OS X, Mac applications on your PC!
Competition eh? Who would do without it?
Looks like VMWare’s site is being slammed right now, so can’t log in to upgrade.
Why is it that MDN readers are always the first to jump off the fence? Have none of us learned the value of being patient and waiting a few weeks to make sure the first version of any new release of ANY software isn’t buggy? I am waiting to jump to Snow Leopard after 10.6.2 comes out (I figure it takes a couple of updates to address bugs discovered after the initial roll-out), and I will wait a good month or two until I know there are no bugs in VMWare Fusion as well. That’s not to say there are. But truth be told, if you value your data, it’s always smart to wait on anything software-wise.
My hope is that VMWare Fusion 3 will handle processing Windows more efficiently, not that it hasn’t in the past. The biggest issue I found had nothing to do with VMWare, and everything to do with any time I used Firefox or Safari in Windows and looked at a site with either Flash-based ads or Flash-based sites. I could then fry an egg on my MacBook Pro. That’s an indication of just how inefficient and resource-intensive Flash can be, and why I NEVER want to see Flash on an iPhone.
I have found that VMWare is a good company (actually, it’s EMC). Their customer support has been very helpful to me. And considering that Fusion has to tame the ugly beast that is Windows, I am amazed at how well it works. It’s much faster than the stupid Dell I used to have to use for work.
So friends, be patient. Wait to hear if there are problems or bugs. Make sure everything is cool, back up your data, then make the jump. A few days, weeks, even a month or two won’t kill you. But being to anxious to have the latest thing actually could.
@Be patient
Why would you use Windows for internet when you have OS X on your machine? Something I never do, indeed I only visit the net with Windows for system updates, no other time. Why do you use Safari for windows? Just curious.
VMWare’s online store, is without a doubt, the worst excuse for an online store I’ve ever seen.
You can’t give them money, it’s so screwed up!
(MW “really”, really!)