The Intel Mac virtualization scene has had a couple of years to mature now, and things are finally getting exciting. Now, with the latest VMware Fusion 2 release, we’ve left the adolescent phase of Mac virtualization and entered the adult phase, where virtualized Windows really starts to operate in all the ways we expect it to. VMware 2.0’s grown-up form combines an improved interface with some major low-level features, like support for DirectX 9.0c 3D, four-way SMP, driverless printing, and tighter Mac desktop integration. That’s a pretty significant list that should make this release very appealing, even to those who’ve already bought Fusion’s main competitor, Parallels Desktop. So we put this ambitious update through a few weeks of extensive testing to see if it lives up to the hype.
Pricing
VMware Fusion 2.0 is a free upgrade for all VMware Fusion 1.x users. New users can buy it for $80. There is also a $30 mail-in rebate for Parallels/Crossover users looking to jump ship. (Rebate valid to consumers in the United States and Canada only.)
Test hardware
MacBook Pro Core2Duo 2.4GHz- 4GB RAM
- NVIDIA 8600M 256MB
- OS X 10.5.5
- 7GB RAM
- NVIDIA 7300 GT
- OS X 10.5.4
Test software
- Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 5608
- Windows XP Pro 32-bit SP3
- Windows Vista 64-bit SP1
Changes from 1.0
VMware 1.0’s interface was decent enough, but it lacked a certain Mac quality. The look and feel of 2.0 has been revamped to look more like a Mac program, so it now bears much less resemblance to a Windows/Linux port. The virtual machine library is nicer, the icons are sleeker, and it’s just more pleasing to the eye overall. Beyond the rearrangement of the interface, VMware has added expanded controls for Mac OS key mappings and shortcuts so that you don’t have to jump back and forth to Windows/Mac commands.
It works as advertised, and it’s a big relief not having to hit Alt-F4 to close a window. (Someone needs to send a face pie to the person who came up with that one.)
VMware has even gone a bit beyond the call of duty and added a Quicklook plug-in. It’s a nice touch and, while not incredibly useful, it does show that VMware is serious about the Mac version being its own entity.
The number displayed under the OS name isn’t the disk size;
it’s the RAM allocated to the VM.
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