VMware Fusion 2.0.2
(iP2Pgroup)
VMWare has announced Fusion 2, the latest release
of its flagship Mac virtualization app. Like
competitor Parallels, Fusion allows Mac users to
run Windows applications alongside their normal
Mac OS X apps.
Fusion 2 packs in a host a new features and
current Fusion users will happy to hear that the
upgrade is free. Among the standout new features
are an improved “Unity” mode,
multi-display support for virtual machines,
improved 3-D graphics and easier-to-use
“shared” folders for moving documents
between your Mac and the guest OS.
We’ve been using the Fusion 2 betas for
some time (see our earlier coverage), but the
final release fixes some lingering bugs and
polishes up the new features. Unity 2.0 has
received a nice makeover from earlier versions and
now works with multiple monitors — it even
gives your Windows apps a spot on the Dock, so
switching from a Mac app to a Windows app is dead
simple.
In Fusion 2 the seamless integration of Mac and
Windows apps is extended with the new
“Mirrored Folders” feature, which
provides easy access to all your Mac files from
inside any Windows application. Mirrored Folders
maps special folders on your Mac to their
counterparts in your virtual machine. For
instance, all your images in OS X’s Pictures
folder will be available in your Windows virtual
machine inside the “My Pictures”
Folder. The same is true of the Mac folders
Documents, Music and Desktop.
Also new in Fusion 2 is multiple monitor support
— even your “Unity” windows can
be dragged between monitors and expanded and
minimized just like your Mac application windows.
That means you can, among other things, move all
your virtual machine windows to a second monitor
so that you can have one monitor for Mac apps and
one for Windows or Linux apps.
The multiple monitor support also means that any
Windows-only apps that require more than one
display will work without a hitch.
Gamers, Fusion 2 has quite a few features that
will make your Windows games a bit faster and more
impressive on a Mac. The new version offers full
support for 3D video acceleration in games (and
other apps) that use DirectX 9.0. There’s
also support for 1080p HD video playback and more.
WHAT'S NEW Version 2.0.2:
* Allows importing Windows virtual machines
from both Parallels Desktop 4.0 and Parallels
Server for Mac.
* Supports mounting unencrypted .dmg file
format as a CD/DVD disk image, in addition to .iso
file format.
* Supports Mac OS X 10.5.6 as a host
operating system.
* Provides experimental support for Mac OS X
Server 10.5.6 as a guest operating system.
* Supports Ubuntu 8.10 as a guest operating
system, including features such as VMware Tools
with prebuilt kernel modules, Easy Install, and
Unity.
* Ships with a 12-month complimentary
subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009
antivirus software, with localization support for
French, German, Italian, Spanish, Simplified
Chinese, and Japanese.
* Provides performance improvements when
browsing mirrored folders and shared folders in
Windows virtual machines.
* Supports display of Windows applications in
Unity view as 48 pixel x 48 pixel icons.
* Resolves issues with "Optimize for Mac OS
application performance" preference option for Mac
OS X 10.5.5 and later.
* Contains bug fixes described in Resolved
Issues.
REQUIREMENTS
Intel Mac, Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.