VMware Fusion

Since this is my first entry into the Mac world, I wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible. This meant being able to continue using my Windows apps that are either not available in OSX or that I did not want to re-purchase. VMWare Fusion allows that flexibility.

I looked at the other VM (Parallels), but it did not seem as robust and full-featured as Fusion. Also, I have used VMWare Workstation on the PC and have been impressed with its stability. Why/how Fusion can sell for a fraction of the price of Workstation is a bit confusing...

One of the best features is *Unity*, which allows the Windows apps to run outside of the VM window and integrate perfectly with the OSX desktop. You can pull icons onto the OSX desktop or dock to launch the Windows apps directly, though there is considerable delay while Windows *boots* before the app opens and can be used. The delay is nil if the Windows VM is already fired up.

I would rate this 4.5 stars (Amazon only allows full stars), taking off a half point for the processor overhead. It is not bad, but does require more CPU utilization than running the apps native in OSX (probably all Windows fault). This should not be an issue for desktop users, but notebook users will probably be frugal with Fusion to extend the run time on battery.

I like that VMWare passes through the hardware, such as USB ports, DVD R/W, and sound. It will also pass system info, such as the battery level. Networking was a snap. I did not run into any problems trying to get stuff to work, which is amazing. Recommend doing the Windows Easy Install.

VMWare is about to release version 2.0, which is now available for download as a beta using the same license included with this version. Question is: will VMWare give a free upgrade once 2.0 is out of beta?

I tolerated Parallels for over a year because I'm attached to running outlook on my Mac. Processor use was at least 20% and frequently up to 90% causing slowdown and frequent crashes.
Fusion is night and day. The CPU use is usually less than 1% when running Outlook and Firefox. Everything is quick and crashes are rare.
I like the file sharing better than Parallels and the importer of my Virtual Machine from Parallels went well. Still need to figure out how to get rid of Parallels.
VM feels like a real customer oriented Company and Parallels never had that feeling - too inexperienced.
Anyway a great product that is also benefitting from a competing product that is problematical in my experience

VMWare Fusion is an easy link to Windows from OS X. I upgraded to Leopard, then installed BootCamp, then XP Pro, then Fusion. Running Windows is as easy as launching Fusion, clicking on the BootCamp partition and hitting Run. A window opens with Windows loading. You can make the screen full size and switch back OS X in a flash. Programs like Office and Quicken work just fine. I seem to have a problem with programs that need to access hardware like icuii or YM. It wouldn't see my built in cam on my MacBook Pro which works fine in XP Pro run native.

The cool thing about it is that I only need to have XP installed once on the BootCamp partition and I can run from that. Parallels needs XP installed on the Mac side to run virtual.

Of the three major virtualization offerings for Mac OS-X (VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and VirtualBox), VMware is far and away the best choice for the serious user. I tested all three before purchasing VMware Fusion.

Installing and configuring the product is dead simple -- and the choices for networking (including being able to "pretend" your virtual machine is a physical device on your network) are flexible and easy to understand. Installing Windows is made extremely easy: you can enter your product key before you begin installation, and install Windows in an unattended manner. As the Ronco man says, "set it and forget it."

Fusion also seems to be the fastest for "serious business" tasks -- running MS Office and OpenOffice, running development environments, connecting to corporate VPNs, etc. Fusion does lag behind a bit in DirectX support compared to Parallels; for people interested in gaming, this may make a difference. However, it's worth noting that even though Parallels is better in this regard, it still doesn't hold a candle to running Windows directly via BootCamp. If you're a gamer, this latter is what I'd recommend.

VirtualBox is certainly an excellent free option. If all you need is a copy of Windows or Linux running on your Mac for testing purposes, fantastic. If you need Windows or Linux to behave as a server, though, be prepared to slug through annoying terminal commands and text-file editing to properly configure networking for that. In this regard, VMware is far ahead of both its competitors.

I've had Fusion for about 4 months now and have enjoyed the quick access to Win XP without having to shut down the Mac to get at it - thought about trying out Boot Camp on the Mac instead, as Fusion doesn't take full advantage of the video card (looks like it emulates it and doesn't pick up DirectX or 3D completely) and there's a couple games on the XP side I'd like to see, but I was more interested in some of the other Win apps that it handles just fine (MS Money, etc.) I'm still impressed by how quick Win comes up from Standby and rebooting win if I ever need to goes quicker than it does on my actual XP machines. I'd rate it 5 (or more) if it took better advantage of the video card, but the graphics are still great and I think it's quicker (and more stable than Win XP on an actual PC - go figure...)