14 DAY TRIAL // The people at VMware have just issued the new version of their virtualization solution for Mac OS X, VMWare Fusion 3. Announced last month, and slated for release on October 27, the new installment is highly optimized for the latest Mac OS version, and claims to provide “the ultimate Windows 7 experience.”
“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,” Vmware says. “VMware Fusion 3 is the first to enable the full Windows 7 experience, side-by-side with your Mac, complete with Windows Aero and Flip 3D,” the company adds.
Fusion 3 also makes switching from a PC to the Mac extremely easy, according to the developer. “VMware Fusion 3 makes it easy for users to bring their entire PC to their Mac in a few easy steps – a simple Ethernet or Firewall cable – allowing customers to protect investments in existing Windows software, and to keep using the programs they still need,” VMware stresses. Adding support for OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3, VMware is also enabling users to run their favorite 3D Windows games and applications without rebooting their system, the company claims.
“Run Windows applications even more like Mac applications with new features like an ‘always-on’ applications menu to find and launch Windows apps, even when Fusion isn’t running,” the changelog reads. “English, French, German, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Italian all in the same download.”
VMware is a direct competitor with Parallels, the company that issued its own software update for users of Parallels Desktop for Mac last week, adding enhanced Windows 7 support. Ironically, Apple is yet to provide full support for Windows 7 guests with its Boot Camp utility.