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(More customer reviews)I already wrote a review for Parallels, and it's obvious that I prefer that application IF you know what you're doing. I'm not discounting VMWare by giving it a lower score, but I want to make some things clear for you, because depending on who you are and what you plan on doing, VMWare may actually be the preferred way to go.
First, know that VMWare is the virtualization standard, regardless of your infrastructure. They have tons of products designed to allow you to virtualize your machines on a variety of different configurations. Even if you don't have an OS, there's a VMWare product that can help you. They're a jack of all trades - unfortunately, they are an expert at nothing. But they are still the gold standard, and the interoperability of the VMs is effectively what makes them a viable option...again, depending on what you intend to use it for.
Say you're working a class for college. The professor distributes a VM that has a basic operating system to use as a lab. 99% of the time that VM has been created in one of the VMWare products. Think Adobe PDF here - yes, you could use third party apps to "convert" the document into something you can use, but the Adobe Reader is going to handle it the best. VMWare is such an application. If the VM was created in a VMWare application - ANY VMWare application, just about - you can then open it seamlessly into your VMWare Fusion product. Most you would then need to do is reinstall VMWare Tools for compatibility reasons, but the application will work.
It is this versatility that makes VMWare Fusion stand out. As its own application it's not the greatest; there are a lot of limitations to customization of the VM, but it will get the job done. I want to note the biggest thing about VMWare vs. Parallels: Windows 7. You see, Windows 7 actually puts more work on the graphics card to show you the shiny interface that you see, so if you have full Aero on, it's a tax on your system if the card can't handle it. Parallels and VMWare use virtual graphics cards based on your actual graphics card; Parallels' version gets stressed, but remains relatively stable and snappy. VMWare, on the other hand, slows down quite a bit when using the Aero engine. This is a bit troubling, because no matter what you do you can't change this. It doesn't matter how much RAM you give the VM or what type of MacBook or whatever you have - it's always slow. The only thing I've seen that affects it is a faster hard drive, but still, Parallels beats it by far.
Where VMWare also excels is with the older NTFS versions of Windows: 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista. These technologies work quite well in Fusion - Parallels can also handle them, but again, interoperability and distribution are the keys here. If you're in an IT class that uses VMs chances are it's got Server 2003 running, and having Fusion handy will be a boon to your work. Parallels does support conversion of the VM, but it's not a clean or easy process to do.
One thing I need to add to this: VMWare's stability is by far and away superior to that of Parallels by a long shot, especially with the recent 3.1 release. What this means simply is this: If you want speed and don't really care about stability or support, Parallels won't let you down, but if you're willing to take a speed hit if it means your VM remains stable and well supported, go with VMWare. Hopefully that's clear to all. I realized afterwards I didn't clarify that point well.
In short, do I recommend it? If you're in school, or you work in an environment that uses VMs or you are constantly called upon to create VMs, or for whatever other reason VMWare is part of your daily life, yes. If you're just doing this for yourself, VMWare will be easier to get into than Parallels, is more stable, and better supported. Parallels is more powerful, faster and more seamless than VMWare. Food for thought.
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VMware Fusion 3VMware Fusion 3 is the best way to run Windows on your Mac. Run the most demanding Mac and Windows applications side-by-side at maximum speeds without rebooting. With over 80 new features and a new ultra-fast Migration Assistant for Windows, it's never been easier to run Windows on your Mac.VMware Fusion 3.1 is now available as a free downloadable update for allVMware Fusion 3 users via the Automatic Update feature. Get more than20 new and enhanced features, up to 5x faster 3D graphics and up to 35%better end-to-end application performance compared to VMware Fusion 3.0.
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Effortless Migration--No Cable Required Wouldn't it be great if you could use your new Mac, yet have access to your old Windows PC, without the clunky hardware? Wouldn't you like to make the most of your Windows software investment on your new Mac? With the built-in Migration Assistant for Windows, VMware Fusion 3 can convert your entire PC and bring it over to your Mac in a few easy steps, giving you access to your Windows applications, documents and other files--whenever you need them. Just install a simple application on your PC, connect it to your Mac with a cable or wirelessly, and VMware Fusion will guide you through the rest. You can now recycle your old PC and still have access to your old applications and files, directly from the Mac you love.
Windows with Mac Simplicity
The Mac Way Designed from the ground up for Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard, VMware Fusion lets you run your Windows applications--side-by-side with your Mac applications--the Mac way.
Seamless Integration Instantly launch your favorite Windows applications directly from your Dock or the Apple menu bar at any time. Easily switch between apps and minimize them to your Dock--just like you would with Mac apps.
More Mac-like than ever VMware Fusion comes preloaded with new powerful built-in features to help you run Windows applications even more like Mac applications. The new always-on applications menu lets you access your Windows apps with a click--directly from the Apple menu bar, and the new resizable preview window lets you keep an eye on your virtual machines. The new full screen menu bar gives you complete control over your virtual machine and can be moved to any side of the screen to make guest user interfaces--such as taskbars and menu bars--more accessible.
Windows Powerhouse
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Displays Galore Display Windows and Mac OS X applications any way you want: side-by-side on your main display, in full screen, or across multiple displays connected to your Mac.
Peace of Mind
Protect your Windows Investment Make the most of your Windows software investment and Windows-only devices by continuing to use the applications and devices you need on the Mac you love.
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Company You Trust Built by the undisputed virtualization leader, VMware Fusion has won over a dozen awards for its unparalleled excellence.
Features
Optimized for Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard
Highly optimized 64-bit engine, advanced memory and CPU management for maximum performance
Advanced 3D graphics with support for OpenGL2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3
Support for Windows Aero and Flip 3D animations to get the ultimate Windows experience on the Mac
New ultra-fast Migration Assistant for Windows to transfer your entire PC to your Mac wirelessly or using a cable
More than 80 new features
What's differentiates VMware Fusion 3 from other solutions VMware Fusion is designed from the ground up for the Mac and preloaded with powerful new features to help you run Windows applications even more like Mac applications. Engineered in California, VMware Fusion is the best way to run Windows on your Mac.
VMware Fusion 3 is recommended for: Home users, students and business professionals who are looking for the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side on their Mac without rebooting.
Technical specifications
Windows Aero support
DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3.0 support
OpenGL 2.1 3D support
Over 140 guest OSes supported: Windows XP, Vista and 7, Red Hat Linux 9.0, Ubuntu 9.04 and more!
64-bit Native
Multilingual software (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese)
What's in the box?
VMware Fusion 3.0 Software CD
Link to over 10 Video Tutorial
Quickstart Guide
VMware stickers
18-months of free email-support (English only)
12-month complimentary subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus.
Click here for more information about VMware Fusion 3
