Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)4th Update in review of version 3.1:
You may have read that upon upgrading to version 3.1 I was elated by the apparent performance boosts. However, after using the Windows 7 virtual machine more extensively, I have to say that the performance increase is only superficial. Upon a fresh install of Windows 7 32 bit, the virtual machine runs beautifully and aero works great. BUT, once you install other programs and begin to run them, VMWare shows its true face (at least on my computer). Programs hang the virtual machine and my Mac OS constantly. I think the performance is actually worse than before, and I have some friends that also think the performance went down with the upgrade. I would say that both Parallels and Oracle's Virtual Box have the edge. But as usual, I recommend that you download the trial from their websites and see which programs runs the best on your computer. I think that computer configurations matter heavily when it comes to running virtual machines, so see which one works best for you and your needs.
Also, no matter what version Amazon ships, know that the new version can be downloaded for free. (If you want it.) All 1.x to 1.x upgrades are free for both VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop.
And here are the specs on my computer: MacBook Pro Early 2008. Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz. Snow Leopard 10.6.4. 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. 512GB nVidia GeForce 8600M GT.
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Version 3.0 Original Reviews:
VMWare Fusion 3 has been hit and miss so far this morning. Running Windows Vista Enterprise 32bit is wonderful. It is much smoother and faster than it was in Fusion 2. However, Windows 7 Professional 64bit runs very choppy. Opening any program takes a few seconds, and it is much slower than when I run Vista. (And this is with a clean install of Win7 with a new Fusion 3 virtual machine.)
Here is what I have found really surprising: for the past month I have been using Parallels Desktop 5 beta. With Parallels' new beta you can also run the aero interface, but I found it to run much better with both Vista and especially with Windows 7 than it does with Fusion 3. The overall Windows Experience Index was much better for both Vista and 7 in Parallel Desktop 5 beta than in Fusion 3 now. Currently, I am getting a rating of 2.9 in Vista and I got a rating of 2.1 in Win 7. Within Parallels 5 beta, I was getting an overall experience index rating of 4.5 and 4.9, and that was with a beta copy!
If you are running Windows Vista with VMWare Fusion 2, then you may wish to upgrade for the added speed increase. It feels a lot faster for me. However, 64bit Windows 7 is very slow and clunky. Even with the enhancements off, the OS still ran slow. I might suggest waiting for Parallels 5 to come out if you will be using 64bit Windows 7, as the current beta ran that OS much, much better.
Another issue that I would like to point out is this: the promo video says that you can now play full HD videos with the new updated graphics engine. I tried this out in the 64bit Win 7, and it was extremely choppy. However, my Windows Vista virtual machine plays videos very smoothly.
I recommend you download the trial from VMWare's website and test it out before you decide to buy.
Update:
A recent problem that I have discovered is that while Fusion 3 "allows" me to expand or reduce the size of my Windows partition hard drive, the changes are not apparent once the OS is booted. I originally set Windows Vista to 20GB, and now I only have 47MB of space left on the drive. After expanding the drive to 40GB, it still only shows up as 20GB in Vista and says that the drive is full. I will have to contact VMWare to find a possible solution. - The problem is solved after running the "Extend Volume Wizard" in Vista. With Parallels 4 I never had to do this. Thanks to Evan H. Appelman for posting a link to a help article for me. It would be nice if VMWare had included a popup or some form of instruction telling you to run the EV wizard after changing the virtual machine hard drive size.
2nd Update:
Today Parallels released Desktop 5. To me, I see a performance increase in using the same virtual machines within Parallels 5 than Fusion 3. Parallels 5 also give me a better overall Windows Experience Index. In Windows 7 64bit, I am getting an overall experience rating of 4.5. Win 7 also feels more responsive in Parallels 5 than Fusion 3. I like Parallels so much better in fact, that I have removed VMWare Fusion 3 from my computer. For me it is Parallels Desktop 5. I recommend, as always, for you to download the trials from both VMWare and Parallels, and see which you prefer. Also, if you already have VMWare Fusion 2, then I would say save some money and just upgrade to 3; the same goes to those who have Parallels 4.
Click Here to see more reviews about: VMware Fusion 3
VMware 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.
VMware Fusion 3 is the Best Way to Run Windows on Your Mac. Using a Mac doesn't mean abandoning your Windows applications and devices. Ditch your PC and safely run your favorite Windows programs alongside Mac applications, while continuing to use your Windows-only devices on your Mac.
Move Your Entire PC with Ease
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
Maximum Performance With a highly optimized 64-bit engine, advanced memory and CPU management technology, run the most demanding Mac and Windows applications side-by-side at maximum speeds.
Advanced 3D Graphics Play Full HD videos and run your favorite 3D Windows games better than ever with best-in-class OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 graphics support--all without rebooting.
Ultimate Windows Experience Get the ultimate Windows experience on the Mac and make the most of Windows 7 with Windows Aero and Flip 3D animations.
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.
We've Got You Covered Automatic snapshots allow you to roll Windows back to a safe state if something goes wrong. For added protection, we've included 18 months of free email support (English only) and a 12-month complimentary subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus.
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.
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