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VMware Fusion 7 Launches with Virtualization Support for OS X Yosemite and Windows 8.1

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Following the launch of Parallels Desktop 10 last month, VMware has launched its new VMWare Fusion 7 virtualization software, bringing support for OS X Yosemite and improving compatibility with Windows 8.1. The release also adds a number of new features, including a new look, improved performance, enhanced connectivity, and optimization for Macs with Retina displays.

vmware_fusion_7_screen.jpg
- Designed for OS X Yosemite
Get a more Mac-like experience when running Windows applications on a Mac. The Fusion 7 updated Yosemite look and feel makes working with your Windows applications feel cleaner and more refined.

- Conquer Yosemite
Discover OS X Yosemite by running it in a virtual machine with Fusion 7. Get more from your Mac by running OS X Yosemite and OS X Yosemite Server in virtual machines. Leveraging decades of innovation in leading the virtualization revolution, Fusion 7 is the most reliable way to develop and test new applications for the Mac and iOS.

- Ready for Windows 8.1
Get the most out of Windows 8.1 new features directly on your Mac and run Windows Store apps side-by-side with your Mac applications. With Fusion 7, view Windows Store applications in Launchpad and the Applications folder or put Windows Store Apps in the dock in Unity mode.

- Near-Native Performance
With a highly optimized 64-bit engine and multicore processing power that makes the most effective use of the latest Intel Haswell processors, Fusion 7 runs Windows and Mac applications side-by-side faster than ever.

- Retina Display Optimization
Windows never looked so good with Retina Display optimization for a crisp and detailed experience of your Windows applications. If your Mac has a native Retina display or is connected to one, Fusion 7 ensures you get a seamless experience when running Windows across Retina and non-Retina displays.
Click to expand...
The more advanced VMware Fusion 7 Pro has also been launched, bringing the same features along with dual GPU optimization, virtual network management, enhanced support for cloned virtual machines, and more.

vmware_fusion_7_screen2.jpg
VMware Fusion 7 is available now for $69.99 while VMware Fusion 7 Pro is priced at $149.99. Those upgrading from VMWare Fusion 5 or 6 are also eligible for discounted pricing of $49.99 for VMWare Fusion 7 or $79.99 for VMWare Fusion 7 Pro.

Article Link: VMware Fusion 7 Launches with Virtualization Support for OS X Yosemite and Windows 8.1
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/03/vmware-fusion-7-os-x-yosemite/
Can anyone give me just one reason, why to buy this if you want to run Windows on your Mac? We have Bootcamp and it's free - With VMware you have to pay for both Windows and VMware.

VMware must be slower than running a real install. And it costs you more.
 
AppleInTheMud said:
Can anyone give me just one reason, why to buy this if you want to run Windows on your Mac? We have Bootcamp and it's free - With VMware you have to pay for both Windows and VMware.

VMware must be slower than running a real install. And it costs you more.
Click to expand...

you can run windows within mac. among other things.
 
AppleInTheMud said:
Can anyone give me just one reason, why to buy this if you want to run Windows on your Mac? We have Bootcamp and it's free - With VMware you have to pay for both Windows and VMware.

VMware must be slower than running a real install. And it costs you more.
Click to expand...

You can also install other non Windows based OSs that run on Intel.

BTW with Bootcamp you still need to purchase Windows.
 
No one really wants to run Windows 8.anything on a PC, let alone on a Mac. Any Windows user or IT person I know either uses Win 7 Pro still or wishes they could.
 
AppleInTheMud said:
I know. But with VMware you have to purchase Windows AND WMware. I still see no reason.

But thx for the answers :)
Click to expand...

When your work requires to use just one application that only runs on Windows, you will see how shelling out $80 (by your boss) is a world changing shift from rebooting every thirty minutes.
 
AppleInTheMud said:
Can anyone give me just one reason, why to buy this if you want to run Windows on your Mac? We have Bootcamp and it's free - With VMware you have to pay for both Windows and VMware.

VMware must be slower than running a real install. And it costs you more.
Click to expand...

You want to do something totally insane, like not reboot your Mac and run Windows apps right next to your Mac apps.
 
AppleInTheMud said:
Can anyone give me just one reason, why to buy this if you want to run Windows on your Mac? We have Bootcamp and it's free - With VMware you have to pay for both Windows and VMware.

VMware must be slower than running a real install. And it costs you more.
Click to expand...

You do not have to reboot.......
 
JGRE said:
I am running Parallels and Windows did not come included.... not sure about VMware.
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A Virtual Machine program never has a host OS included afaik (especially not the paid ones). There are virtual machines that you can download for certain VM systems.
 
Where are all the comments like "annual subscription", "these upgrades should be free", "I will never buy from that company again" like we say in the Parallels thread? There is even less innovation warranting the upgrade prices in Fusion 7 than there is in Parallels 10.
 
throttlemeister said:
Where are all the comments like "annual subscription", "these upgrades should be free", "I will never buy from that company again" like we say in the Parallels thread? There is even less innovation warranting the upgrade prices in Fusion 7 than there is in Parallels 10.
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"Access virtual machines hosted on VMware vSphere, ESXi or Workstation"

This makes it an essential upgrade even if it was the only new feature! And as a professional product, most people will have been upgrading each year anyway.

It also looks like version 6 isn't supported on Yosemite...
 
jopiek said:
A Virtual Machine program never has a host OS included afaik (especially not the paid ones). There are virtual machines that you can download for certain VM systems.
Click to expand...

When you buy Parallels Desktop, you still have to get a Windows copy to install on it, it does not come along. They do supply other OS's like Linux etc, but no MS Stuff.

----------
throttlemeister said:
Where are all the comments like "annual subscription", "these upgrades should be free", "I will never buy from that company again" like we say in the Parallels thread? There is even less innovation warranting the upgrade prices in Fusion 7 than there is in Parallels 10.
Click to expand...

Actually Parallels 10 is much faster than 9.....
 
roland.g said:
No one really wants to run Windows 8.anything on a PC, let alone on a Mac. Any Windows user or IT person I know either uses Win 7 Pro still or wishes they could.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm an "IT person" and I prefer Windows 8.1 (in desktop mode, if you want to call it that) over any of its predecessors. Why? It's MUCH faster than Win 7 or XP. It's more secure out of the box than any other desktop OS on the market. It's rock solid.

All that being said - if you NEED to run Windows on a Mac - or a PC that is supposed to run Linux as its main operating system - you have chosen the wrong main platform for your daily work. You should have stayed with Windows, period.

Virtualization is awesome - but as I've said, I'm an "IT person". I run dozens of production servers on a VMWare vSphere cluster. Solutions like VMWare Fusion are awesome for developers and for learning and testing purposes.

But like I've said, if you NEED such a tool on your desktop machine to run an application that you NEED for your daily work - you should have chosen Windows as your main platform, period. It doesn't make any sense to double your platform complexity and maintenance costs just because you bought into some hype and decided to go with an OS that does not have the application software that you NEED.
 
Are there any real world comparisons (I know its early) between this and parallels? I've been on parallels since the start (everyone else I know seems to be on vmware), however whenever upgrade time comes around I like to check things like:

Will the old version still support the latest OS (yes I know its not required, but nice to know if I upgrade to yosemite, that theres no breaking changes and I can no longer access my VMs)

Whats the procedure like to jump from parallels to vmware? (or vice-versa)

Does vmware play nicely with timemachine? (parallels does if you change the settings and have plenty of disk space)

I've been running windows 8.1 (my main vm is 7 pro) inside parallels for ages, whats the real change in fusion for this?

retina displays? fixing windows itself to properly support retina would be good start, shame they can't do that - I keep getting dialog boxes with no buttons (and thats on native machines too - not just VMs).

Has anyone used vmware or parallels on an osx server? (I'm thinking of setting up a mac mini server, the vmware pro network virtual networks may swing this for me)
 
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roland.g said:
No one really wants to run Windows 8.anything on a PC, let alone on a Mac. Any Windows user or IT person I know either uses Win 7 Pro still or wishes they could.
Click to expand...

Don't think that your requirements matches the real world requirements. As an example at my company we have 100's of VDI users running 8.1.

Remember that users on tablets such as iPad's can use Windows Virtual Desktops via VMware Horizon and 8.1 is far more suited to touch than the non-touch optimised Windows 7!
 
Is there any advantage to running Windows in bootcamp over Parallels/Fusion?
 
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