Inside CNET Labs: Yet another way to get Windows on your Mac
(Credit:
VMware)
VMware announced today that its virtualization software for the Mac, VMware Fusion--which has been in beta since December 2006--will start shipping as of Monday, August 6. Fusion joins SWsoft's Parallels Desktop for Mac as available options to run additional, concurrent operating systems on Intel-based Macs as virtual machines.
VMware claims that Fusion supports more than 60 operating systems--both 32- and 64-bit--with dual-core processor support. While some users will benefit from being able to run Novell Netware or Linux as virtual machines on their Intel Macs, the largest user-base will mostly consist of those looking to run Windows Vista or Windows XP. VMware's press release states, "VMware Fusion was designed for Mac enthusiasts looking for a seamless way to run Windows applications on the Mac."
You can run multiple virtual machines simultaneously--each with a different operating system--limited by only system memory, processing power, and hard disk space. A company representative told me about an individual who was successfully running six different operating systems in six different virtual machines simultaneously on a Mac Pro with 16GB of RAM. Virtual Machines are also easily transportable--the company representative explained that he stored a Windows virtual machine on his 4GB iPod, using it on multiple systems.
Fusion and Parallels are not the only ways to run Windows on a Mac. Apple's own Boot Camp, which is currently in public beta and will ship with Mac OS X Leopard, allows you to run Windows on an Intel Mac. However, with Boot Camp you can only boot directly into Windows natively. You cannot run both the Mac OS and Windows simultaneously, as you can with Fusion and Parallels. CodeWeavers takes a different approach with their product, CrossOver Mac. CrossOver allows you to run select Windows applications directly in the Mac OS on Intel Macs, without requiring the presence of a Windows operating system. CrossOver is based on an open-source version of the Windows API, called Wine.
We only just received a shipping version of Fusion and will be putting it through the paces. Check back in a few days to see how Fusion stacks up against the competition.
originally going to use Bootcamp but I really did not want to have to reboot to
switch OS.
The installation was a lot easier than Bootcamp as there was no need to burn
a driver CD. All I had to do was supply some system details and insert my
windows CD. The install of Fusion and Windows took about 45-60 mins.
I use a logitech keyboard that has PC and Mac keys, so there was no having to
mentally switch. Still it felt odd to see PC and Mac apps on the same monitor!
I borrowed a few games to see how far I could push things. It certainly looks
like Fusion will run older games like the Age of Empires series. Not so sure
about more recent games with high graphics demands though. I tried one
game called Ceasar, that had some very high system requirements and could
not get it to run. I did pre order a release copy of Fusion so I will update and
try again.
originally going to use Bootcamp but I really did not want to have to reboot to
switch OS.
The installation was a lot easier than Bootcamp as there was no need to burn
a driver CD. All I had to do was supply some system details and insert my
windows CD. The install of Fusion and Windows took about 45-60 mins.
I use a logitech keyboard that has PC and Mac keys, so there was no having to
mentally switch. Still it felt odd to see PC and Mac apps on the same monitor!
I borrowed a few games to see how far I could push things. It certainly looks
like Fusion will run older games like the Age of Empires series. Not so sure
about more recent games with high graphics demands though. I tried one
game called Ceasar, that had some very high system requirements and could
not get it to run. I did pre order a release copy of Fusion so I will update and
try again.
Can anyone confirm "the fast switching boot camp" ?
Thanx
Etienne
- Boot camp fast switching ?
- by etiennefalcon August 2, 2007 10:29 AM PDT
- I've heard from a Mac fan, that with the new OS (or maybe a later update) you'll be able to switch back and forth FAST. Just like putting one OS in sleep, and awaking the other. I know it's no where close to running both at the same time... but since booth camp is free... Any idea how much will VMWare Fusion be?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(6 Comments)Can anyone confirm "the fast switching boot camp" ?
Thanx
Etienne