STEVE FRAWLEY  Converting a physical PC is hell!

I switched from Parallels 4 and my VMs converted fine, but when a friend I recommended Fusion to tried to convert a physical PC over Ethernet could not it was because the software that ships with it does not work much of the time.

Searching for solutions on the support site and forums was not helpful but showed many others had the same problems.

When support responded to my problems, they never addressed the problems with the software that came with the product, but suggested a backdoor method that would be difficult for all but gearheads.

I finally got the PC converted without having to reinstall over 50 programs again; not with VMware help, but with Parallels help! I used the Parallels Transporter to convert the physical PC over Ethernet, completed the transfer with Parallels on the Mac and then converted the VM to Fusion. Parallels could do the conversion but VMware could not.

It runs OK finally, but I will never recommend it to a friend or customer again (one I like anyhow).

Steve Frawley

Tax, Accounting and Computers Services since 1984  
(Version 3.0.1)

GGORE  Basically no difference between this version and the previous, performance-wise. Vista 64-bit on my 21.5" iMac still has terrible Aero display,, with windows fading in and out in a 3-degree fade process. No other performance differences whatsoever.   
(Version 3.0.1)

VIRTUALRUFFY  Why does the program only version list at 170 megs but the version which includes anti-virus weigh in at a whopping 415 megs!?!? It lists ONLY antivirus as the difference. WTF!!  
(Version 3.0.1)

ICONZ113  I've used both vmware fusion 3 and parallels 5. I used vmware 3 for a few days then when parallels 5 dropped I used that for a while. After using parallels I felt it might be a tad bit snappier. I tried getting in touch with someone at parallels to find out information about offers for educational licenses and some other information I was interested in. I tried getting in touch with someone for days and not once was able to speak with someone. I called every number on that website. A few times I called, an automated machine answered, press 1 for this, press 2 for that, and so on. No matter what number u chose the message would just repeat lol. and another number called some other company in india that acts as the call service for many companies because the first question they ask is what vendor are you calling about, and the most they could do was give me the website address of parallels lol. After all this I just gave up on parallels. I was literally unable to make a purchase with both a credit and a paypal account. I received errors on both types of transactions. I was able to open a support ticket with an ETA of 3 days. Afterwards I called vmware to find out about an issue involving connecting my firewire drive and I was able to get in contact with someone within 5 minutes. Someone actually answered the phone number I called, it wasn't a machine, and I was able to get answers right away. Also I believe vmware listens to what their customers want, as far as feature requests, as opposed to their competitor. In the end I decided to stop pursuing information about parallels and continue to use vmware. Even though I felt parallels was a a little bit snappier in some situations, I think the ability to get support makes up for it. If something happens where I need my license key or something like that, I like to know Ill be able to get in contact with the vendor and the information I need. other issues that factored into my decision was that vmware has been involved in virtualization from since 1998 and the company seems more established by being involved in many different aspects of the field. from what I understand parallels workstation just focuses on the mac desktop application. To this day I haven't received a response from parallels and if I were still wanting to purchase parallels I would still not be able to do so. This was actually a blessing in disguise, and I probably saved myself a headache down the road.  
(Version 3.0)

GORDON142  I've found the Aero support in 3.0 (arguably the biggest new feature) very disappointing. Yes, it's aero, but it's sluggish and glitchy, and makes the entire Windows system maddeningly slow. In other words, it's there but not really usable.

I've generally preferred VMware over Parallels for a number of reasons, but I just tried the version 5.0 demo, and Parallels definitely has a much better implementation of Aero. Animations are smooth, and the system remains zippy with Aero enabled. It doesn't cause the case fan to turn on full blast either like VMware with Aero. Clearly, this is something VMware needs to work on.  
(Version 3.0)

MRGANDO  Ok, I have been using this piece of software for a while, I bought 3.0, I'm a believer that one should buy software that uses. I use VMware for work, light gaming ( MTGO ) and more stuff... yeah boot camp is faster ( obviously , it's not virtualized ) , but what is more comfortable that having Windows/Linux VM when I need it ?  
(Version 3.0)

ACURAICE  of Course I'm on Drugs! And I don't know about you but, VMware and Parallels both blow. Yes, they appear to be emulating windows flawlessly on the surface, but under the hood, they are slow,bulky pieces of software. They also only support older pixel shader and direct X 9.0 technology, what that means is if you even attempt to run a game that from 2001 or newer, if you get past the loading screen, it will most surely be choppy and display an errors and most definitely crash ! If your a hardcore gamer like me, you can easily download any copy of of a windows installation cd and be up and running boot camp in about 25 mins! Boot camp is flawless, since your running windows natively, not some cheesy,RAM hungry emulator! Trust me, Boot camp rocks, and performs dramatically better. And as for the side by side thing, what could you possibly be doing that you need to run both operating systems side by side for???? Do you work at a hospital? All you have to do with boot camp is simply drag and drop any file on your bootcamp partition icon, and viola, it appears on your windows desktop the next time you run it! simple as pie...for us more advanced people!  
(Version 3.0)

MOELLER3D  Now I tried it too,

the normal way to upgrade doesn't work, but with the link to this side, I could upgrade here

http://store.vmware.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayPage&Env=BASE&Locale=en_US&SiteID=vmware&id=ProductDetailsPage&productID=168242500

Here is no former SN nescessary.

When I installed, the new SN is acceepted.  
(Version 3.0)

ACURAICE  2 Words....BOOT CAMP!   
(Version 3.0)

BONOBO  Purchase of upgrade now worked well for me, got my license #, installed, all is fine now.

Thanks to the folks at VMware who resolved the situation quickly and thanks to all here who collectively held each others' hands ;-)

Cheers, Tom  
(Version 3.0)

CABERLIN  The are experiencing update problems (system breakdown) due to the demand, they say.

Here is the workaround that they recommend to use until they repair their store:

http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/  
(Version 3.0)

FARIBORZ  For heaven's sake has anyone succeeded in upgrading to the new version from version two? I'm a registered user of this program and have been trying in vain since yesterday to buy my upgrade but their site just doesn't recognize my serial number even if I have already registered it with them. Thanks. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI - Verona (Italy)  
(Version 3.0)

NIGHTHAWK090  I am a little confused about the product...you have two options to buy (first time buyer here), the product, and product with subscription (which gives you upgrades for 12 months)...soooo, am I right in thinking that if you don't buy the subscription you get no upgrades??   
(Version 3.0)

DARRINSDEN  I havent had a problem, successfully migrated 3 parallels VMs over. A windows 7 install, and 2 XP installs  
(Version 3.0)

MICKSMAC  I've been unable to get an XP VM migrated from Parallels 4 to work.

The migration itself completes with no errors. When booting the XP VM, Fusion 3.0 gets to the point where XP switches from 640x480 to full-res login graphics. At that stage the VM screen goes black, although the VM appears to be running. Fusion logfile appears to show nothing of relevance.

Uninstalling the Parallels Tools, and/or Parallels itself, makes no difference.

One side irritation - Fusion insists on splitting the new VM into 2GB chunks! You can choose to rebuild later, but that takes another 40 minutes.

Wondering if anyone has successfully migrated from Parallels 4.  
(Version 3.0)

LEOOFBORG  All these 'reviews' about the 1st launch day will be meaningless in a couple days, so let's get to the meat:

1/ VERY COOL that I don't have to boot the kernel in 32-bit mode to run VMWare Fusion anymore.

2/ 1 hour to install XP Pro from scratch with an ISO image, update to current, and run. You should all be saying 'impressive'. This on a MacBook Pro last gen.

3/ Even more cool that the hypervisor is 64-bit. I don't have to run smcfancontrol to cool things down unless I'm using XP to render something.

4/ The Hypervisor seems to be tidied up. When I single user boot I don't get all these chatty messages about hypervisor this or that. Thanks, VMWare.

I like the new persistent menu item and the fullscreen view controls.

Basically? VMWare 3 feels like Snow Leopard. Tidy, compact, functional. I did notice some minor bugs with Unity but nothing serious or fatal.   
(Version 3.0)

JPP_ZOSO  same problem here trying to upgrade v2.x to v3.x from MU Promo...VMWare accounts web site is down for maintenance w/ this notice:

"This section of the VMware website is currently unavailable while we make important user improvements and upgrades to the site. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please wait to submit any Web site orders until the site is available again."  
(Version 3.0)

DAVIDSAN  I have the same machine, and yes it is 32 bits. And I am running SL too.

I believe a more comprehensive list about the new features can be found here:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-10957

Support for OpenGL in XP, for example, is new. And it says, it is optimized for SL (32 and 64 bits).  
(Version 3.0)

MARUKO DRINKING TEAM  VMWare Fusion is the best Mac virtualization solution, but the customer support is garbage, including simple things like downloading updates. You have to log in simply to download each update, which is ridiculous, and their web site is often broken in various ways (logins fail, pages redirect to cryptic errors, etc).

Now, trying to purchase the 3.0 upgrade, I was presented with a halfassed AJAX popup registration form that hung for a minute or two and then ended with a big gray box overlaying my browser window, saying "Gateway Timeout: The proxy server did not receive a timely response from the upstream server. Reference #1.244d32d0.1256691756.0"

I appreciate the app, but VMWare's incompetence in other areas and cavalier attitude about wasting the customer's time really make me dislike the company.  
(Version 3.0)

EYELESS  Upgrade worked well (on white plastic iMac, with 10.6.1 Server), both the XP Professional and Windows Vista Busniness environments runs a little faster now.  
(Version 3.0)

RUSKIWI  Students can get 50% off the retail and upgrade pricing through VMWare's website, making the upgrade only $20.  
(Version 3.0)

MACHUB  Trying to update my valid VMware Fusion since a few hours now - NIL success (Initially it didn't even recognize my valid serial number. Now I hit an error page after logging in and entering the serial number to be upgraded. Senseless !!! :-(((  
(Version 3.0)

ERIC DURBROW  Does this version allow us dissatisfied Parallels users to abandon ship and IMPORT our Windows/Parallel setup seamlessly to VMFusion 3.0. Would some kind soul report how easy it is to transfer from Parallel to VMFusion? Thanks!  
(Version 3.0)

SEANC  Is it worth upgrading to v3 if you're not on a 64-bit Mac and not using Windows 7? In other words, can anyone comment about performance improvements or other enhancements for 32-bit users with XP installed? Gracias.  
(Version 3.0)

MOELLER3D  I tried to upgrade for 40$ from my MU-VMWare Fusion 2, I bought a month ago, it's registered, but they say (OnlineStore):

"Our records indicate that you have no eligible registered products to upgrade. To complete your upgrade order, please register a compatible product."

When I fill out the SN-Search they say

"No data found for the serial number entered."

Normally I liked MU-Promos, this seems to be a bit tricky!  
(Version 3.0)

WEBMOTIVA  Wow! Simply perfect. Congratulations, developers!  
(Version 3.0)

PIXELATED  The license key can be seen when you purchase the software, it is on the screen after you confirm the purchase, and just before you download. You need to relax, and maybe take a hint, I always print out the confirmation of the purchase, this page is important incase you have any queries regarding the purchase.

On the whole I find the software great, there are subtile differences between the various virtualization software, I'm not in any camp I find them all good at what they do, help me run windows in a contained area.

And as PC games are 10$ or 10€ the single purchase of this makes the software pay for it's self as opposed to the over priced Mac games that are on the market. I have been able to play Settler Age of kings in the VMware, VMware, do a deal with a bunch of PC games companies, and produce a great deal, combo package, VMware, plus a selection of games, would save me going to the shops every other month ;-) and trawling the basement bucket, for games. Any way I digress.

Great software, does what it's supposed to do, and simply put, works.  
(Version 3.0)

LOUNGE DELUXE  The upgrade price of $40 is quite steep for this new version 3. I'm running XP Home in a version 2 virtual machine but none of these new functions appeal to me, so I'll pass this upgrade.  
(Version 3.0)

KAWAII  Mate, why do you expect a reply within hours? where do they say that they'll reply within hours?

Dear god, get a grip - start complaining if you haven't heard back after a week.  
(Version 3.0)

DETLEFS  Just purchased via their onlone shop, got an order confirmation and a download link, but no license key. WTF!

Now I have the software but can't install it.

Company doesn't answer to my support ticket since hours :-(

This is bad user experience...  
(Version 3.0)

PHILIPNI  Very nice!  
(Version 2.0.6)

WEBMOTIVA.COM  Only 32-bit kernel mod. =(  
(Version 2.0.6)

PERLMONKEY  WTF? Direct Download is more expensive than the boxed version?

Description says: "Buy VMWare Fusion for $79.99 (direct download) or from Amazon for $49.99 (boxed)."  
(Version 2.0.6b1)

LIBERTYFORALL1776  This versions STILL does not support the 10.6 64-bit kernel, further, the app itself is not 64-bit. :-(   
(Version 2.0.6b1)

BONOBO  I also purchased the MU promo of VMware Fusion, I also saw that the registration page at VMware told me that this was a 1.0 license. Then I contacted the support and got the answer that there was no difference between 1.0 and 2.0 licenses, that in fact there are only 1.0 licenses. At least that's how I understood it.

I assume that all 2.x updates will be free for us, and that the upgrade to 3.x will be a paid upgrade, as usual with most commercial software.

What makes me back away from this update is that the name of the image says "light" at the end, and I usually don't like "light" software, I want the whole dang thing, especially if I paid for something.

Would somebody please enlighten me about what "light" means in this context?

Thanks in advance, Tom  
(Version 2.0.6b1)

EDIK  Make sure to check your serial number for VMware Fusion!!!

The serial number that MacUpdate provided to me few days ago was for the VMware Fusion version 1.0, not for the version 2.0.5 as they advertised. I know that 2.0.5 does work with v 1.0 serial number, but it will not be possible to upgrade to the newest version of VMware Fusion in the future. MU tech support doesn't reply to my emails. Not very cool business practice.   
(Version 2.0.6b1)

IVAR THE DRIVER  cant get windows 7 VM on boot camp to load :(  
(Version 2.0.5)

CARLOS85  I've used a Windows 7 Beta on it in the past without any noticeable issues.   
(Version 2.0.5)

ILLUSIONSTOO  I've installed this on three or four machines and it's super simple. Even better, it's nearly transparent for the users. Gotta love that.

Just one question. I want to install it on my own machine, but I want to use Windows 7. Anyone know if Fusion is compatible with that?  
(Version 2.0.5)

EASER  Never had a problem with the demo. Never had a problem with the program. My experience with Parallels is what you describe of Fusion. Cest la vie.   
(Version 2.0.5)

TIMOTHY CARLTON MD  VMware Fusion is HORRIBLE. They just released an update (2.0.5) that is NOT compatible with the video acceleration software in the ATI cards of most iMacs. This now renders my iMac useless for viewing my hospital records. I am a cardiologist and now I cannot get to my patients records. This was done without any warning that the update would cause this problem. Trying to get any help from VMware is USELESS. Tomorrow I install Parallels. I have installed Parallels on 2 of my children's Intel Macs and never encountered anything like this. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT BUYING VMwares product. This is an incredibly irresponsible act by VMware.  
(Version 2.0.5)

MRGANDO  Okay, I'm a Software Developer and also a Computer Science Student.

VMware Fusion has worked wonders for me for doing database work in Windows environments, Installing Oracle, SQLServer and working with those via Visual Studio 2008 has been really easy and flawless for me, I'm not doing that kind of stuff anymore, but I would really recommend VMWare Fusion to do so.

Currently I have a MacBook 2007 ,2ghz, 3GB RAM. And use a windows XP VM from time to time with 800 MB allocated to it. Fusion has worked wonderfully for me, I remember trying to achieve this on parallels 3, it was SO slow, migrated to Fusion and my problems where over.

If you develop multi platform ( Linux, Windows, Mac OS X ), I think Fusion is what transforms my MacBook in a Software developer Swiss Army Knife, making it a flexible machine to work in multiple Operating Systems, with the core of the stable OSX Leopard.

If you're like me, this is your software.

Cheers.

NG.   
(Version 2.0.4)

DENDE O  As a very early adopter of virtualization in the corporate world (running Vmware's Virtual Infrastructure product) and being very impressed by it, I never bothered to really try Parallels, I went straight for VMware Fusion on my late 2007 MBP, it ran great with no problems, and I loved it. On my early 2009 MBP with 4Gb and a speedy 7200 rpm drive Fusion still ran great. However, Im in the Technology R&D profession, and I find the best way to evaluate any product it to use it in your day to day life, and thats what I did when I tried Virtual Box.

I made a copy of my VMware Fusion's vmdk and converted my windows XP VM to virtualbox and ran it for a number of weeks. The speed difference between virutalbox and fusion was immediately clear. Virtualbox ran circles around Fusion in performance. Fusion was always a very stabled product and so is virtualbox, (though in some early iderations of vb things werent quite as stabled as they are now), I am also amazed how much lighter the vb footprint is on my system. When I ran fusion, I would only start fusion up when I wanted to exclusively use windowsXP because I knew all my other mac sessions would perform poorly...and I can just about forget about launching photoshop and bridge together. With Virtualbox, I start windows and leave it running in a different space (on leopard) and sometimes forget its running. When I close the cover of my mpb, virtualbox automatically sleep the vm and wake it back up when I open the lid.

I know this is suppose to be a Fusion review section, but I just wanted you guys to be aware of another product, thats FREE and faster than fusion. I am still a very big advocate for VMware in the corporate world, but for all my home users there is no better virtualization product than Virtualbox  
(Version 2.0.4)

LEMERLOT  I've bought both - VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop 3 which still works great.

When I wanted to use both processors of my Core2Duo MacBookPro for special tasks with Win XP, I tried Parallels 4. Since 4 months (!!) I haven't been able to install Parallels 4 and even Parallels' support didn't help. Have a look in their forums - it looks like a very unhappy beta testing community.

So I finally switched to VMware Fusion 2 which works like a charm. Btw. I was really sad seeing how the formerly really great Parallels Desktop went down in customer satisfaction.  
(Version 2.0.4)

MARUKO DRINKING TEAM  I have to agree that VMWare has proven to be the most stable way to virtualize Windows, Linux, and OpenSolaris. I too own Parallels, and have had it crash many times, including freezing the whole Mac. I've not had that experience with VMWare. (Nor with the free VirtualBox, but that is still too primitive for me to really use much, so it's hard to judge.)

Especially under heavy load, VMWare Fusion shines. At work I currently run a 2009 Mac Pro (Nehalem), with 8 cores and 16GB of RAM. On this hardware, in addition to Mac OS X 10.5 as my normal boot OS, I keep four VMs running: Ubuntu Linux 8.04, OpenSolaris 2008.11, Windows 7 beta, and Windows XP. Each VM has 1 or 2 cores and 2GB of RAM.

Normally I keep the VMWare hidden as I go about my work, but at some point in most days I need to call up each of the guest OSes for some specific task. Performance is excellent and it runs great for weeks on end, until I need to reboot the machine for some reason. For me, VMWare is a killer app.

(One hint: in prefs, choose to optimize Mac OS X app performance over VM disk performance. This makes a really big difference in keeping your system performing well if you do most of your work in Mac OS X but like to leave VMs running.)  
(Version 2.0.3)

LEE123  It is really strange to see such negative comments about this product. I own both parallels and vmware. I used parallels for about a year before moving to vmware. I found it to be a more solid product and THE only one that will properly run most linux distros. I run winxp pro with no problems at all with software or hardware. I also have fedora 10 and Debian installed and working great.  
(Version 2.0.3)

KENTR  OVERHYPED! I've been reading for months now how great this piece of software is so I downloaded the latest demo. I tried all sorts of programs and games and half the time it either crashed or I had to force quit. I have a powerful MacPro. I'll stick with Parallels thank you very much. Parallels is just more full featured and refined.   
(Version 2.0.2)

WHYTOI  Great, love updates from VMware.

Just note that the full installer for 2.0.2 with McAfee VirusScan installer is 286Mb while the lite version without McAfee is 187Mb. Both are available on VMware's site.

I don't need that extra 100Mb of download.  
(Version 2.0.2)

BABIF  never tried parallel...but nothing is making me! chose fusion over bootcamp and loved it. slow at times though and some grafical improvements would be necessary...hoping in major future updates!  
(Version 2.0.1)

MACDEEP  After a frustrating time with VM Fusion 1, I thought that the new version might make things better. I was mistaken. I got a Mac over a year ago because I thought I could run some programs I need for work that aren't available for Mac. So I bought Windows XP Pro, installed it in a virtual machine I created with VM Fusion, and installed my programs. Windows never ran right, and as someone else mentioned, the performance on the Mac suffered. There were commands I was used to, simple ones, on Windows and now they would not work. I got the newer version, installed it, and since installing it one of my printers that used to work on the old version of the program wouldn't work, even after I reinstalled the printer. I was so frustrated that I finally made a decision. I bought a laptop that came with XP Pro, because to avoid Vista was one of the reasons I switched to Mac, installed my software on it, and the printer works just fine, thank you very much, and one of the most fun things I have done on a computer was to simply move VM Fusion, along with everything else in the virtual machine into the trash, which I promptly emptied and recovered 45 G's of memory for the Mac. Next I am going to take the CD's with both versions of VM Fusion outside, place them on a significant block of wood, and smash them to smithereens with a substantial sledge hammer. What a waste of my precious time this experiment has been.   
(Version 2.0.1)

ATLCOWBOY  This software is a JOKE! It runs flawlessly about 25% to 35% of the time. The rest of the time it is nothing but a headache. It essentially turns my MBP with 4 gigs of memory into an aluminum snail that crawls along, completing tasks whenever it wants to, if at all. I have tried tweaking the settings, including optimizing for the Mac, then optimizing for the virtual machine; still it crawls and crashes. I downloaded and installed the latest upgrade and for a day or two performance was improved. Then back to the same crap. There have been times where it has taken the machine 30 minutes to boot-up in Windows. This is unacceptable. There have been times when the software freezes the computer, forcing me to turn it off using the power button; then, once I reboot, after about 30 minutes, I am surprised to find that whatever files I might have been working on in Word or Excel have completely vanished from my hard drive. This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!! This has occurred on at least three occasions, causing me to create work files from scratch.

Overall, there is not enough space here for me to describe all of the problems I have had with this software. It is possible, since I am new to the Mac, that my settings are not properly set. However, since support from VMWare is non-existent, I probably will never know.

  
(Version 2.0.1)

EASER  I used CrossOver Mac for awhile, but unfortunately at this time it does not allow me to update or install plug-ins for MS Office. (They did tell me that some of this is on its way in future upgrades.) I gave Virtual Box a whirl and promptly quit it. I don't know if it runs faster than Fusion, but I had enormous trouble resizing the window. (And I tried all recommended approaches I read online.) I wrote to Parallels to see if they offer an educator discount like Fusion does; Parallels never responded to me. So, I bought Fusion after trying the demo. I had a bit of trouble with the purchase phase, and I wrote to Fusion about it. They actually responded on New Year's Day. That's customer service. I've had no trouble with this program. Setup is easy. As for speed, I personally found that it runs better for my tastes if I set preferences to optimize for Mac rather than for Virtual machine. I rather wish there could be drag-and-drop between Mac and Windows. I also have not been able to copy and paste between the two. But I don't think that any program out there does that at this time.  
(Version 2.0.1)

BUMBLEB  Aa few days ago I installed the demo of VMWare Fusion, along with Win XP Professional. I installed the latest Windows software updates. And the VMWare Tools.

I find Fusion to be considerably slower than VirtualBox, from which I hope to switch because I would like better cross-platform integration.

Anyone who has had the same experience? It should be weird that JAVA-based VirtualBox is faster than a Cocoa-based paid alternative?

Anyone has a any tips? I've allocated the same amount of RAM and tried enabling both one and two processor core(s) on my C2D MBP...

PS: By faster I mean Windows and app load time, screen redraws etc.  
(Version 2.0.1)

NICOLASD  just got a new MacBook Pro and was excited to put XP on it. i've used boot camp before. i was going back and forth between whether to get fusion or parallels.

i picked fusion... almost arbitrarily. i used to use Connectix's (then Microsoft's) Virtual PC... fusion was very similar to me (and so familiar).

fusion was totally easy to set up. install it, launch it, put in a windows install disk and using all the default options i was up and running in a few minutes.

when you read the reviews between these two apps, i think you should keep in mind that the two are pretty similar and you can't really go wrong between one or the other. and we are all really benefitting from the fact that these two companies are pushing each other to improve their respective products.  
(Version 2.0.1)

JOSEPH & REAGAN SOFIA  This version of Fusion ruined my network connection. Be wary of updating VMware Tools. The driver for the Network Adapter is corrupt, so I had to rollback the driver using Windows XP virtual machine. My Vista virtual machine just needed a lot of repairing, and had to switch to bridged mode, instead of the NAT. The same thing happened when I installed the Version 2.0 beta version. Other than that Fusion is a great program that I have used for about a year now. Much better than parallels, and Boot Camp. VMware has to rethink charging people money for support, because we are in an economy that is hurting, and customer service is pretty much all we have left as a U.S. global contender. VMware needs to remember that if they want to keep their customers.   
(Version 2.0.1)

SURFSPIRIT  I tried VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop and VirtualBox. I went from Parallels to Fusion because Fusion was faster, but well I must say, not so well Mac OS Integrated as Parallels.

Then I changed again to VirtualBox, which is free and very fast and robust, but well It really misses the Mac OS X integration!

Then Parallels released Version 4, I was reluctant to try it again, so much work for nothing, but I donwload the Parallels Version 4 tryout and it really beats all the competition.

It´s very very fast! The Mac OS X integration is absolutely the best I have seen and CPU cycles and the overall CPU need is the lowest of all the virtual machines I ever tested. It's great that now the virtual windows don't waste cpu cycles when not using it, I don't even have to pause the virtual machine.

And with Parallels 4 your desktop folder, documents folder, is the same as the one in Mac OS making it really easy to use! It uses all the CPU cores that you want, and it really has graphic 3d acceleration.! Virtual Machines finally got mature, and the first one to get into this stage is Parallels Desktop 4!  
(Version 2.0.1)

COMMAND24  This "owns" Parallels due it to being faster but having the same features and with VMware you can ACTUALLY use your mac as in with Parrallels is lags so much you cant do anything which makes it kinda pointless running it in your mac when you can just bootcamp but this changes everything!

As a lover of bootcamp im sorry but this just doesn't make it for me but still, great application

5 star :)  
(Version 2.0.1)

DONMONTALVO  I switched from VMWare Fusion to Parallels, then switched back. There is simply nothing more stable and reliable than VMWare Fusion. You really have to try all options before deciding, but I did and I stand this baby.

Don  
(Version 2.0.1)

QUICKBEN  In 23 years of using Apple stuff, this is one of the best pieces of software I've ever used. I tried Parallels and Crossover (demo versions) and neither could come close to this app. Other than having a slight problem in pulling my VM from my old Dell (the problem was with VMware Converter, not Fusion), this app hasn't even hiccuped one time. I assigned two processors to the VM and 2 gigs of a 5 gig Mac Pro. Runs like a dream. Also, I purchased from Smith Micro and got $20 off the price.

Nice work folks!  
(Version 2.0)

CPINEIRO51  Great application. The unity feature itself is makes it worth buying. Complete life saver!  
(Version 2.0)

STAINER  VMware Fusion 2.0 is simply just great. It has added tremendous value to my workflow. I'd gladly pay for this update - and the fact that VMware made this a free update for 1.*-users, makes it even greater.  
(Version 2.0)

MITCH_DE  No problems with 10.5.5 - great.

3D Fans: Even if 3D better supported, its not possible to get FPS for Shooters. But its good for older NON-Shooter Games (Edukation, Adventure, Simple Games) or CAD Apps which need 3D.  
(Version 2.0)

IGAUCHO  Can't get X Windows to startup in Debian 4.0. Works fine in VirtualBox. Oh, well. It's not a final release yet.  
(Version 2.0rc1)

WINGK1314  It won't install on my machine.

Keep saying that I need to restart before it can begin installing but after 3 restarts it still gives me the same message.

Verion 1.1 works fine for me though.  
(Version 2.0rc1)

PAOLO23FOREVER  Version 1.1.2 is OK, but so far the Beta's are not. OK ti install, but soooo slow after startup of windows. Als mini.requirement for memory is doubled (256>512), which says enough.

With all the new stuff the put in, the performance is NOT good, even bad!

Paul  
(Version 2.0rc1)

DONMONTALVO  Nice upgrade, very clean and stable. I noticed the splashscreen allows Mac OS X Server to be run as a VM. Looking forward to seeing documentation on how to set that up.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.0rc1)

JOEL SCHMIDT  Very nice! VMWare Fusion has come a long way and it really shows in 2.0rc1!

I can finally play Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus without having to reboot my MacBook Pro to Windows XP. :)  
(Version 2.0rc1)

IGREG  I have 2.0 b2, is that the same as 2.0 rc1?

Confused  
(Version 2.0rc1)

NEOTRUNKS  I've yet to have any issues with this beta or the previous one on either my iMac or my MacBook Pro. The DirectX support is getting there to the point that I will no longer need my dedicated Windows laptop for my job anymore. Almost there, but not quite.  
(Version 2.0b2)

CROW  I'm surprised to hear some people are having issues. I think this is the slickest piece of software I've ever used. It is literally a perfect solution for running Windows apps on the Mac, and it's so impressive at doing that, that I've been showing this to everyone in my office. I am even endorsing this to incoming Mac-using students to our university as a seamless way to "fit in" to our Windows-centric environment. We used to tell students that they needed a PC, and that they'd have a hard time with a Mac. Now I feel comfortable telling them that they can keep their Mac, and this will work for the remaining software packages that don't have a Mac version.

My personal feeling is that one shouldn't pollute one's Mac with Windows - but if it's unavoidable, this is the ideal way to go. :)

FWIW, this may be a beta - but it's been absolutely rock-solid for me, and I tend to really tax my system.  
(Version 2.0b2)

BRETTD  2.0b1 was so unstable, I couldn't run guests for more than 30 minutes at a time. It destroyed beyond repair a Windows XP disk image, and the linux guests I tried to run (Debian Lenny) also became corrupted.

Hopefully, 2.0b2 is better- but I'm unwilling to try and find out with anything I care about.  
(Version 2.0b2)

IGREG  Beta wrecked my windows xp home. I have to figure out how to go back to v.1  
(Version 2.0b1)

KRAIZED  Any chance of FireWire support?  
(Version 2.0b1)

SAGGIS  I gotta hand it to these guys, this is one tight bit of software. Vastly better than Parallels for the following reasons:

Stability is perfect - One of the first time I used Parallels it kernel paniced when I was showing my mates ... awesome.

It's easy to work - A lot of my customers want something that'll just work rather than something which requires a lot of knowledge to use, Fusion allows for this. How many "I can't do this on Fusion" phone calls have I had? None, as opposed to Parallels.

It's faster - Windows and Ubuntu are blazing fast on my Macbook Pro.

The interface is neat and tidy.

The support and features are great (the new features in version 2 look amazing (I wish I had two monitors to try it out on)!)

As a whole the software doesn't feel clunky or bloated like Parallels.

I work in an Apple premium reseller and whilst we sell a boxed version of Parallels and no VMware fusion I'm straight up with the customer and tell them VMware's the one to go for. Hell I'd be hacked off if someone sold be Parallels instead.

Free upgrade to 2.0 is just the icing on the cake, Parallels may I remind people is a PAID upgrade for every major update (eg 2-3).

Respect VMware, I will continue to send my customers your way!  
(Version 2.0b1)

CARLOS85  With this beta Windows XP Pro SP3 does not recognize my USB smart card reader. I tried downgrading the VM and running it in 1.1.2 again but that didn't fix it. A fresh install of XP in this beta didn't fix it either. It worked fine before upgrading to the beta. My fault that I didn't backup my VM before upgrading to the beta. Reinstalling XP now in 1.1.2 to see if it works again. I've submitted a bug report to the devs to look into this.  
(Version 2.0b1)

TIAGO  Quote:

When it launches, VMware Fusion 2.0 will be a free upgrade to all VMware Fusion 1.x users. This is as a sincere thank you to our early supporters who have partnered with us to make this product so great.

That's great news... VMware is unquestionably THE BEST virtualization software for the Mac and it's great to see that the company respects its customers that much...

Thank you VMware... I'll give the beta a try...  
(Version 2.0b1)

E_COMMERCE  I hope we finally have updated VMWare Tools to support Linux kernel 2.6.24. The current versions will not compile, and kernel 2.6.24 is required for Ubuntu 8.04 which ships today.

Not seeing a mention in the release notes concerns me.  
(Version 1.1.2)

VINOD  I bought this app through DigitalRiver - got it for $59.

Make sure that you add the image files to the ignore-list of time-machine - to avoid unnecessary backups.  
(Version 1.1.1)

BRETTD  By far the most annoying feature of vmware fusion is that it requires capturing both keyboard and mouse. Parallels will send any keystoke to the frontmost window, but vmware won't.

This is a major inconvenience if you're trying to multitask and running guest machines that aren't supported by vmware or parallels drivers...basically, any non-windows OS, especially if you're not using Xwindows.  
(Version 1.1.1)

BLODWYN  Downloaded OK. The installation failed right at the end after entering my serial number with a postflight script failure. My VM runs but ethernet is disabled.

There's a thread on VMWare Communities started covering this issue

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/123677  
(Version 1.1.1)

BUBBAMAC  Trying up update my copy of Ubuntu Gusty (7.10) today which hasn't been turned on in a month, and midway through the updates, the VM completely hangs (On Mac Pro dual 2.66. VM configured with 1 processor, 512MB RAM). Fusion is completely dead and requires reboot (force quit doesn't work). After this, I tried re-installing from CD and upon trying to update the default 7.10 installation, the same thing happened. I have found nothing in the Ubuntu forums or on Vmware's forums regarding any issues. Any ideas?  
(Version 1.1.62573)

COOLMEMIN  I used Parallels for a while but I was never able to leave it on without it eating up my CPU for no reason. I gave VMWare a shot just for fun and what I found was a much more stable experience...so much so that I can usually leave it on all the time without noticing a decrease in performance on the mac side. I would still recommend trying both out for yourself and then decide but I'm sticking with VMware.

It also feels significantly faster.  
(Version 1.1.62573)

APPLEHC  Well, after using VMWare Fusion now for a few months I have to admit it became my WinXP VM of choice.

I used Parallels for a long time before and I had quite a few issues with USB Connectivity and with Bootcamp. VMware did a very good job on this altough it seemed a little slower than Parallels. Since the first final version I noticed a speed improvement with VMware. And since Leopard VMware is the better choice for my WinXP guest machines by far.

I recommend tihs product for everyone running WinXP on Leopard.

Apple*

(MacBook Pro, 2.4 GHz, 4GB)  
(Version 1.1.62573)

JOHNNY ROCKET  I keep getting the following error when I click the download link:

An error occurred while processing your request.

Reference #50.1f62f648.1194960824.13b23385   
(Version 1.1.62573)

THUNDERCLAP82  Over the weekend I upgraded to Leopard and this release candidate of Fusion. Now when I try to boot Vista through Fusion all I get is a black screen after the Windows load screen appears. I still hear the sound effects of Windows starting, etc. but can't see anything.  
(Version 1.1.61385)

WONDERSWAN  In its defence, I have never had any problem with Parallels, apart from some of the feature creep (I prefer to keep the Mac and Windows elements fairly separate).

Fusion, however, does run some apps Parallels can't yet (Game Maker, for example).

One minor thing I prefer on Parallels is the fact that the tastefully-sized toolbar is on the right of the window. The VMWare toolbar is on the top of the window and is HUGE.  
(Version 1.1.57919)

STEVEN JAY COHEN  I agree, this is getting a bit harsh. Here is my feedback. Fusion says that it handles multiple cores, so I am going to assume that's true, but the Windows applications that I tend to need aren't heavy enough to show the difference. After all, I run the Mac version of apps like Photoshop.

What made me choose to go with Parallels over this very solid piece of software from VMWare, was how the Finder and Explorer integrate with Parallels. If you look at the Fusion screenshot, you will see the menu used for launching applications. That is totally functional (and probably a lot safer) than allowing Explorer.exe to run, but Parallels answer is just more aesthetically pleasing.

It was easy to test both since they can import eachothers virtual disks, I was able to use the same windows install for both products.

While I was at it, I tried out CrossOver. And, it's wonderful if your software can run under win2000 or earlier. If that's true for you, you should check it out.

And, finally, I also tried VirtualBox.org. It opensource freeware and damned solid! It's also worth checking out. It doesn't do the integration though, so it feels a lot like running VPC7 or earlier, with full screen or window-in-window.

I hope soneone finds those comments helpful.  
(Version 1.1.57919)

HERVé 5  I am a bit worried about the level of insults between users of Fusion and Parallels.

To me, given what these two applications do (an interface to the same Intel processor feature) everything I hear about one being twice faster than the other (very regularly shouted both sides) is just ridiculous.

I believe one should choose on other, more personal features -both products have some specificities, and stop saying one is horrible compared to the other, which is just plain lie.

Posting atrocities looks unusually high on Parallels and Fusion here, and indeed this has a negative impact on the whole MacUpdate credibility.

I think I'll try to post the very same message in the Parallels comments now...  
(Version 1.1.57919)

SLEPYHOLW  To those needing to use different versions of IE for web development, try MultipleIEs

which you can find here: http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE

Using snapshots for this seems like overkill to me.

Also, to the reviewer complaining about the click-in, click-out key commands. You just didn't get far enough. VMWare handles pointer/cursor transitions transparently once all the tools are installed.

I have found VMWare Fusion to be much more stable that Parallels Desktop. I own both and at this point I don't even have PD installed.  
(Version 1.1.57919)

TODDGARVIN  MAD_MACS_OSX, sounds to me like you never installed the Fusion Tools (just like you have to do in Parallels). Once you install the tools, everything you've complained about work perfectly.  
(Version 1.1.57919)

MAD_MACS_OSX  Bloody Terrible!!!!

After reading the reviews here yesterday, I frantically downloaded this monster sized app in the hope of getting something more efficient than Parallels Desktop, which I currently use on a regular basis.

What a fart of an application this is! Huh, after installing and running for the first time I was immediately put off by the extreme lag experienced by my mouse. Then as I went to the windows control panel, the mouse stopped responding and the application crashed, and furthermore, this led to OS X rolling down the 'hold your power button down.....' blurt.

After that, I tried the app one more time and just decided that getting this running properly is going to take more time than what it's worth, and that's if I would be able to get it running right.

Anyway, I thanked God for the existence of trial apps and moved right back to Parallels. Parallels just works! No nonsense.

Also, the story of having to click inside the VM window for mouse control and then keying in shortcuts for exit back to the host OS seemed kind of primitive to me considering that in Parallels this function is performed very intelligently by the software.

Do not be hasty in buying this app. Try it first... if you dare.  
(Version 1.0.51348)

DIONRODRIGUES  VMware Fusion is much better than Parallels, and Unity is 100 times easier, faster, cleaner, prettier and stabler than Parallels Coherence is. Recommended product!  
(Version 1.0.51348)

UG.MAC  Rock solid app. WAAAAYYYY better than Parallels in terms of stability and performance on all my Macs. I always have my Windows running but NEVER found a SINGLE problem with Fusion, not even memory leak like Parallels. Highly recommended!!!  
(Version 1.0.51348)

BEMSON  I've run VMware Fusion (VF) and Parallels Desktop (PD) each; a lengthy process of installing windows and updating it to IE7.

VMware is certainly a step up from Parallels, but not by much. [Remember, this is emulation, so the bar is set lower and if you want a true Windoze experience, buy a PC or use Bootcamp (bleh)]

The best reason to go with VF is that it's faster - it uses both processors, and presumably - if you've got a Mac Pro - all eight cores.

The best reason to go with PD is that it allows for multiple snapshots. This means that my one virtual machine for PD has a snapshot with IE6, another with IE7, and a third with IE removed and FF installed. Plus, I can create a non-linear snapshot at any point, essentially sandboxing any app I want to experiment with. As a web developer, this is crucial.

...VF can't do this at all. Only one snapshot, allowing you to go back to the previous environment only. So, now that I've got IE7 on my VF virtual machine, I can't freeze it and move forward without losing my IE6 environment. This means the impossible: maintain a clean IE7 and IE6 environment to test my sites or browse the internet - simply because it's Windoze and *will* attract malware (perform poorly over time).

This means a new virtual machine in VF to match the multi-snapshot virtual machine in PD. Well, that's the biggest feature I need right now, and PD has spoiled me.

I'll keep both for now. In all honesty, VMware will likely update the software and allow for multiple snapshots. When they do, I can trash PD.

They both load and run fine, though VF seems to be more delicate. When exiting VF, it launches a program in your virtual machine (probably to freeze things)... I would hate to see what happens if that lil' app didn't launch.

PD is smoother with plenty of superfluous visual effects, just slower.

Look, emulation apps never promise good speed, but if you want to see how well your MacTel can emulate windows then get VF.  
(Version 1.0.51348)

THECAUSE  Upon reading about this software I got terribly excited and started downloading the giant files required. After installing the program, I tried using my mouse and it refused to work in the VMWare Fusion environment. Additionally, it froze up on my computer. I have had similar issues with the virtualization that exist in Parallels and have since concluded that while these programs fill a need for many, I am quite content for the stability of bootcamp and will wait a few years before attempting any of these programs again.   
(Version 1.0.51348)

COOLMEMIN  I also agree with the former comments in that Parallels has taken a wrong turn and is now very unstable. I hadn't tried VMware before but I downloaded the trial and I am a believer. It is much more stable, hasn't crashed once, whereas the new Parallels has crashed almost every time I use it. It also doesn't seem to affect the performance of OS X very much which is good. I can have them both running at the same time without feeling sluggish.  
(Version 1.0.51348)

DONMONTALVO  Currently the best (most stable, least impact on OSX, etc.) virtualization on the market for Mac. I own both. I started with Parallels, but those guys have lost control of development so I've switched over to VMWare.

This release comes at a good time. I have 200+ users in various shops that need a solution.

Good stuff. I'm quite impressed at the product and at the development team for sticking to their guns and releasing a great solution.

Don Montalvo, NYC

Curmudgeon at large  
(Version 1.0.51348)

BUBBAMAC  FYI, this version does not work well with Logitech Control Center 2.2.2. When running the two together, opening Fusion and moving the mouse into the Fusion window causes the on screen display for LCC to come up showing the cap-lock going on and off. Pretty annoying and I feel sure someone at VMware must be using the Logitech crap; if not, time to test it.  
(Version 1.0.51348)

MACUPDATE ADMIN  Review of VMWare Fusion from MacInTouch.com, today, August 6, 2007:

"Conclusions:

"VMware Fusion is in hot competition with Parallels Desktop, which was first to market. Fusion is priced identically to Parallels Ñ which is about a hundred dollars cheaper than the Windows version of VMware! There are less expensive options than VMware and Parallels, but these two lead the pack in features and performance.

"VMware Fusion worked very well for use with Windows XP and Windows Vista, and fairly well with Ubuntu 7. We had a few issues, and there are some missing features we'd like to see added, but we're quite impressed with Fusion. Windows integration is excellent, and the fact that Linux has VMware Tools integration at all is fantastic Ñ not to mention support for less common OS's, including Netware 5 and 6, 64-bit Solaris 10, ancient versions of the Linux kernel, and every version of Windows back to 3.1.

"Fusion is an outstanding first release for the Mac that builds on the company's long history of virtualization. Historically, VMware's development cycle has run 12-24 months between major versions, and the development team focusses on stability and reliability. We hope to see some updates to the "experimental" supported OS's, but that aside, VMware appears to be rock solid. The user interface is polished, attractive and well thought out, and the setup assistant makes it fast and easy to set up a usable Windows environment. Fusion makes Windows behave as close to a Mac as is reasonably possible Ñ and that's really quite something."  
(Version 1.0.51348)

TIAGO  Amazing product... I also used Parallels for some time, but after the constant (very constant) crashes, I felt like I needed something else...

I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that VMware is fast, reliable, stable, etc etc... The list goes on and on...

Luckily, I was able to get it under the pre-order price (50%) so that's a BIG plus...

So far, I'm a very happy customer...

Parallels no more...  
(Version 1.0.51348)

SJJ_PUBLIC  I was a Parallels Desktop user and when that was the only kid on the block it was a good thing, but I've switched because Parallels has longstanding unfixed bugs and just generally feels like a hack job, whereas VMware Fusion feels polished and works like a real Mac application. Some of the pluses: doesn't send the processor into a frenzy when you switch network locations while a VM is running (Parallels always did for me). Suspending and resuming a VM not only is much faster, it works reliably (unlike Parallels, which almost always resulted in a VM crash for me when resuming). Supports drag and drop between Mac OS X and Linux VMs, not just Windows. Etc. This is a great product. It's missing some features that are in Parallels, sure, but nothing major and the features it does have are very polished. Highly recommened.  
(Version 1.0.51348)

EGN  VMware Fusion works great! I was using Parallels and did not pay much attention to VMware and the reviews here and at MacWorld were always putting Parrallels ahead. So I went with the crowd. Until I decided to try it and threw not only XP at it but also OpenBSD 4.1, Ubuntu Linux and just for the heck of it, BeOS 5. They all worked except for networking on BeOS but that was expected. On all the others, everyting worked. Sound, networking, graphics, you name it. And being able to run XP apps in their own window is a plus. On Parallels that still does not work as I0d like. And the best part was I got a promo via email with a 50% discount on VMware. So I got 2 licenses and AppZapped Parallels! Give it a shot.  
(Version 1.0rc1)

ADAM SIMPSON  RC 1.0 is awesome, they've listened to what customers want and given it to them. Unity is much improved over beta 4 which is great. Speed also seems to have improved and it generally feels smoother. I highly recommend you check it out and the pre-order of $40 is a sweet deal if you like it.  
(Version 1.0rc1)

FOLLEREC  So far so good. I only need this to run Linux servers for development, sysadmin-ing, learning, and testing. Works just as well as on PCs. I paid for the pre-order price of $40 without hesitation.

The only thing I hate about it is that, just as with the PC versions, you have to click on the screen to be able to type on a Linux console. With Parallels, as long as the window has the focus, I can type straight away. This only affects me because I install all my Linux VMs without any GUI.

Of course, I had to weigh in on whether to upgrade to Parallels 3 (I already bought 2.5), or pre-order this. What made me decide on VMware Fusion?

1. More VMware info available online (due to plenty of Windows and Linux users. I believe the VM engine is basically the same.).

2. Share VMs between other VMware products. Definitely useful when it comes to sharing with a PC user (VMware Player! and VMware Server!).

3. Parallels support sucks (although I haven't actually interacted with VMware support yet. But see #1. That and I believe they employ a few open source developers).

4. Beta 4 already works great!

Please remember, I use this exclusively for virtualizing Linux, not Windows.  
(Version 1.0b4)

FOULGER  Who has the worst support - VMWare or Parallels? Its impossible to get replies from either - so I wonder if some intelligent and helpful person out there can tell me how to get VMware Fusion to recognise a Windows XP Pro-SP2 Enterprise edition install CD? Xp Home is fine or another XP Disk but the other one, which is completely valid and OK just can't be recognised. Help would be much appreciated.  
(Version 1.0b4)

GAZMAN  Some new software purchased by work had no OSX equivalent so I was finally forced to install Windows (XP Pro) on my MacBook which I installed via BootCamp. I initially tried Parallels but had lots of difficulty getting small things working (mounting USB drives, etc). I then tried VMWare Fusion and so far it has worked smoothly without any hitches. It is still at a public beta stage whereas Parallels is $80 and is at version 3.

In my experience the beta of VMWare Fusion has been better than version 3 of Parallels.  
(Version 1.0b4)

ADAM SIMPSON  Fusion is awesome, I haven't had any problem with it so far and use it on a daily basis for the windows programs I need.  
(Version 1.0b4)

E_COMMERCE  Okay, this just jumps back and forth. Still no luck with the forums (so this has to substitute), but incredible progress between beta2 and beta3!

All of the performance and networking problems I had in beta2 have been resolved, and the log entries are no longer created.

I only have a few minor interface quibbles left.

- Suppress the constant "unsigned driver" popups in VMWare Tools installation.

- Toolbar is not customizable in any way - size, labels, or contents. Devices and USB in particular get out of hand quickly.

- When a VM has been shut down, it stays on a large black screen. It would be much better if that window closed and the Welcome Screen were re-opened. Similarly, editing the settings for a VM should not open the large black VM window.

- VM Settings window - it works fine, but it would be much nicer if it looked and felt like preferences windows elsewhere on the Mac (toolbar icons for each section, etc). Repeated confirmations for "Apply" get annoying fast. Look to OmniWeb for a good example.

- Command-R for "Run" - please? :)

- "Windows key" mapping cannot be disabled. This would be useful, as otherwise traditional Mac command keys and shortcuts like "Command-Tab" are unavailable.

Given everything I push the VM to do, this is pretty darn incredible. Everything I pushed it to do, it handled admirably. A few interface tweaks, and this will simply clean up. I'm quite amazed!  
(Version 1.0b3)

DONMONTALVO  blue screen of death with beta3 when i try to use bootcamp partition. shame, works fine with parallels 3188.

don montalvo, nyc  
(Version 1.0b3)

CHRISTEFANO  I experienced the same authentication loop when using Firefox and Safari, but the first time I tried it using Opera I was able to complete the registration.  
(Version 1.0b3)

E_COMMERCE  I'm rescinding my previous positive review based on two problems:

1) It is impossible to register and log into the VMWare forums; I get stuck in an authentication loop every time and they haven't fixed it over a period of several weeks.

2) Even if you don't use it, it's simply destroying your system.log, by polluting it with dozens of entries a second:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2007030619493199  
(Version 1.0b2(41385))

E_COMMERCE  The Good:

- Overall interface design - it is very Mac-like, from the use of system toolbars, icons, welcome screen, and key shortcuts. There are a few minor oddities, but by and large, it "feels" right.

- Advanced virtualization features - This cannot be overstated - dual-CPU, ACPI, 3D support, snapshots, USB 2.0, compatibility with existing VMWare machines and other platforms. Under the hood, this is very advanced.

- Loads kernel extensions on the fly, does not touch /System - Once again, I appreciate the Mac-like design and how self-contained everything is. The more than can be kept inside the application bundle or Application Support, the better.

The Bad:

- Lack of support. I've tried for the last week to register and gain access to the support forum, but cannot. There is no way to submit problems or bug reports otherwise. I have a lot of detail and even some crash reports, but I can't do anything with them.

- Performance. You wouldn't expect it, but not only is the VM itself somewhat poky (Windows idles with higher CPU usage than Parallels, and just feels slower), but the interface can be sluggish, with frequent beachballs and pauses.

- Shared ethernet does not support VPN connections, and cannot see any samba or nfs shares on the host computer (Parallels can).

- Mouse does not function at all until VMWare Tools are installed (!).

- The "Displays" control panel does not list any widescreen resolutions. While we can resize the window directly, it is useful to be able to set your resolution to exact settings like "1280x800", "1440x900", and "1600x1050", just to test what things look like on those standard sizes.

- Toolbar is not customizable in any way - size, labels, or contents. At least it's a real Mac toolbar, unlike Parallels.

- When a VM has been fully shut down, it stays on a large black screen. It would be much better if that window closed and the Welcome Screen were re-opened.  
(Version 1.0b2 build41385)

DICIU  Works like a charm.

I'm using it to run Windows XP on a 2GB MacBook Core 2 Duo and it runs admirably fast. It does make the fans spin a bit more but I guess that's to be expected.

The only thing I can ask for is a decent pricing policy (hint: the Parallels pricing seems fair).  
(Version Build 36932)

MR.ASH  I expected much of VMWare and now i'm very disapointed. Compared to the PC/Linux version VMWare for OSX much less features.

I hoped that i could import and use my VM machines from Windows on my Mac, but it's impossible to import any of them. It's also impossible to open a windows installation witch was made with Bootcamp.

For now i can only recommend Parallels for OSX wich has all features you need.  
(Version Build 36932)

JOELSCHMIDT2  Has potential. Installed without any troubles, and I was able to successfully create a Windows XP Home Edition VM Image. No problem with installing the VMWare tools either.

HOWEVER, until VMWare, Parallels or even CrossOver support the direct use of the Intel GMA 950 video chipset in the MacBooks and Mac Minis, none of these programs are using for anything more than Pre-DirectX 8 games/emulators or programs that do not require serious graphics (ie MS Office).

(CrossOver DOES support the use of the MacBook/Mac Mini Intel GMA 950 chipset now, but ONLY up to DirectX 8)  
(Version Build 36932)

HIHIHOHO  downloaded- installed, reboot - macbook pro 2.1ghz dead.

tried to unload kext files, removed all startupitems and the application.

only solution was reinstallation and bring back backup. parallels works fine for month - never will try this app on my mac again!

want to use my vmware images from windows on my mac but don't want to reinstall my mac.

iPoe  
(Version Build 36932)

DONMONTALVO  ...parallels also allows you to use your bootcamp partition.

don  
(Version Build 36932)

WIDGETMAN  Use Parallels, its faster, cheaper, smaller, and quicker to set up...

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21252  
(Version Build 36932)