MacWindows News: VMware Fusion 2.0 features multi monitors, DirectX 9

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Yesterday, VMware released VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1, a prerelease issue of the next major version of the virtualization environment for Mac OS X. The release features a number of new features, including "true support" for multiple monitors and improved 3D graphics, and better integration of the Windows apps with the Mac OS X interface. The beta is available for the public to test as a free download, and the release will be a free upgrade for 1.x owners.

The support for multiple monitors includes displaying the Windows desktop across multiple monitors and dragging Windows application windows across displays when the Unity feature is turned on. (Unity hides the Windows desktop.) Full screen Windows can be on one display or all displays. VMware said that Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 supports up to 10 monitors connected to a Mac. The VMware web site shows a video demonstration of Windows on 8 monitors connected to one Mac.

Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 also beefs up 3D gaming with DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2, which enables it to better handle games with 3D graphics. The current shipping Fusion 1.1.2 supports DirectX 8.1. The current Parallels 3 supports DirectX 9.

Other improvements include:

Can convert a Boot Camp partition to a virtual machine
Imports, from within Fusion, virtual machines from Virtual PC and Parallels Desktop
Improved Windows networking: Windows guests now able to join Active Directory domain with NAT networking if WINS is enabled in Mac OS X; various other improvements with NAT networking
Windows virtual machines can print to any printer attached to the Mac, without additional setup
Virtual machines can resume and start directly in Unity view, as well as other Unity improvements
Improvements in shared folders between Mac OS X and Windows
Improved USB performance, robustness; support for graphics tablets and mice with more than three buttons

VMware warns that the Beta 1 release can be unstable and shouldn't be run in "mission critical" situations.

If you've tried VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1

For more on Fusion, see our VMware Fusion Tips and Reports page.

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New VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 2 runs Leopard Server in VM, improves Mac integration

Thursday, July 31, 2008

VMware yesterday posted VMware Fusion 2.0 beta2, the second prerelease version a future release of the virtualization software for running Windows and Linux in Mac OS X. This beta implements several previously announced features, including the ability to run Leopard in a virtual machine. (Last month, Parallels released Parallels Server for Mac 1.0, designed to run Leopard Server and Windows servers in virtual machines.)

Other new features in VMware Fusion 2.0 beta2 focus on improving integration between Mac OS X and Windows, including the ability to open Mac files from Windows applications and the ability to create keyboard mapping of the Mac keyboard in virtual machines. A new Mirrored Folders feature displays the contents of the Mac OS X Documents, Desktop, Music, and Pictures folders in the equivalent Windows folders (My Documents, etc.).

VMware 2.0 Beta 2 now supports multiple snapshots of the state of a virtual machine. Going back to a snapshot gets you all of the settings and the state of files at the time of the snapshot. The new beta can also take automated, timed snapshots of a running virtual machine.

The new beta is also more stable than the last beta, which VMware released in May. It also uses less processor power and has improved graphics support.

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