More Displays. More 3D. More to Love: VMware Fusion 2.0 Public Beta 1 Now Available
The VMware Fusion team is proud to announce VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1.
This public beta, a free download, boasts a handful of industry firsts for Mac virtualization, including true multi-display support for virtual machines and experimental DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 3D acceleration.
The team is also extremely happy to announce that VMware Fusion 2.0, when released, will be a free downloadable upgrade for all VMware Fusion 1.x customers, as a sincere thank you to our early supporters.
Now, on to the features!
Key Features of VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1
VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 sports dozens of innovations and improvements. For a more exhaustive list, visit the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta landing page.
Highlight Reel: In addition to more in-depth demo videos on the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta landing page, above is a teaser to get you started. Enjoy!
True Multi-Display Support
VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 brings the first true multi-display support to Mac virtual machines, letting your virtual machines see additional displays attached to your Mac as additional, individual displays.
Drag Unity windows between displays and expand your virtual machine full screen across one or all your available displays.
Finally run Windows-only applications that require more than one logical display, while application windows correctly maximize only to their current display.
Easier Switching to VMware Fusion
Scores of users are switching to VMware Fusion for fast, stable, and powerful Windows on Mac.
Unparalleled Performance: To make the switch even easier, VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 integrates the ability to convert Parallels Desktop and Virtual PC for Mac virtual machines. Importing legacy virtual machines to run on VMware Fusion is as easy as click and drag.
Graduate from Boot Camp: VMware Fusion has always allowed users to unlock the true potential of their Boot Camp partition, running their Windows apps side-by-side with Mac apps.
But for users ready to go "fully virtual" and tap the full benefits of virtualization, VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 includes the ability to convert your Boot Camp partition to a "full" virtual machine.
No more waiting for Boot Camp to boot with virtual machine suspend/resume. Snapshots to help you keep your virtual machine out of harm's way. And the ability to move your virtual machine from Mac to Mac.
Experimental 3D Acceleration Races Ahead
From the people who first brought 3D to virtual machines, and later, to Mac virtualization, comes another 3D first: experimental support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2.
VMware Fusion 1.0 launched with DirectX 8.1 support, followed by VMware Fusion 1.1 raising the bar to DirectX 9.0 without pixel shaders.
VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 now ups the ante again with support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2, letting users play select PC-only 3D games in Windows XP virtual machines.
DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 support in Beta 1 is considered experimental, and performance will vary based on hardware and applications in question. Some games that work in VMware Fusion 1.x may fail in this beta.
More Displays. More 3D. More of Everything.
And that's just the beginning. In addition to multiple display and 3D support, there are many great improvements and enhancements that have to be seen to be believed.
The full list of features and enhancements rounding out the rest of VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 can be found on the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta landing page.
We encourage you to swing by, sign up for the beta newsletter to stay in the loop, and best of all, download the beta.
Let's Get Cracking: Beta Participation
Participation in the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 is open to everyone - current VMware Fusion users and prospective users alike!
The Beta is a free download, with registration, and can be accessed at the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta Portal.
Community participation, filing of bugs, feature requests, and support are all handled via the Beta Portal, so check it out!
Please Note: Beta software can be prone to instability and bugs, and is only suitable for users interested in testing out the latest and greatest in a testing environment. Do not run beta software in mission critical situations.
Yeah! Multi-Monitor support is exactly what I have been waiting for.
Thanks for the free upgrade to 2.0!
Posted by: Jeff Miller | May 05, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Looks great guys!
How about Multiple/ automated Snapshots??
Please??
Posted by: Zoli | May 05, 2008 at 08:29 PM
I've run it for a few hours with Windows Vista Business on Bootcamp and so far so good.
Posted by: Magnus | May 06, 2008 at 12:01 AM
But no 3D for Vista... When, oh when please, when? You'll get the "ooooh" from me as soon as you release a version that runs Aero on Macbook/GMA950 :)
Posted by: Atheos | May 06, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Very nice!
Question: Can you boot and install from a floppy image file, to force a PXE/RIS installation?
Posted by: Mark | May 06, 2008 at 01:19 AM
Looking good, the improved unity is fantastic... But does it support compiz on Linux yet? That's the real killer feature for me at the moment!
Posted by: Michael | May 06, 2008 at 04:06 AM
I can not install the new VMWare Tools in Windows XP Home on my Macbook 13"
Nevertheless: VMWare Fusion is GREAT! I love and use it heavily!
Posted by: Flo | May 06, 2008 at 05:46 AM
Can't wait to try out Fusion 2.0. Question: Is there any work being done on bringing the Unity technology to Linux? I barely use my Windows VM but I'm running my Ubuntu 8.04 VM daily and would love to have the ability to run an app from here in a window in OS X like I can a Windows app.
Posted by: Jeff Self | May 06, 2008 at 06:15 AM
It does not play nice with Spaces. When you switch to its space it does not come up. You have to click on the dock first.
:-(
Posted by: Michele | May 06, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Excellent! I've been waiting for this since I got a mac as a pc replacement. Thank you.
Is the main (screen 1) windows screen required to be on a certain monitor?
Posted by: Tom Smith | May 06, 2008 at 03:12 PM
Please add support for multiple snapshots!
Posted by: Joe | May 06, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Can't wait to give this a try! Ysy for beta versions!
Posted by: Tyler | May 06, 2008 at 04:59 PM
Hopefully there's an option to disable the mac menu bar when in full screen. srsly.
Posted by: bill gates | May 06, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Awesome multiple screen support!
I still can't believe there is no support for multiple snapshots.
Posted by: John | May 06, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Wow, very impressive! Great work!!!
Posted by: Brian | May 06, 2008 at 06:38 PM
"VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 includes the ability to convert your Boot Camp partition to a "full" virtual machine."
Why would I want to do this?
If I want to make a backup copy of my car's CD navigation system discs, I have to run Alcohol 120% and talk directly to the CD/DVD drive. If I converted my Boot Camp partition I could no longer do this.
I think VMware would do well to push the cool features of its virtual machines (like the aforementioned snapshots and lack of waiting for Boot Camp installations to boot inside the VM) but not at the expense of those of us who occasionally need direct access to the raw hardware (I wouldn't have set up a Boot Camp partition if I didn't need it).
Posted by: Riot Nrrrd™ | May 06, 2008 at 06:59 PM
I'm looking forward to giving this a whirl. The real features I'm waiting on, though, are multiple snapshots (with a snapshot manager) and clones (linked, especially).
Posted by: Jack | May 07, 2008 at 07:01 AM
Looks good, but I see a lot of Windows stuff there (which I don't use at all).
Will VMWare Fusion 2 finally support OpenGL in Linux? I'd just love to run Compiz-Fusion inside my Ubuntu VM :-)
Posted by: Charly | May 07, 2008 at 07:16 AM
Well, this would seem to be the end for Parallels, considering that they don't even have XP SP3 support yet...
Posted by: colincornaby | May 07, 2008 at 05:36 PM
Does it support firewire pass through so firewire cameras can directly connect to the VM? If not can we please get support for some kind of 1394 passthruogh in a future rev,? Please!?
Posted by: rb-mdi | May 08, 2008 at 04:35 AM
I'm using Fusion 1.1.2 and a few IMPORTANT things don't work for me (I'm using Ubuntu 8.04 as my VM):
* shared folders not working; I have enabled it in the VM properties, but in Ubuntu I don’t see anything under /mnt/hgfs.
* while I can drag/drop from my guest Ubuntu VM to Leopard, I can’t go the other way.
Very frustrating :(
Posted by: paul | May 08, 2008 at 08:05 PM
A free upgrade from a version 1.x to 2.0 is an awesome "gift" to existing customers that may have struggled with some initial issues. I especially like the "Unity" improvements for an even tighter and simpler integration and probably won't even use many of the announced more advanced features. But his news definitely boosts my confidence that VMware Fusion was the right decision after testing several solutions.
Posted by: Harald | May 09, 2008 at 02:56 AM
Looks cool. Any chance of support for Snapshots of Boot Camp partitions...?
Posted by: Tim | May 13, 2008 at 12:57 PM
I hope at list the double of performance with the macpro 8800gt.
Really slow direct9 shader performance
Posted by: Ros | May 15, 2008 at 03:35 AM
Here is a second to the request for a firewire pass through. I can see my windows apps and they seem to be fine but without the ability to pass firewire audio it is hamstrung.
Posted by: Eric | May 22, 2008 at 07:37 PM