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.
