VMware launches Fusion 6 virtual desktop for Mac with Mavericks support, Windows Store app integration
VMware regularly upgrades its Fusion virtual desktop client to support major new operating systems, and it's keeping up that tradition with today's release of Fusion 6. The new Mac app is optimized for OS X Mavericks' most important features, including a reworked full-screen mode that plays nicely with multiple displays. The software is equally ready for Windows 8.1 virtual machines, and lets users place shortcuts for Windows Store apps in a Mac's Applications folder or the Dock. There's also fine-tuning for Haswell-based Macs, a simplified setup assistant and support for virtual machines with up to 16 processors and 64GB of RAM. Fusion 6 Professional users get a few business-friendly upgrades, such expiring virtual machines and cloned machines that link back to master copies.
Both variants of Fusion 6 are available today, although pricing has increased significantly since Fusion 5. It now costs $60 for a stand-alone purchase of Fusion 6, and $130 for its Professional edition. Anyone who buys Fusion 5 between August 1st and September 30th can get the newer version for free, but they'll otherwise have to pay either $50 (for a standard copy) or $70 (for Professional) to stay on the cutting edge.
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VMware Announces VMware Fusion® 6 and VMware Fusion® 6 Professional
PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 4, 2013 -VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced the release of VMware Fusion® 6 with more than 50 new features to deliver the ultimate Windows-on-Mac experience. VMware is also releasing a new version of VMware Fusion 6 Professional with advanced features designed to dramatically improve the way businesses deploy corporate desktops on Macs and PCs.
"VMware Fusion 6 and Fusion 6 Professional spotlight our award-winning virtualization platform that we continue to upgrade with major enhancements and integration with the latest operating systems from Apple and Microsoft," said Jason Joel, director of personal products, VMware. "For enterprises with a heterogeneous computing environment with both Macs and PCs, Fusion 6 Professional takes deploying corporate desktops to a whole new level with enhanced restrictions and virtual machine expirations, giving IT admins the right tools to deal with BYOPC trends while ensuring corporate compliance."
VMware Fusion 6
VMware Fusion 6 is recommended for home users who are looking for the easiest, fastest and most reliable way to run Windows applications on a Mac. New features include:
• Designed for OS X Mavericks – Extend the unique features of Mavericks to your Windows environment such as taking full advantage of every display connected to your Mac with multiple display support and enhanced dictation support in your Windows applications.
• Ready for Windows 8.1 – Get the most out of Windows 8.1 directly on your Mac by running Windows Store applications side-by-side with your Mac applications. With VMware Fusion 6, you can access Windows Store applications in Launchpad or the Applications folder and put them in the dock in Unity mode.
• Optimized for the Latest Macs – VMware Fusion 6 is optimized for the latest Macs taking advantage of Intel's latest Haswell processors for even better battery life and even faster performance when running Windows applications.
• Create the Most Powerful Virtual Machines – Create virtual machines with support for up to 16 vCPUs, 8 TB virtual disks, and up to 64 GB of memory to run the most demanding Windows applications on a Mac.
• Enhanced User Interface – From its streamlined user experience and improved PC migration assistant, to easier installation of Windows and more granular selection of computer resources, everything has been enhanced to give users an even better way to run Windows on a Mac.
VMware Fusion 6 Professional
VMware Fusion 6 Professional includes all of the features of Fusion 6 along with advanced functionalities designed to improve the way professionals deliver enterprise applications to Mac and PC users. Key benefits include:
• Enhanced Restricted Virtual Machines – Fusion 6 Professional enhances restricted virtual machines by adding more customizable restrictions that provide IT administrators with even more control over deployments of corporate desktops.
• Expiring Virtual Machines – With the ability to expire virtual machines at a specific date and time, VMware Fusion 6 Professional enables deployment of corporate virtual machines to contractors and allows software developers to easily deliver demos of their software as a time-limited virtual appliance.
• Single Virtual Machine Mode – Easily prevent users from creating new virtual machines or accessing specific application features, to reduce support calls and increase productivity.
• Linked Clones – Linked clones allow users to create multiple copies of a virtual machine without duplicating the entire contents of the original disk saving considerable space on their PC.
• BYOPC with VMware Player 6 Plus – VMware Fusion 6 Professional is licensed to let you use VMware Player 6 Plus to run restricted virtual machines created by VMware Fusion 6 Professional on Windows and Linux PCs.
Availability and Pricing
VMware Fusion 6 and VMware Fusion 6 Professional are available immediately for download and purchase from vmware.com for $59.99 and $129.99 respectively. VMware Fusion 6 Professional is also available via VMware channel partners.
Customers who have purchased VMware Fusion 5 between Aug. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2013 are eligible for an electronic upgrade to VMware Fusion 6 at no additional cost.
VMware Fusion 4 and 5 customers can upgrade to VMware Fusion 6 for only $49.99 and to VMware Fusion 6 Professional for $69.99.
