Who
would have thought it possible to run Windows on a
Mac as a windows machine ? Well thanks to intel
processors and VMWare Fusion” this is now possible.
What is VMWare Fusion ?
Simply its a virtualisation application to run Windows side by side with our favourite software programs on an intel based mac.
Compatibility
First of all you must own an intel based mac as already stated, secondly you must also possess an authentic copy of a Microsoft operating system like Windows XP or Vista. Furthermore you can actually run 60 different operating systems which also include Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD distributions.
To run VMWare Fusion it will operate on OS X 10.4.9 or later.
Additionally you can run virtual machines created by their other products too, which include “Workstation, Infrastructure and Server”.
What are the benefits ?
Well there is quite a lot actually, first of all I like the “Unity” feature which gives the appearance that a Windows application is running alongside Mac applications, you can actually right click on the running Windows program and choose to leave the icon in the dock, as though it was an actual Mac program. In other products you are stuck with the windows start bar above the dock, not so in VMWare Fusion.
Secondly with Boot Camp you have to shut down windows and press the alt key to access the option to boot into the Mac operating system, at least with VMWare Fusion you can run Windows applications side by side with Mac programs. You can even drag and drop files between both platforms. Additionally if you are running Boot Camp, VMWare Fusion will also detect this, which means you have the option to run this as a virtual machine.
Other features and benefits are the ability to take a snapshot of your virtual machine, so that if anything goes wrong you can do a system restore, and because Windows runs in a virtual machine this protects the Mac hardware inside your system, should the Windows operating system become unstable.
VMware Fusion lets you get the most out of your Mac hardware—from the SuperDrive to iSight cameras—in any virtual machine. (This is unique to VMWare Fusion) You also get complete support for proprietary video cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, and other USB 2.0 devices that only work in Windows. Also allowing virtual machines to safely share a single network connection, effortlessly switching between wired and wireless AirPort/Wi-Fi connections.
A very convenient feature is to be able to suspend a virtual machine, which means that once you exit an application from the guest operating system, you do not have to shut it down. The suspend feature will freeze the present state of Windows or another platform or distribution.
Installation
Installing VMWare Fusion is as straightforward as any typical Mac application, simply enter you serial number to unlock it, then you are prompted to create a virtual machine, by selecting new, you then have the option of selecting “Windows Easy Install” feature, which involves answering a few simple questions, then inserting the operating system disc, it will then go through the process of creating a partition with your memory requirements, and then installing Windows or whatever other platform you have. If you are installing Windows then you will need to enter your COA license first, and once the installation has completed you need to go through the Microsoft activation process, to ensure ongoing usage.
For me it was very straightforward process, and I must admit if you need to run Windows on your Mac then this in my opinion has the best features and benefits, and I eagerly look forward to future developments of this fine product.
Simplicity : 10 Out Of 10
Features : 9 Out Of 10 :
What is VMWare Fusion ?
Simply its a virtualisation application to run Windows side by side with our favourite software programs on an intel based mac.
Compatibility
First of all you must own an intel based mac as already stated, secondly you must also possess an authentic copy of a Microsoft operating system like Windows XP or Vista. Furthermore you can actually run 60 different operating systems which also include Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD distributions.
To run VMWare Fusion it will operate on OS X 10.4.9 or later.
Additionally you can run virtual machines created by their other products too, which include “Workstation, Infrastructure and Server”.
What are the benefits ?
Well there is quite a lot actually, first of all I like the “Unity” feature which gives the appearance that a Windows application is running alongside Mac applications, you can actually right click on the running Windows program and choose to leave the icon in the dock, as though it was an actual Mac program. In other products you are stuck with the windows start bar above the dock, not so in VMWare Fusion.
Secondly with Boot Camp you have to shut down windows and press the alt key to access the option to boot into the Mac operating system, at least with VMWare Fusion you can run Windows applications side by side with Mac programs. You can even drag and drop files between both platforms. Additionally if you are running Boot Camp, VMWare Fusion will also detect this, which means you have the option to run this as a virtual machine.
Other features and benefits are the ability to take a snapshot of your virtual machine, so that if anything goes wrong you can do a system restore, and because Windows runs in a virtual machine this protects the Mac hardware inside your system, should the Windows operating system become unstable.
VMware Fusion lets you get the most out of your Mac hardware—from the SuperDrive to iSight cameras—in any virtual machine. (This is unique to VMWare Fusion) You also get complete support for proprietary video cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, and other USB 2.0 devices that only work in Windows. Also allowing virtual machines to safely share a single network connection, effortlessly switching between wired and wireless AirPort/Wi-Fi connections.
A very convenient feature is to be able to suspend a virtual machine, which means that once you exit an application from the guest operating system, you do not have to shut it down. The suspend feature will freeze the present state of Windows or another platform or distribution.
Installation
Installing VMWare Fusion is as straightforward as any typical Mac application, simply enter you serial number to unlock it, then you are prompted to create a virtual machine, by selecting new, you then have the option of selecting “Windows Easy Install” feature, which involves answering a few simple questions, then inserting the operating system disc, it will then go through the process of creating a partition with your memory requirements, and then installing Windows or whatever other platform you have. If you are installing Windows then you will need to enter your COA license first, and once the installation has completed you need to go through the Microsoft activation process, to ensure ongoing usage.
For me it was very straightforward process, and I must admit if you need to run Windows on your Mac then this in my opinion has the best features and benefits, and I eagerly look forward to future developments of this fine product.
Simplicity : 10 Out Of 10
Features : 9 Out Of 10 :
VMWare Fusion For The Intel Mac Review