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VMware Fusion, which allows Intel Macs to run Windows in a, well, Window alongside OS X, has been upgraded to version 2. This is a free upgrade to users of Fusion 1.x (woot!), and you will not have to reinstall your virtual machine after the upgrade. The 248MB download is available now.

The release notes detail several major improvements, the first of which is the ability to take an unlimited amount of “Snapshots” of your virtual machine (formerly, you could only have one). The Snapshot feature allows you to save the machine’s settings in a particular state, and return it to that exact state (useful in testing software). Fusion 2 can now also be set up to take Snapshots at regular intervals.

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VMware has released their virtualization app for the Mac, Fusion, as version 1.0. A competitor to Parallels, Fusion emulates and virtualizes Windows, Linux, and more. With features like Unity, Snapshots, and 3D emulation, Fusion makes it easy to run other OS’ on your Mac.

“VMware Fusion combines a very clean and intuitive interface that Mac users expect with the world’s most trusted desktop virtualization platform to allow users to run Mac applications seamlessly alongside PC applications on Intel-based Macs”, said Dan Chu, Vice President of Emerging Products and Markets.

VMware Fusion retails for $79.99, and is available with a $20 rebate, bringing the price tag down to $59.99. A 30 day trial is also available for those who just want to try Fusion out.

Product Page [VMware Fusion]

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Parallels had better watch out. Months ago, when they had a monopoly on the mac virtualization market, they were the only choice for running Windows and Mac OS X side by side. But now there is a new competitor in town—VMware. Known as the industry standard for Windows virtualization, they are trying to take a piece out of Parallels pie. Their product, Fusion, has just gotten out of beta and is now in Release Candidate 1.

VMware continues to enhance their product by improving their “Unity” feature, as well as adding 3D support for the integrated graphics cards. Fusion is now ready to work in Leopard, and also includes a new “Applications” menu so that Windows apps can be launched from the dock. Fusion is expected to ship in late August for $79.99 matching the price of Parallels.

All of this competition in the virtualization market is really healthy, and beneficial for the consumer. Both Parallels and VMware crank out new features every month and continue to enhance the users experience. It should be fun to see them go head-on when they both have shipping products this fall.

Read [Ars Technica]

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