The VMware Fusion team is proud to announce the availability of VMware
Fusion 2.0 Public Beta 2. Beta 2 extends the seamless integration of VMware
Fusion 1.x, adds new ways to protect and control your virtual machines,
enhances video performance and adds a slew of power-user features.
When released, VMware Fusion 2.0 will be a free downloadable upgrade for
all VMware Fusion 1.x users, as a sincere “Thank You” to VMware Fusion
early adopters.
VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 2 is available as a free download
(http://communities.vmware.com/community/beta/fusion).
Please note: Beta software can be prone to instability and bugs. Do not run
beta software in mission-critical environments.
Key features and highlights of VMware Fusion 2 Beta 2 include:
* Unity 2.0-Tighter Windows-Mac Integration: Building on Unity 1.0, you can
now launch any Mac file with any of your Windows applications. Mirror your
Mac and Windows special folders-like My Documents, Desktop, etc. Custom
keyboard mapping between Mac keyboard and virtual machines.
* Safety Features for your VM: Take and manage multiple snapshots of your
virtual machines. Use AutoProtect, or automated, timed snapshots of your
running virtual machine to protect your VM from unexpected bumps in the
road.
* Video and Usability: Great 3D support gets better and more stable. CPU
usage is thinner and lighter. 1080p High Definition video runs near
natively in VMs, while VMs now integrate with Mac OS X Leopard’s
“QuickLook.” Status bars and the Fusion icon glow to signify activity, and
Fusion 2.0 increases it market leadership and uses even less of your Macs
valuable resources.
* Power Tools-In addition to multiple snapshots, VMware Fusion now allows
up to four virtual CPUs on a VM, Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine, and
support for VMrun command line scripting, showing more flashes of its
datacenter lineage.
More information and video demos of the new beta can be found at:
http://www.vmware.com/communities/content/beta/fusion/fusion2_beta2.html
Release Notes are available here:
http://www.vmware.com/beta/fusion/releasenotes_fusion.html
Complete VMware Fusion 2 Beta 2 Feature List:
Unity 2.0-Mac-Windows Integration:
* Application sharing between the Mac and the virtual machines
* Mirrored folders in Windows Vista and Windows XP, in which key folders in
the virtual machine (Desktop, My Documents, My Music, My Pictures) match
their corresponding Mac folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, and Pictures)
* Flexibility in keyboard and mouse mapping
* Improved cut and paste, up to 4 MB, including styled text
* Improved reliability of shared folders, compatible with Microsoft Office
2007, Visual Studio 2007
Usability Enhancements:
* Status icons and VMware Fusion icon glow when there is activity
* Mac OS X Leopard “QuickLook” Integration
* Keyboard compatibility improved, notably with Quicken, Google Earth
* Support for Boot Camp support of 64-bit Vista; handles activation for
Microsoft Office 2003 and Office 2007
Safety Features:
* Multiple snapshots can be taken and saved
* Backup of virtual machines automatically at intervals with AutoProtect
snapshots
Video Enhancements:
* Support for 1080p full high definition video in Windows XP or Windows Vista
* 3D support improved measurably
* Ability to go in and out of Full Screen view while playing games
Tech Pro Features:
* Multiple snapshot management
* Create a virtual machine with a Mac OS X Server 10.5 operating system
(note that due to Apple’s licensing restrictions, Mac OS X client is not
supported as a virtual machine)
* Ability to resize virtual disks in User Interface
* Unity view is available in Linux operating systems
* Support for Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron
* The New Virtual Machine Assistant has Linux Easy Install in addition to
Windows Easy Install. Linux Easy Install supports installing VMware Tools
for key Linux distributions including Ubuntu.
* Ability to mount the virtual disk of a powered-off Windows virtual
machine using VMDKMounter (Mac OS X 10.5 or higher)
For Big Iron Wranglers:
* Experimental support for 4-way SMP
* The vmrun command line interface is available to script VMware Fusion
* Create a virtual machine with a Mac OS X Server 10.5 operating system
(note that due to Apple’s licensing restrictions, Mac OS X client is not
supported as a virtual machine)
* Continued support for all major server operating systems (32 and 64 bit,
Windows, Linux, and now Mac OS X)