VMware Fusion 7 now available with OS X Yosemite and Windows 8.1 support

VMware Fusion 7 Pro (screenshot 002)

Following the recent release of Yosemite-enabled Parallels Desktop 10, rival WMware on Wednesday announced immediate availability of VMware Fusion 7 and VMware Fusion 7 Pro, major new versions of its virtualization software which now includes built-in support for OS X Yosemite, OS X Yosemite Server and Windows 8.1, along with a bunch of other perks.

Also compatible with OS X Mavericks and OS X Mountain Lion and available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Japanese, WMware Fusion 7 and VMware Fusion 7 Pro take virtualization on the Mac to the next level with a speedier performance, a redesigned appearance, improved connectivity, support for Macs with Retina displays and more.

Thanks to better support for Apple’s App Nap technology in OS X and and reduction in Idle Wake Ups, the new WMware reduces battery drain on Macs by up to 42 percent versus VMware Fusion 6.

VMware Fusion 7 (speed chart 001)

The software is specifically optimized for Intel’s latest Core i5, i7 and Xeon E5 processors. The company claims up to a 43 percent increase in CPU-intensive operations like multimedia, encryption and decryption and so forth.

If you have a Mac with flash storage like the MacBook Air, the new WMware will take advantage of faster SSD performance to let you run Windows applications “at near-native performance”.

VMware Fusion 7 Pro (screenshot 001)

As show on the screenshot above, the application allows you to create virtual machines with up to 16 virtual processors, 8 TB virtual disks, up to 64GB of memory and up to 2GB of video memory per virtual machine.

Here are key highlights from WMware Fusion 7 and Pro.

VMware Fusion 7 features:

  • OS X Yosemite Support: Adopting Yosemite’s key design cues such as translucency in windows, streamlined toolbars and simplified Dock icon, Fusion 7 adds more dimension when managing virtual machines. It also leverages Yosemite’s control features to enable a consistent experience across the operating system.
  • Powerful Virtual Machines and Graphics: Create virtual machines with up to 16 vCPUs, 8 TB virtual disks and up to 64 GB of memory to run the most demanding applications. Graphics-intensive applications can now be given an additional boost by allocating up to 2 GB of video memory per virtual machine.
  • Support for the Latest Macs: Optimized for the latest Intel Core i5, i7 and Xeon E5 processors, Fusion 7 delivers up to 43 percent improvements in CPU intensive operations like multimedia, encryption and decryption, and other strenuous performance tests. Leveraging the Mac’s faster memory, faster SSD performance and greater power under the hood, Fusion 7 lets users run Windows applications at near-native performance.
  • Increased Efficiency: Fusion 7 reduces its energy impact on Macs to help users do more on a single charge. Improvements in App Nap® support and reduction in Idle Wake Ups allow every watt of power coming out of your Mac’s battery to be used as efficiently as possible. Fusion 7 shows an energy impact reduction of up to 42 percent compared to Fusion 6.
  • Retina Display Optimization: Windows with Retina display optimization delivers a crisp and detailed experience of Windows applications. If a Mac has a native Retina display or is connected to one, Fusion 7 enables users to have a seamless experience when running Windows across Retina and non-Retina displays.

VMware Fusion 7 Pro features:

  • Unmatched OS Support for Ultimate Compatibility: Fusion 7 Pro is designed for OS X Yosemite and fully supports the latest Microsoft operating systems, from Windows 8.1 for the desktop to Windows 2012 R2 for the server. For organizations and technical users that run the latest Linux distribution, Fusion 7 Pro supports Ubuntu 14.04, RHEL 7, CentOS 7, Fedora 20, Debian 8 and many more.
  • More VMware Connectivity: Connection to VMware vSphere® or VMware Workstation™ is now available, allowing users to extend and scale virtual machines to a private cloud. Users can easily connect to hosted virtual machines and run, upload or download virtual machines directly within Fusion 7 Pro.
  • Dual GPU Optimization: For MacBook Pros with a discrete GPU as well as an integrated GPU, Fusion 7 Pro lets users choose which GPU to use for 3-D applications. Selecting the integrated GPU enables longer battery life, while selecting the discrete GPU offers high performance for 3-D applications in a virtual machine.
  • Enhanced Connectivity and iSight Support: Macs equipped with an iSight camera can now use it to conduct video conferences within a Windows virtual machine. Fusion 7 Pro also supports USB 3.0 for fast file transfers, HD audio with 5.1 surround sound, and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology.
  • Enhanced Productivity: The Fusion Pro Virtual Machine Library’s new power state indicator enables users to monitor and shut down virtual machines not in use to improve overall performance. Fusion 7 Pro also enables application-level, user-configurable shortcuts to easily open or switch to a specific virtual machine.

VMware Fusion 7/Pro is a $69.99/$149.99 value for new customers.

Folks upgrading from the previous WMware Fusion 6 are eligible for a free upgrade via the VMware Fusion electronic upgrade program. VMware Fusion 5 and 6 customers can upgrade to VMware Fusion 7 for $49.99 and to VMware Fusion 7 Pro for $79.99 at the VMware online store.

A free trial can be downloaded via the VMware Fusion trial page.

[VMware PR, WMware Blogs]