Virtualization specialist VMware has announced the release of VMware Workstation 8 for PC and VMware Fusion 4 for Mac. Both tools allow users to run different operating systems in virtual windows through one computer.
Both releases include a number of new features, additional hardware support and are updated to take advantage of the latest operating systems (VMWare Fusion 4 has been optimized for Lion). VMware Workstation 8 also introduces a new system requirement: it will only run on PCs with 64-bit processors.
One of the major new features in VMware Workstation 8 is its improved hardware support. Version 8 now supports USB 3.0, Bluetooth, HD audio with 7:1 surround sound and up to 64GB RAM, and includes improved 3D graphics performance.
It includes new remote connection options for connecting to other hosts running Workstation, VMware vSphere and VMware Center. Version 8 also makes it possible to share VMs across the network, so colleagues can easily access them for testing purposes.
The program also simplifies the creation of virtual machines for uploading to VMware vSphere -- once created, the new VM can be simply dragged from the user’s desktop into vSphere.
VMware Workstation 8 also features a revamped user interface, promising simplified menus, live thumbnails of running VMs, improved preferences screens and a new virtual machine library with enhanced search functionality that works across desktops, servers and other PCs running VMware Workstation.
A full list of changes are detailed in the program’s release notes. VMWare Workstation 8 is available as a trial download for PCs with 64-bit CPUs running Windows or Linux. The full version costs $199, upgrades from version 6 or 7 cost $99.
VMware claims more than 90 new features are present in VMware Fusion 4. It promises to provide the best Windows experience on OS X Lion, allowing users to add Windows applications to Launchpad, access them through Mission Control and view them at full screen while using Mac gestures to switch between them.
It also promises better performance and faster graphics -- up to two-and-a-half times faster 3D graphic performance than in previous versions due to being optimised for multi-core Macs and being a complete 64-bit Cocoa application. Interface changes echoing Workstation 8 include the redesigned virtual machine library and snapshot menu along with a brand new settings menu.
VMware Fusion 4 also supports both OS X Lion and OS X Lion Server in virtual machines, in addition to support for OS X Leopard Server and OS X Snow Leopard Server. VMware has also announced a limited promotional price of just $49.99 for the software, a saving of $30 on its SRP.
VMWare Fusion 4 is available as a trial download for Macs running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later. A detailed list of all changes and improvements are found in the program’s release notes.