The VMware Fusion Team today announced that the Fusion beta program is now live, providing Intel Mac users with another way to run Windows or Linux without the need to reboot. Fusion is the codename for a new VMware desktop software for Mac that enables Intel-based Macs to run x86 operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Solaris, or Linux, in virtual machines at the same time as Mac OS X. The application is built on VMware's desktop virtualization platform and runs a wide variety of 32- and 64-bit x86 operating systems while simultaneously running PC applications. The software leverages Virtual SMP capabilities to gain additional performance, and Mac owners with dual-core processors can assign multiple CPUs to the virtual machine for CPU-intensive workloads. Users can download VMware Fusion for Mac and obtain a beta-use serial number from the project website (system requirements were unavailable).

The latest revision supports all Intel Mac hardware, including the new 64-bit Mac Pro and iMac systems. Further key features include USB 2.0 support for a wide range of devices, and drag-and-drop support for files as well as folders in and out of virtual machines to transfer data.