Formally announced earlier this month, VMware today began shipping Fusion 3, an updated version of its Mac virtualization software. The app runs Windows programs within a Mac environment, reducing or eliminating the need to use Boot Camp. Upgrades in v3 include a new 64-bit core engine, claimed to improve performance for both Snow Leopard and the recently-launched Windows 7.
Developer VMware has announced the upcoming release of Fusion 3, the next major iteration of its Mac virtualization software. The program lets users run Windows apps from within Mac OS X, eliminating the need to boot into a separate session. Version 3 is designed around Snow Leopard, and uses a new 64-bit engine, which not only increases multicore performance but better supports Windows 7.
MacTech has released a benchmark study of virtual machines on the Mac, comparing Parallels Desktop with VMware Fusion 2.0.1. The tests were run on four different systems including the white MacBook, unibody MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro. The white MacBook was equipped with 2GB of RAM with a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo processor, while the unibody Pro contained 4GB of RAM and a 2.53GHz chip. The iMac ran at 2.66GHz with 2GB of RAM, while the Mac Pro utilized 4GB of RAM and an eight-core 2.8GHz CPU. Over 2,500 tests were completed with Windows XP and Vista virtualizations, gauging factors like file and network IQ, footprint, application launch and 3D and HD graphics.
Today's DealNN deals include a variety of products from solid state drives and printers to flash drives. First up is the 32GB Cavalry Pelican solid state drive priced at $79.99 at Buy.com. Get VMware Fusion 1.0 with free upgrade to version 2.0 at MacMall.com for $14.99 after mail in rebate. RadioShack.com is offering a buy-one-get-one deal on two different products, the 4GB SanDisk Cruzer micro and the Gigaware VGA PC webcam, both priced at $19.99. The Canon Pixma all in one color printer is priced at $64.99 at Newegg.com. CompUSA.com is offering the 32GB Patriot Xporter XT for $64.99 with a $20 mail in rebate offer that drops the price down to $44.99.
RE:Vision Effects has published Video Gogh 3, the latest version of its video post-effects software. The software attempts to simulate the look of various kinds of paintings and illustrations, such as oil, chalk and watercolor. The third edition adds a variety of features, most notably the option for animated and custom brush sets, with user-selectable brush images and render styles.
Australia-based Fusion electronics announced it will soon release its CA-1P500 automotive head unit that is unique thanks to its internal iPod docking station. The head unit's faceplate tilts open to reveal an open space that will house the iPod touch, fifth- and sixth-generation iPod classic as well as the second and third-generation iPod nano. Users will be able to control their tucked-away iPod via the head unit's controls and view current artist and track information on the head unit's OLED display while their portable music players are charged.
AMD's upcoming CPU/GPU chip will extend its portfolio of products as its rivals continue to search for new markets. On the heels of the Intel's Larrabee GPU unveiling on Monday and news of NVIDIA's upcoming integrated chip potentially finding its way into Apple's notebooks, leaks have revealed more details on AMD's Fusion "half-node" CPU/GPU combo chip -- which was in large part, one of the largest justification in AMD's acquisition of ATI. Citing industry sources, the TGDaily report indicates that AMD's half-node chip, due in Q1 of next year, will be manufactured by contract chip manufacturer TSMC, whose manufacturing headquarters on the main island of Taiwan (called Formosa). As the successor to the Puma platform, the first chip based on Fusion technology, code-named "Shrike," will integrate a dual-core Phenom CPU and an ATI RV800 GPU core, rather than the previously rumored dual-core Kuma CPU and a RV710-based graphics unit.
VMware has announced that the next beta version of Fusion 2.0, its Mac virtualization software, will officially introduce support for virtualizing Mac OS X Leopard Server. The company has been working on the project since January, following modifications to Apple licensing which allowed Leopard Server to be run in a virtual machine on a Mac. For end users, this should mainly permit running multiple servers for different networking tasks.
Despite a series of conflicting news releases, Vodafone has confirmed that there will not be a pay-as-you-go version of the iPhone 3G available in New Zealand. NZMac.com first spotted the confusion in statements from Vodafone and Apple New Zealand which announced both contract and prepaid versions of the iPhone in various press releases. Vodafone cleared things up this morning, saying only the contract versions will be available in New Zealand and Portugal beginning in July 11.
VMWare Fusion 1.1.2 has been released, adding enhanced support for the MacBook Air. The new release also enables Time Machine backup of virtual machines, adds support for Windows XP SP3 Boot Camp partitions, and is now available in Simplified Chinese. In addition, VMWare can now properly disconnect USB devices connected to the virtual machine when shut down, making the USB devices available again to the Mac. It also addresses problem with wireless bridged networking in some cases not being able to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server.
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is being labeled a threat to Microsoft's platform dominance, with the operating system's new features such as Spaces, and the Mac's ability to run Windows, being cited as symptoms of the effect. BusinessWeek writer Gary Morgenthaler states that Apple's OS is loosening a "20-year death grip" that Microsoft has had on the industry, especially when combined with VM solutions such as VMware Fusion or Parallels.
VMware today unveiled Fusion 1.1.1, an update to its virtualization client, adding in numerous features and bug fixes. Fusion now remaps hotkeys between the Mac and the virtual machine, equating Command-C with Control-C in the VM, for example. This remapping works for the following keys: Z, C, V, X, P, A, and F. On European keyboards, the Enter key now properly gives the AltGr command, and will not be influenced by NumLock. Fusion 1.1.1 is available for download from VMware's website.
VMware today unveiled VMware Importer Beta 2, its tool for converting virtual machine disk images to work with Fusion, which now supports Virtual PC disk images. Users with Virtual PC 7 on their PowerPC-based Macs can now transition to Fusion on a new Intel-based Mac; the importer supports installs of Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, XP Service Pack 2, and Server 2003 in VPC 7 disk images. VMware is offering the update on its website, available for users of its Fusion virtualization product.
Preflight and conversion mogul Markzware recently unveiled the final release of Microsoft Publisher to Adobe InDesign 1.5, or PUB2ID, while Extensis has announced Mac OS 10.5 Leopard support in Suitcase Fusion 12.1.7. PUB2ID is designed to convert Microsoft Publisher files, from versions 2002 through 2007, to Adobe InDesign CS2 and CS3, with the exception of Publisher 2007 documents that are converted to XPS format. The plugin supports a number of Publisher formatting options, including: page size, positioning, color models, fonts and styles, text attributes and labels, layers, word wrap, linked text boxes, and automatic extraction of embedded images. Markzware says that PUB2ID works with both Mac and Windows versions of InDesign, and that it is currently available for $200, with 5- and 10-seat licenses as optional purchases.
