Post by account_disabled on Sept 16, 2023 11:12:49 GMT
Although support for Apple Silicon is still lacking, Fusion 13 is a good option for Mac users who need to run Windows 11 or Linux apps on their Mac. It offers a free version for non-commercial use, making it the cheapest option for general users and students.
ⓒ VMware
For a long time , Parallels Desktop Phone Number List and VMWare Fusion have been competing to provide the best virtualization software for running Windows software on a Mac. Every time Apple releases a new version of macOS, Parallels and VMware also compete to release their own updates. In other words, both programs continued to provide new features and improved performance, which was a welcome situation for Mac users.
However, in recent years, VMware's focus appears to have shifted to its high-end enterprise products. Since the introduction of Apple Silicon in 2020, Fusion has virtually stopped competing with Parallels Desktop for annual updates.
The way Parallels and Fusion work is similar in that they create virtual machines that run like regular applications on a Mac. This virtual machine mimics the way a Windows PC works, so you can install a full copy of Windows and run any Windows software or games you need. Crucially, you can run Windows apps side-by-side with existing Mac apps, so you don't have to go back and forth between Mac and Windows like you do with Boot Camp on Intel Macs (of course, you can't use Boot Camp on Macs with Apple Silicon). Both programs can create virtual machines running various versions of Linux.
Fusion 13 meets Windows 11
Fusion's most recent major update was version 12, released in 2021. However, Fusion 12 did not support Apple's new M1 or M2 processors, so it only ran on older Macs with Intel processors. Additionally, Windows 11 was not officially supported as a guest operating system for Windows virtual machines.
However, VMware released a free version of Fusion Player to compete with Parallels Desktop. This is ideal for students or home users who occasionally need to use Windows apps on their Mac for 'non-commercial' purposes. The free version requires a MyVMware account and cannot be used for commercial purposes. Free license registration for personal use can be done on the VMware website .
The new Fusion 13 is also free to use for non-commercial use. Business users who want to use Fusion regularly in their company must pay a Fusion Player commercial license fee of $149. A Fusion Pro version license, which provides advanced features for large businesses and IT managers, costs $199.
ⓒ VMware
The pace of releasing new updates has slowed over the past few years, but a small group at VMware called teamfusion ( blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/ ), led by Michael Roy, is continuing to work on improving Fusion. A preview version of Fusion, which supports both Apple Silicon and Windows 11, was released about a year ago, but the final version, Fusion 13, was not released until the end of 2022.
The universal file provided when you download Fusion 13 can run natively on both Intel Macs and Macs with Apple Silicon processors. The only limitation, however, is that running Fusion now requires a Mac with macOS 12 Monterey or later installed (Parallels Desktop runs on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later).
When you run Fusion on a Mac with an Intel processor, it continues to work the way it always has. Up to 32 processor cores and up to 128GB of memory can be assigned to a virtual machine to optimize performance as needed. Fusion also has a viewing mode called Unity, which is similar to Parallels Desktop's Coherence mode. This mode allows you to hide the Windows desktop in the virtual machine and place each Windows app on the desktop along with all other Mac apps.
Windows on Apple Silicon Macs
On Macs equipped with Apple Silicon processors, the features provided by Fusion 13 are limited. Macs running Apple Silicon require a special version of Windows 11 called Windows On Arm (WoA). Michael Roy stated that Fusion 13 is just the “first feature release for ARM Windows 11.” This means that the process of installing and running Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs is somewhat imperfect.
ⓒ VMware
Parallels Desktop includes an option to automatically download and purchase WoA when creating a new virtual machine, while VMware requires users to purchase a license directly from Microsoft. Unfortunately, WoA's main sales target is PC manufacturers, not individual users, so purchasing a license for an individual is not easy. So VMware needs to make Fusion more user-friendly for people who don't understand Microsoft's complex licensing policies. Additionally, Fusion has a tendency to overuse complex jargon that only enterprise IT managers can understand, such as 'side channel mitigations'.
There are also technical limitations. When running Fusion on an Intel-based Mac, you can turn on hardware-accelerated 3D graphics in Windows games and design software through DirectX and OpenGL 4.3. However, when running on Apple Silicon, it only supports OpenGL for virtual machines using Linux. Windows support is still in development.
In fact, Apple's M1 and M2 processors are also high-performance, so there are no major problems handling common tasks such as web browsing or running the Windows version of Microsoft Office in a Windows virtual machine, even at 4K resolution. But gamers hoping to play Elden Ring or Diablo IV this summer may be disappointed.
Although Fusion 13 still lags Parallels Desktop when it comes to Apple Silicon and ARM Windows 11 support, it's good to see that VMware isn't about to let Fusion just disappear. In addition, it can be used for free, so general users and students can save money. In particular, if you are still using an Intel-based Mac, it is advantageous because you can take full advantage of Windows software and games through Fusion.
ⓒ VMware
For a long time , Parallels Desktop Phone Number List and VMWare Fusion have been competing to provide the best virtualization software for running Windows software on a Mac. Every time Apple releases a new version of macOS, Parallels and VMware also compete to release their own updates. In other words, both programs continued to provide new features and improved performance, which was a welcome situation for Mac users.
However, in recent years, VMware's focus appears to have shifted to its high-end enterprise products. Since the introduction of Apple Silicon in 2020, Fusion has virtually stopped competing with Parallels Desktop for annual updates.
The way Parallels and Fusion work is similar in that they create virtual machines that run like regular applications on a Mac. This virtual machine mimics the way a Windows PC works, so you can install a full copy of Windows and run any Windows software or games you need. Crucially, you can run Windows apps side-by-side with existing Mac apps, so you don't have to go back and forth between Mac and Windows like you do with Boot Camp on Intel Macs (of course, you can't use Boot Camp on Macs with Apple Silicon). Both programs can create virtual machines running various versions of Linux.
Fusion 13 meets Windows 11
Fusion's most recent major update was version 12, released in 2021. However, Fusion 12 did not support Apple's new M1 or M2 processors, so it only ran on older Macs with Intel processors. Additionally, Windows 11 was not officially supported as a guest operating system for Windows virtual machines.
However, VMware released a free version of Fusion Player to compete with Parallels Desktop. This is ideal for students or home users who occasionally need to use Windows apps on their Mac for 'non-commercial' purposes. The free version requires a MyVMware account and cannot be used for commercial purposes. Free license registration for personal use can be done on the VMware website .
The new Fusion 13 is also free to use for non-commercial use. Business users who want to use Fusion regularly in their company must pay a Fusion Player commercial license fee of $149. A Fusion Pro version license, which provides advanced features for large businesses and IT managers, costs $199.
ⓒ VMware
The pace of releasing new updates has slowed over the past few years, but a small group at VMware called teamfusion ( blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/ ), led by Michael Roy, is continuing to work on improving Fusion. A preview version of Fusion, which supports both Apple Silicon and Windows 11, was released about a year ago, but the final version, Fusion 13, was not released until the end of 2022.
The universal file provided when you download Fusion 13 can run natively on both Intel Macs and Macs with Apple Silicon processors. The only limitation, however, is that running Fusion now requires a Mac with macOS 12 Monterey or later installed (Parallels Desktop runs on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later).
When you run Fusion on a Mac with an Intel processor, it continues to work the way it always has. Up to 32 processor cores and up to 128GB of memory can be assigned to a virtual machine to optimize performance as needed. Fusion also has a viewing mode called Unity, which is similar to Parallels Desktop's Coherence mode. This mode allows you to hide the Windows desktop in the virtual machine and place each Windows app on the desktop along with all other Mac apps.
Windows on Apple Silicon Macs
On Macs equipped with Apple Silicon processors, the features provided by Fusion 13 are limited. Macs running Apple Silicon require a special version of Windows 11 called Windows On Arm (WoA). Michael Roy stated that Fusion 13 is just the “first feature release for ARM Windows 11.” This means that the process of installing and running Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs is somewhat imperfect.
ⓒ VMware
Parallels Desktop includes an option to automatically download and purchase WoA when creating a new virtual machine, while VMware requires users to purchase a license directly from Microsoft. Unfortunately, WoA's main sales target is PC manufacturers, not individual users, so purchasing a license for an individual is not easy. So VMware needs to make Fusion more user-friendly for people who don't understand Microsoft's complex licensing policies. Additionally, Fusion has a tendency to overuse complex jargon that only enterprise IT managers can understand, such as 'side channel mitigations'.
There are also technical limitations. When running Fusion on an Intel-based Mac, you can turn on hardware-accelerated 3D graphics in Windows games and design software through DirectX and OpenGL 4.3. However, when running on Apple Silicon, it only supports OpenGL for virtual machines using Linux. Windows support is still in development.
In fact, Apple's M1 and M2 processors are also high-performance, so there are no major problems handling common tasks such as web browsing or running the Windows version of Microsoft Office in a Windows virtual machine, even at 4K resolution. But gamers hoping to play Elden Ring or Diablo IV this summer may be disappointed.
Although Fusion 13 still lags Parallels Desktop when it comes to Apple Silicon and ARM Windows 11 support, it's good to see that VMware isn't about to let Fusion just disappear. In addition, it can be used for free, so general users and students can save money. In particular, if you are still using an Intel-based Mac, it is advantageous because you can take full advantage of Windows software and games through Fusion.