VMware Fusion [OLD VERSION]

I bought this for my work MacBook so that I could continue to run a few essential XP applications.

Pros:
* Seamless XP App integration with Unity
* Free upgrade to 2.x
* Downloadable utility to import your old Windows PC image saves a ton of reinstall work.
* Plenty of available VMware images containing Open Source OS's available to tinker with.

Cons:
* Watch the fine print on the rebate - I sent mine in > 30 days later and the request was denied. One would think hanging onto the funds a bit longer would mean more interest earned.
* If your Mac crashes while your guest is open, be prepared to recover the guest disk image from backup.
* Adequate guest performance requires a substantial amount of host memory if you plan on running Mac native apps as well.

In a Windows world this software is crucial for those who want to enjoy the wonders of Mac but don't want to be isolated from the rest of the world. I have had no problem running Windows programs with this software and the integration and networking with the Mac keeps on getting better. I do not run games on it or other graphic intensive programs, but I gather that this might be the programs only weakness. However, in this area the programs keeps on getting better. It is a must have, you won't regret getting it.

Although I had an older version of Parallels, which I installed about a year and a half ago (so it may be improved now), I found VMware Fusion much easier to install and found that it worked perfectly, hooking up my internet connections almost automatically thru my existing Airport. Parallels, meanwhile, was a total hassle to connect to the internet. I am not a geek, and although I appreciate using the latest technology, I need it to be intuitive; this product does that for me. I also love the fact that I can seamlessly switch between Windows and Mac OS, drag and drop files between the two systems; it's almost as though the guys at Apple designed this! I love it.

The best thing about this is that it can be used to upgrade to Fusion 2.0 immediately. I opened the box and just used the serial number to register and activate my Version 2.0 demo. Basically you just instantly save half your money to start! I don't know why anyone wouldn't just buy this Version until it is no longer available... the box with a different picture??

Just purchased a Mac and wanted to run Windows as a window within Mac. This software is great. It came as version 1 but as soon as I installed it I was prompted to update to the latest version. Another update has come out and I will probably do that in a few months, I hesitate to update anything when it is running so well and I am a real neophyte on the Mac.