VMWare Fusion 3.0 - shipping today

Jonny Evans
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October 27, 2009
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With Windows 7 out the breech and Snow Leopard already purring on many Macs, news that VMWare Fusion 3.0 ships today, October 27, is well-timed.

You may have missed the brilliant weekend deal which enabled you to pick up a copy of this sophisticated virtual machine software for just c.$27 this weekend...however, it is available now through Amazon in the US at $5 off book price, $74.99. (Steeper discount on a higher price in the UK, where you can pick up a copy for £58.99, as against the £68.46 book price).

We have been impressed by the speed and parity with which the virtualisation software runs guest OS’s on the Mac. The Unity engine is extremely stable (as far as we can tell), the integration between the OS’s impresses, and it opens your Mac up for Open GL and Directx support.

Better still, if you plan switching to Mac and have an old WIndows install disk, using the built-in Migration Assistant for Windows, VMware Fusion 3 can convert your entire PC and bring it over to your Mac in a few easy steps, giving you access to your Windows applications, documents and other files. Just install a simple application on your PC, connect it to your Mac with a cable or wirelessly, and VMware Fusion will guide you through the rest.

Additional features:
    •    VMware Fusion 3 provides the ultimate Windows experience on the Mac
    •    Optimized for Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard
    •    64-bit native and advanced 3D graphics
    •    Windows 7 support including Windows Aero and Flip 3D animations
    •    Ultra-fast Migration Assistant for Windows to transfer your entire PC to your Mac wirelessly or using an Ethernet cable.

Oh, and it’s not just Windows, the software lets you run a host of guest OS’s, including multiple Linux distros.

Comments (13)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 5:12am

Would be great but the ordering system is utterly fubar. It won't let me upgrade, saying I have no eligible products (despite having 2 copies of vmware fusion registered). Lots of people are having this problem.

The website is a mess - With a couple of clicks I can get it to say "Congratulations you are eligible for an upgrade" and "You have no eligible products" on the same page!

Those buying the full priced version are saying that the serial number takes a week to arrive.. so, epic fail there also.

Paullie (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 5:12am

Would me nice if Vmware would actually let you buy it though!

A lot of users, including myself, are experiencing an error on the upgrade website that states:

'Our records indicate that you have no eligible registered products to upgrade. To complete your upgrade order, please register a compatible product.'

We all have valid v1.x/2.x Serial Numbers in Vmware's Licensing Portal.

Paullie (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 5:14am

Would me nice if Vmware would actually let you buy it though!

A lot of users, including myself, are experiencing an error on the upgrade website that states:

'Our records indicate that you have no eligible registered products to upgrade. To complete your upgrade order, please register a compatible product.'

We all have valid v1.x/2.x Serial Numbers in Vmware's Licensing Portal.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 6:33am

Same thing with me, it is saying that I am not eligible. WHat a joke, I have been on the phone for over 30 minutes on hold. The tech support guy told me I am not eligible for the $39.00 upgrade because I didn't buy the package deal. If he is right, I will sue.

Josh (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 6:35am

As a teacher who sadly has to teach Windows, this makes my day. 64-bit native and Aero. . . I've bought it and I'm importing my Parallels machine right now!

Bob Guich (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 7:16am

I upgraded and install in 5 minutes.... How is it taking someone * weeks * to get a Fusion 3 serial # when it just came out today??? Really??

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 9:19am

Please tell me why I should get this over Parallels.

Parallels was out with Windows 7 support first - and it seems to work incredibly well

Also, it DOES NOT automatically recognize my Boot Camp partition, which is good - as I do not want it too - I'd rather it just deal with my Win 7 VM

So - Please tell me why???

Thanks

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 1:44pm

Just installed Fusion 3 - I see what all the hype is about

Tis way better than Parallels 4

Go get it!

PS: Ignore my original questions - they were unfounded

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 12:57pm

Cannot purchase upgrade.

Ian Betteridge (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 1:13pm

Go through the order, put the serial in... and someone's coded the order page so the page itself goes in the frame in the middle of it, causing a nasty recursion error. Oops.

brilliantly failed (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 5:43pm

Same here. No-go. Broken. Fail. I'm sure they've lost a "few" sales for this.

"Our records indicate that you have no eligible registered products to upgrade. To complete your upgrade order, please register a compatible product."

Fully thing is, I'm trying to buy the upgrade right now from my Windows machine running under my registered VMware Fusion 2.x app. :o)

They probably shouldn't have outsourced their website out oversees... Tisk tisk...

Frustrated Fusioner (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 7:36pm

Ok, here's what I've tried to do since late last night:
Logged on to the Vmware website via Safari. The site told me I have no products eligible for upgrade. When I try to click any of the options to search for eligible products, I get a scripting error message.
I try with Internet Explorer and get the same error.
Ok, I check my records and can't find any record of the serial number I purchased. Forget that. I'll try registering a free trial.
I wait 45 minutes but no key arrives.
I think maybe it's because I had a free trial of v2.0 like a YEAR ago so I register another account and email address and try to get a different trial. Again, no key arrives.
I say screw it, I'll buy the software at full price. It denies my credit card with cryptic "The order could not be completed" error.

I whip out another credit card - this time it works. But it's been over an hour and I'm still waiting for my product key!

Total elapsed time: 12 hours
Total time wasted playing around trying to get their system to work: 2 hours

Can I just get a pirated copy already!!??

Frustrated Fusioner (not verified) | October 27, 2009 - 7:40pm

Ok, here's what I've tried to do since late last night:
Logged on to the Vmware website via Safari. The site told me I have no products eligible for upgrade. When I try to click any of the options to search for eligible products, I get a scripting error message.
I try with Internet Explorer and get the same error.
Ok, I check my records and can't find any record of the serial number I purchased. Forget that. I'll try registering a free trial.
I wait 45 minutes but no key arrives.
I think maybe it's because I had a free trial of v2.0 like a YEAR ago so I register another account and email address and try to get a different trial. Again, no key arrives.
I say screw it, I'll buy the software at full price. It denies my credit card with cryptic "The order could not be completed" error.

I whip out another credit card - this time it works. But it's been over an hour and I'm still waiting for my product key!

Total elapsed time: 12 hours
Total time wasted playing around trying to get their system to work: 2 hours

UPDATE:
Ok, I finally got an order confirmation mail from VMWare - but with no serial key!!
There is a Register Product button in the email but when I click it the site says "Under maintenance."

Hopefully they get this thing fixed sometime before Christmas...