summary
Benefits
– Free distribution for non-commercial users
– Provides Unity mode to run Windows applications on Mac desktop
– Hardware-accelerated 3D graphics for Intel-based Macs
disadvantage
– Limited support for Apple Silicon Macs
– Lack of ARM Windows 11 installation guide
– Using too much jargon
global mark
Apple Silicon support is still lacking, but 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 casual users and students.
For a long time, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion have fought to provide the best virtualization software available to run Windows software on a Mac. Every time Apple releases a new version of macOS, Parallels and VMware also compete to release their own updates. That said, both programs continue to offer new features and improved performance, which is a welcome development for Mac users.
But in recent years, VMware’s focus seems to have shifted to its high-end enterprise offerings. Since the introduction of Apple Silicon in 2020, Fusion has effectively stopped competing with Parallels Desktop for annual updates.
Parallels and Fusion work similarly in that they create virtual machines that run like normal applications on a Mac. This virtual machine mimics the operation of a Windows PC, so you can install a full copy of Windows and run any Windows software or games you need. Basically, you can run Windows apps side-by-side with your existing Mac apps, so you don’t have to switch between Mac and Windows like you can 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 different versions of Linux.
Fusion 13 meets Windows 11
Fusion’s last major update was version 12, released in 2021. But Fusion 12 didn’t support Apple’s new M1 or M2 processors, so it only worked on older Macs with Intel processors. It also did not officially support Windows 11 as a guest operating system for Windows virtual machines.
However, VMware released a free version to compete with Parallels Desktop. Merged Playerannouncement. This is perfect for students or home users who occasionally need to use Windows applications on their Mac for “non-commercial” purposes. The free version requires a MyVMware account and is not intended for commercial use. Free license registration for personal use VMware home pagecan be done in
The new Fusion 13 is also free for non-commercial use. Business users who want to use Fusion regularly at work will need to pay the $149 cost of a commercial Fusion Player license. A license for the Fusion Pro version, which offers advanced features for large enterprises and IT administrators, costs $199.
Rollouts of new updates have been slow over the past few years, but a small group at VMware called “teamfusion” led by Michael Roy (blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/) continues 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, wasn’t released until late 2022.
The universal files provided when you download Fusion 13 can run natively on Intel Macs and Macs with Apple Silicon processors. The only downside is that you now need a Mac with macOS 12 Monterey or later to run Fusion (Parallels Desktop runs on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later).
If you run Fusion on a Mac with an Intel processor, it will continue to work as it always has. Virtual machines can be allocated up to 32 CPU cores and up to 128 GB of memory to optimize performance as needed. Fusion also has a display mode called Unity, similar to Parallels Desktop’s Coherence mode. In this mode, you can hide the Windows desktop in a virtual machine and place individual Windows apps on the desktop along with all other Mac apps.
Windows on Apple Silicon Macs
On Macs with Apple Silicon processors, Fusion 13 offers limited functionality. Macs powered by Apple Silicon require a special version of Windows 11 called Windows On Arm (WoA). Michael Roy said that Fusion 13 is just “the first feature release for ARM Windows 11”. This means that the process of setting up Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs is somewhat incomplete.
Parallels Desktop includes an option to automatically download and purchase WoA when you create a new virtual machine, while VMware requires you to purchase a license yourself from Microsoft. Unfortunately, WoA’s main sales target is PC manufacturers, not individual users, so purchasing a license for individuals is not an easy task. VMware therefore needs to make Fusion more user-friendly for people who don’t understand Microsoft’s complex licensing policies. Additionally, Fusion tends to use complex jargon that only corporate IT managers can understand, such as “side channel mitigations.”
There are also technical limitations. When Fusion runs on Intel-based Macs, you can enable 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 Linux-compatible virtual machines. Windows support is still in development.
In fact, Apple’s M1 and M2 processors are also very powerful, so there’s no problem handling common tasks like browsing the web or running the Windows version of Microsoft Office in a virtual machine. Windows, even at 4K resolution. However, players who were expecting to play Elden Ring or Diablo IV this summer may be disappointed.
Although Fusion 13 still lags behind Parallels Desktop when it comes to Apple Silicon and ARM Windows 11 support, it’s nice to see that VMware isn’t letting Fusion go away. Plus, it’s free to use, saving regular users and students money. Especially if you’re still using an Intel-based Mac, it’s a win because you can take full advantage of Windows software and games through Fusion.
editor@itworld.co.kr
