Download VMware Fusion 5.0.1 build 825449

VMware recently released version 5.0 of Fusion. Fusion is to Mac OS X what Workstation is to Windows and Linux. The program makes it possible to create virtual machines on a Mac OS X machine equipped with an Intel processor. In this way it is possible, for example, to run Windows, Linux or Solaris alongside the existing operating system. Version 5.0 has simplified installation and added support for the latest versions of Windows and Mac OS X. The complete release notes can be found below.

New Installation Experience
The installation media for VMware Fusion have been simplified. Simply launch the VMware Fusion.app from the media or download file to install and upgrade VMware Fusion. Dragging and dropping, then launching VMware Fusion.app is also supported. VMware Fusion can be uninstalled by quitting the application and dragging it to the trash.

Designed for Mountain Lion
VMware Fusion 5 was designed with OS X Mountain Lion in mind to give users a more Mac-like experience in running Windows programs on a Mac. Search your favorite Windows programs in Launchpad or use “AirPlay Mirroring” to stream your Mac and Windows applications on your HDTV. VMware Fusion uses Mountain Lion’s notification center to display important messages. VMware Fusion 5 also works with OS X Lion and Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.7 required.)

Windows 8 Optimized
Who said Windows 8 was for PCs? Get the most out of the new Windows 8-style “Metro” applications using VMware Fusion 5 and Mountain Lion full-screen mode. VMware Fusion 5 has been optimized to take advantage of new Windows 8 technologies and will make you wonder why you would ever consider running Windows 8 on anything other than a Mac. VMware Fusion supports Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise and includes a keyboard profile tailored for Windows 8. VMware Fusion 5 also supports running Windows 8 from a Boot Camp partition.

Optimized for the latest Macs
Get the benefits of your new Mac with your Windows programs too. Crisp and detailed Windows applications like you’ve never seen before with Retina Display support for Windows 7 and Windows 8. Extend your Mac’s connectivity to your Windows environment and take advantage of USB 3.0 support when used with Windows 8 and recent versions of Linux with USB 3.0 support. VMware Fusion 5 takes advantage of faster memory and faster SSD performance found in the latest Macs to deliver an experience that feels as fast as native. VMware Fusion 5 has been tuned to feel snappier and more responsive even on older Macs. VMware Fusion 5 has been updated to provide longer battery life, particularly when the virtual machine is being lightly used.

User Interface Changes

• New Virtual Machine Library, updated with a choice of both icon and list views appropriate for small laptop displays and large desktop configurations. Both with active thumbnail displays.
• The ability to create folders within the library to organize large collections of virtual machines.
• See disk utilization and other key information directly from the virtual machine library, easing day-to-day management especially on space constrained SSD-based systems.
• New handling of Settings and Snapshot windows making it easier to make tweaks and changes while continuing to work in the virtual machine.
• New take and restore snapshot buttons can optionally be added to the virtual machine tool bar, making working with snapshots much more efficient.
• The redesigned Welcome experience makes it easier for new users to get up and running.
• The VMware Fusion Learning Center can now be accessed directly from VMware Fusion and has been updated with new video content for this release.

Virtual Hardware Changes

• VMware Fusion 5 now provides support for 3D Linux desktops when running recent versions of Linux. These enable a full-fidelity desktop experience on compatible distributions such as Ubuntu 12.04.
• VMware Fusion 5 now supports OS X Mountain Lion in a virtual machine. Get more from your Mac by running OS X Mountain Lion, OS X Mountain Lion Server, OS X Lion and OS X Lion Server in virtual machines. VMware Fusion 5 is the best way to develop and test new applications for the Mac and iOS.
• Added support for virtualizing Windows 8 (all Intel versions), VMware ESXi 5, Ubuntu 12.04, Fedora 17 and Windows Server 2012.
• Improved support for virtualized VT-x/EPT.
• Virtual Performance Counter support is included to enable more detailed software profiling within a virtual machine.
• Improved support for running multiple virtual machines on Macs with 16GB RAM or more.
• The VIX API is now included for automating common tasks using PERL or other scripting languages.
• VMware Fusion 5 can now run restricted virtual machines. Restricted virtual machines are pre-configured and provide a streamlined experience for VMware Fusion users in a business environment.
• VMware Fusion 5 Professional can create and run restricted virtual machines. IT professionals can create restricted virtual machines to deliver applications to users in a tested and supported configuration.

Other Changes

• VMware Fusion 5 Professional now includes a custom network configuration tool for creating specialized virtual networks for demos, home labs and testing purposes.
• VMware Fusion 5 is now able to directly import many OVF format virtual machines.
• Initial support for network booting EFI-based virtual machines is included.
• A meta-package (mpkg) is included for deploying VMware Fusion to a large number of Macs using system administration tools such as Apple Remote Desktop.