Install Windows 8 with VMware Fusion

Yesterday Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview (AKA Beta). My first impressions are that the operating system is very stable and near feature complete, however as with any beta software I don't recommend installing it as your primary machine. Therefore one of the best ways to test Windows 8 is through a virtual machine, using software like VMware Fusion for the Mac. This article will outline the installation and setup process, which I completed this morning on my MacBook Air.

The first step is to download the Windows 8 ISO and make a copy of the consumer preview product key (DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J). You can select either the 32-bit or 64-bit version, however I chose 64-bit for my installation (MacBook Air / VMware Fusion 4.0.1).

Once the download is complete, start VMware Fusion and create a new virtual machine.

From here select "Continue without disc" and select the Windows 8 ISO image. When prompted to select the operating system type, pick the corresponding Windows 7 version. For example if you are installing Windows 8 64-bit, select Windows 7 64-bit.

Finally, when prompted check "customize" and name your virtual machine (for example, Windows 8 x64). Although no specific customisations are required for Windows 8, I would confirm the "Hard Disk" settings, ensuring you have at least 40GB specified and un-check "Split into 2 GB files".

I would also update "Processors & Memory", where as specified in my previous "VMware Fusion Performance Tips" article, the "rule of halves" should apply. For example, if your Mac has four processors and 4GB RAM available, specify two processors and 2GB (2048MB) for the Windows 8 virtual machine.

You are now ready to start the installation. This is a fairly simple process, following the Windows 8 wizard, although if you get stuck I suggest you refer to my step by step picture gallery of the Windows 8 installation process.

The only area that requires attention is when prompted to select the installation type, at this point you should specify "Custom", highlight the virtual drive (normally Drive 0) and click "Next".

Once the installation and initial setup has been completed you will be greeted with the new "Metro Style" Start Screen. As you can see it has had a face lift since the Developer Preview.

The final step is to install VMware Tools, which will enable full video and sound support (including full screen resolution and Aero effects). To do this simply trigger the install from the menu bar:

Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools

If the setup doesn't start automatically, load the Desktop from the Start Screen and select Computer (previously known as My Computer in Windows 7). From here you can run the setup by double clicking the VMware Tools icon. The "Typical" installation will meet all of your needs, but will require a reboot to complete.

That's it! You're now ready to explore the wonders of Windows 8.

VMware Fusion 4.1 - Update

As I had feared, it would appear that the new feature in VMware Fusion 4.1 that allowed you to virtualise older versions of Mac OS X client was enabled by mistake. Today VMware released an update (4.1.1) that removed the feature.

My hope is that Apple will see sense and actually allow this feature in the future, as I believe that offering a way to retain Rosetta support from Mac OS X Snow Leopard, while still being able to run Lion as your primary operating system, can only help encourage more people to upgrade.

However, for now, if you want Mac OS X Snow Leopard support from VMware Fusion, then I recommend you take a backup of your current installer and click the "Skip This Version" button.

VMware Fusion 4.1

Today VMware announced the release of VMware Fusion 4.1 for the Mac. Anyone who reads LifeinTECH will know that I am a big user of virtualisation and Fusion is my choice of software (compared to Parallels or VirtalBox). 

As part of Fusion 4.0, VMware allowed you to virtualise Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, which was a great feature for people looking to have a Mac test environment without requiring additional hardware or impacting your primary operating system. With the Fusion 4.1 update VMware have gone one better and now allow you to virtualise older Mac client operating systems, such as Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. At first glance this may not seem like a big deal, however it brings back one very useful feature - Rosetta Support.

With the release of Lion, Apple removed support for PowerPC applications (AKA Rosetta), as a result there was no way to run applications such as the very popular Quicken and older versions of Adobe Photoshop. This limitation is actually one of the primary reasons why some people are not willing to upgrade to Lion (especially if you had previously invested £500+ on an older version of Photoshop and can not afford the upgrade price). Thankfully this is no longer a concern, as you can now run these older applications in a Snow Leopard virtual machine, giving you the best of both worlds!

One question that I do have for VMware is whether this change breaks the Apple EULA, as I was under the impression that virtualisation for Mac OS X client operating systems was restricted to Lion only. My hope is that even if this is considered "bending the rules", that Apple let this one go, as I believe it can only help bring users still running older versions of Mac OS X up to date, which can only be a good thing for everyone.

Fusion 4.1 also brings a number of other important updates. Specifically official support for the Mac OS X Lion Full Screen mode, which enables the standard Lion Full Screen button and drop down menu bar, as well as creates a separate Space for your virtual machine.

Probably more important is the added multi-monitor support, which in one click allows you to simultaneously have your virtual machine on one display and Mac OS X (the host operating system) on the other.

Finally, Fusion 4.1 includes hundreds of performance optimisations and bug fixes. With VMware stating that applications such as Internet Explorer 9 (which uses hardware acceleration) will see a 6x performance increase.

VMware Fusion 4.1 is available now and is free for all existing Fusion 4.x customers. To download simply head over to the VMware website, or hit Software Update from within Fusion itself. Personally I completed the over the air update from within Fusion with no issues, however it's important to note that Fusion 4.1 includes new VMware Tools, so you will be required to install them the first time you startup a virtual machine.

Update on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 6:51AM by Matt (LifeinTECH)

As I had feared, VMware have removed the feature from Fusion that allowed you to virtualise older versions of Mac OS X client. A full report of the change can be found here - VMware Fusion 4.1 - Update.

Fusion 4 vs Parallels 7 - Which is Better?

I recently wrote an article about the new "Lion Ready" versions of VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop. On paper both of these platforms offer a very similar set of features and both claim to be the easiest and fastest way to run Windows on the Mac.

The aim of this article is to dive deeper into these claims, hopefully discovering whether VMware Fusion 4 or Parallels Desktop 7 is the king of client virtualisation.

The Test Platform:

I downloaded the latest versions of VMware Fusion 4 (4.0.1 - 474597) and Parallels Desktop 7 (7.0 14922) and both applications were installed on an 11" MacBook Air, with the following specification:

• MacBookAir3,1 (Late 2010)
• Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz (3MB L2 Cache)
• 4GB DDR3 1066MHz Memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB
• Apple SSD TS128C 128GB

The Mac was running a fully updated version of Mac OS X Lion 10.7.1 (11B26).

Both Fusion and Parallels had a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64 installed (downloaded from Microsoft TechNet) with the following identical virtual configuration:

• 1 Processor
• 2048MB Memory
• 40GB Storage (Not Split)
• Virtual Machine Tools Installed

All other virtual machine settings were left default.

Installing the Virtual Machine:

Fusion and Parallels both offer "Easy Install" features (as shown in the image below for Fusion). This allows for a simplified, automated installation process, which sets up your account details, product key and the installation of the virtual machine tools (required for optimal performance).

I ran the easy install option for both Fusion and Parallels, which I'm pleased to report completed successfully and was simple and painless for both products. As the first reference point I timed how long it took for the installation to complete (from first starting the virtual machine to the moment the virtual machine tools were finished installing). The results can be seen below:

• VMware Fusion 4 = 17mins 20seconds
• Parallels Desktop 7 = 16mins 50seconds

As you can see, from an install timing perspective Parallels beat Fusion by approximately 30 seconds. However as both platforms provide a fully automated installation process I feel that both Fusion and Parallels provide an acceptable experience. The only time this could have an impact is if you were installing a large number of virtual machines regularly (possibly for testing purposes).

Performance:

Now it's time for the main event, as stated in my previous article I have used both platforms in the past and found it very difficult to identify any real world performance differences. If forced I would probably state that Parallels felt slightly smoother when running Windows 7 Aero effects, but this would be purely conjecture. As a result I have run a number of popular benchmarks on each platform, in an attempt to give us some numbers to quantify. The results can be seen below:

Windows Experience Index

The Windows Experience Index has been built into Windows since Vista. It includes a number of simple benchmarks to help users understand their system performance. It then takes the lowest individual score as the base result.

As you can see from the above results, round one goes to Fusion (but not by much). It produced a higher Processor and Graphics score, although fell short of Parallels on Gaming Graphics. The Memory and Primary Hard Disk scores were the same for both platforms. Interestingly, even though I felt Parallels was slightly smoother when using Windows Aero effects, it actually produced a lower score, showing how difficult it is to separate these two platforms in real world usage.

Super Pi

Super Pi is a computer program that calculates pi to a specified number of digits after the decimal point-up to a maximum of 32 million. It is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers.

Round two proves to be even tighter then round one, with Parallels edging out Fusion by the narrowest of margins. In fact this benchmark is so tight (less then a second in favor of Parallels) that I am certain that this would not result in any real world difference between the two platforms.

Futuremark PCMark 7

PCMark 7 includes 7 PC tests for Windows 7, combining more than 25 individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. It has been specifically designed to cover the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops.

As you can see the PCMark 7 scores are also incredibly tight. From the detailed scores (found here) you can see that every result (Video Playback, DirectX, Web Browsing, etc) is almost identical, with Fusion just fractionally ahead of Parallels, which resulted in the slightly better overall score.

Conclusion:

I have always come to the conclusion that there was very little between Fusion and Parallels in terms of performance, usability and reliability, and it would appear, based on the benchmark results, that this trend continues with the latest versions of each product.

Overall the benchmarks have shown in favor of Fusion, however it was by such a small margin that I don't believe any real world differences could be identified. As a result I would have no concerns recommending either product. In fact, as there is so little between them, I think the logical approach would be to make your choice based on price, which at the moment falls in favor of Fusion which is available for £32.85, compared to Parallels £64.99.

• Download the free trial and buy VMware Fusion now for £32.85.
• Download the free trial and buy Parallels Desktop 7 now for £64.99.

VMware Fusion 4 vs Parallels Desktop 7

UPDATE - Benchmarks now available "Fusion 4 vs Parallels 7 - Which is Better?".

When it comes to client virtualisation for the Mac there are two main competitors, the enterprise standard VMware Fusion and the consumer focused Parallels Desktop. With the recent launch of Mac OS X Lion, both of these products have received major updates.

VMware Fusion 4

Released today and available to download for £32.85, VMware Fusion 4 claims to add over 90 new features and offers 2.5x the performance over its predecessor.

 

As part of the launch the Fusion product team highlighted the following four features on their blog:

Designed for OS X Lion – Whether you would like to add your favorite Windows programs to Launchpad, experience them in Mission Control, view them in full screen or switch between them using Mac gestures, VMware Fusion 4 is designed to give you the best Windows experience on OS X Lion.

Even More "Mac-like" – VMware Fusion 4 enhances the way you run Windows programs on a Mac. From the brand-new settings menu to the redesigned virtual machine library and snapshot menu, everything has been refined to give users an even more Mac- like experience when running Windows programs.

Get Better Performance and Faster Graphics – VMware Fusion 4 has been engineered to run Windows and Mac applications side by side with incredible speed and the reliability you need. As a 64-bit Cocoa application, it is optimized for today’s multi-core Macs and delivers up to 2.5x faster 3D graphics. VMware Fusion 4 is faster than ever.

Lion Squared – VMware Fusion 4 now supports OS X Lion in a virtual machine. VMware Fusion 4 lets users get more from their Mac by running OS X Lion, OS X Lion Server, Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server and Mac OS X Leopard Server in virtual machines.

Download the free trial and buy VMware Fusion now for £32.85.

Parallels Desktop 7

Released several weeks ago and available to download for £64.99, Parallels Desktop 7 also claims to include over 90 new features and up to 45% faster 3D performance than its predecessor (are you sensing a pattern here?).

 

The Parallels Desktop team boast the following new features on their website:

The Seamless Solution - Whether you are a hard-core Mac enthusiast, a multi-platform pro or a first-time Mac user, the brilliant essentials of Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac - quick installation, a user-friendly interface, and the Parallels Wizard-makes moving to the Mac seamless and everyday use easier than ever.

Manageability and Mobility - The smart tools of Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac are designed to help you stay productive on the go and protect your Mac and all the data inside. This includes the Parallels Mobile App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch which allows you to access your virtual machines remotely.

Enhanced Performance - With a dramatically improved battery life, up to 1GB of video memory, enhanced security, and more Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac features the best overall performance and stability in the market.

Immersive Gaming and Graphics - Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac delivers an even more immersive environment for gaming, music, movies, and more with support for Surround Sound 7.1 and superior 3D graphics rendering speeds.

Download the free trial and buy Parallels Desktop 7 now for £64.99.

So which is better? Personally I have always chosen VMware products, as this is what I am most familiar with. However as you can see from the list of new features for each product, most of the claims are very similar (if not identical). They are both Lion compatible, both allow the guest operating system to be isolated or merged with Mac OS X, both support modern hardware standards, both allow access to your boot camp partition and both support a broad range of guest operating systems. The only unique selling point that I can think of is the mobile application available for Parallels, which although is a nice touch, can be replicated with VMware Fusion using third party RDP applications such as PocketCloud.

Some will argue that VMware is more reliable and that Parallels offers slightly better performance, however from my experience these differences are almost unnoticeable during day to day usage. Therefore I don't think you can go wrong with either product and I recommend you pick the one that best fits your working style.

For more information on client virtualisation for the Mac, check out my previous article "VMware Fusion Performance Tips".

Update on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 6:02PM by Matt (LifeinTECH)

With well over 1000 unique hits in just a few hours, it's clear this is a popular topic. As a result I will do my best to post a follow-up article with side by side benchmarks of VMware Fusion 4 and Parallels Desktop 7.

To make sure you don't miss out I recommend you subscribe to my RSS feed or follow me on Twitter.

Update on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 6:14PM by Matt (LifeinTECH)

As promised the side by side benchmarks comparing VMware Fusion 4 and Parallels Desktop 7 are now live - "Fusion 4 vs Parallels 7 - Which is Better?".