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VMware launches Fusion 5

34 points by brolewis 14y ago

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
chrisledet 14y ago
Maybe I missed something but there doesn't seem to be an upgrade discount from Fusion 4 to Fusion 5. Only Fusion 4 to Fusion 5 Professional.
eli 14y ago
The VMWare store still shows version 4... But if I'm reading this correctly, they added back in an upgrade discount, which I think was missing with the 4 release. Edit: here's the proper link http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html
- protomyth 14y ago
  That's pretty much why I never upgrade from 3 to 4. Now, it you can go from 3 or 4 -> 5 for $49.99.
  - jeffcox 14y ago
    This is actually deceptive on their part. That upgrade is for the Pro version of 5. It's unclear if it will be possible to just get the regular one at an upgrade price.
  - eli 14y ago
    Not only did I never upgrade past 3, but I just got a new MBA and decided to go with VirtualBox (which works fine, though I have a sneaking suspicion that is uses more CPU and is less energy efficient) It appears that you can upgrade from 3 or 4 to 5 Pro for $49.99. As far as I can tell, I don't need any of the Pro features. And that's the same price as buying the non-pro version outright. So not much of a deal.
    - slantyyz 14y ago
      I had to upgrade because of Mountain Lion (I have Fusion 3) but the only silver lining is that at least Digital River didn't tack on their sleazy "emergency download service" (completely unnecessary) on the shopping cart like they normally do.
nilsbunger 14y ago
I'm a bit annoyed, I just paid $50 to upgrade to the Lion version last year, plus $50 for Fusion 3 upgrade the year before that, and now I have to pay again? My single Fusion license has cost me $150 over the last 3 years! Thanks a lot VMware!
- danieldk 14y ago
  Not only that, but the upgrade price is virtually the same as the full price. Euro 43.07 vs. Euro 44.99. It must be some sick joke. On the upside, it's good news that operating systems are cheaper than VMWare Fusion these days ;).
  - slantyyz 14y ago
    It looks like the $50 upgrade takes you to the otherwise $99 professional version. I can't seem to find an upgrade link to the standard version.
- batista 14y ago
  >I'm a bit annoyed, I just paid $50 to upgrade to the Lion version last year, plus $50 for Fusion 3 upgrade the year before that, and now I have to pay again? The changing digits at the end of the names you mention (Fusion 3, 4, 5) make it sound like those are _different_ versions of the product. Did any of them came advertising "free upgrades for life"? If not, I don't see the point of this rant. The worked hard, implemented lots of features and put out a new version. Nobody is forced to buy, in fact the old version should still work fine.
  - eli 14y ago
    Nobody is forced to buy, in fact the old version should still work fine. No, it doesn't. That's the problem. Fusion 3 is buggy on Lion and doesn't run at all on Mountain Lion [1]. Though there is some truth to your point. I'm guessing it is a non-trivial amount of work to support new OS releases. Perhaps it's even more work than the new features being added. Surely they shouldn't be obligated to support old releases forever. But a discount to existing customers sure would make me less likely to explore cheaper alternatives... [1] http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2003715 http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?langua...
mootothemax 14y ago
Looks like Workstation's been bumped up a version number as well, now standing at version 9: http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/overview.html http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/overview.html
fredleblanc 14y ago
Have they added the ability to prevent that darn menu helper thing from loading in the menu bar? That's all I really want in an upgrade.
- myhf 14y ago
  I've managed to turn off all the menu bar additions in version 3, 4, and 5. But I don't think the settings to do so were in the same place every time.
mgkimsal 14y ago
just bought 4 last month (used virtualbox for a lot of stuff, but had some proprietary vmware machines that were a real pain to try to run in vbox). $49 for purchase of vmware fusion 4. Fine. But now... I can upgrade to fusion 5 for $49... or just buy fusion 5 for... $49. Annoying. Yes, it's all in my head, but an upgrade price the same as a 'regular' price leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
- adestefan 14y ago
  If you bought after July 25, then the upgrade is free. https://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2012/07/buy-vmware-fusion-4-today-and-get-the-next-version-for-free.html https://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2012/07/buy-vmware-fusio...
  - mgkimsal 14y ago
    dbl checked - purchased june 18. :( Would still have liked to see a discount price for upgraders, vs full price.
    - adestefan 14y ago
      I found this on their page: What if I purchased VMware Fusion 4 before July 25th, 2012? Customers who purchased VMware Fusion 4 before July 25th, 2012 can upgrade to VMware Fusion 5 Professional for 50% off the regular price or buy a full license of VMware Fusion 5.
      - mgkimsal 14y ago
        URL? I can't find that. Thanks.
ioquatix 14y ago
Is it just me or is the VMware Store completely broken? I click on any of the Buy links and I just get redirected in a circle back to the front page of the store!? I'm in New Zealand BTW. Perhaps they have some problems with non-US IP addresses...?
kropson 14y ago
Can you buy a legal copy of the Mac OS to run on a VM without buying any Mac hardware?
- owyn 14y ago
  Not legally. You can buy OS X server for $20 and run it on a VM, but the VM has to be running on mac hardware to be legal. I'm sure it can be done though...
fcoury 14y ago
I bought the upgrade to Fusion 4 July 26th, and they said I was eligible for a free upgrade to Fusion 5, but their website is such a royal mess that I can't seem to understand how to upgrade.

34 points by brolewis 14y ago

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

Maybe I missed something but there doesn't seem to be an upgrade discount from Fusion 4 to Fusion 5. Only Fusion 4 to Fusion 5 Professional.

eli 14y ago

The VMWare store still shows version 4... But if I'm reading this correctly, they added back in an upgrade discount, which I think was missing with the 4 release. Edit: here's the proper link http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html

protomyth 14y ago
That's pretty much why I never upgrade from 3 to 4. Now, it you can go from 3 or 4 -> 5 for $49.99.
- jeffcox 14y ago
  This is actually deceptive on their part. That upgrade is for the Pro version of 5. It's unclear if it will be possible to just get the regular one at an upgrade price.
- eli 14y ago
  Not only did I never upgrade past 3, but I just got a new MBA and decided to go with VirtualBox (which works fine, though I have a sneaking suspicion that is uses more CPU and is less energy efficient) It appears that you can upgrade from 3 or 4 to 5 Pro for $49.99. As far as I can tell, I don't need any of the Pro features. And that's the same price as buying the non-pro version outright. So not much of a deal.
  - slantyyz 14y ago
    I had to upgrade because of Mountain Lion (I have Fusion 3) but the only silver lining is that at least Digital River didn't tack on their sleazy "emergency download service" (completely unnecessary) on the shopping cart like they normally do.

nilsbunger 14y ago

I'm a bit annoyed, I just paid $50 to upgrade to the Lion version last year, plus $50 for Fusion 3 upgrade the year before that, and now I have to pay again? My single Fusion license has cost me $150 over the last 3 years! Thanks a lot VMware!

danieldk 14y ago
Not only that, but the upgrade price is virtually the same as the full price. Euro 43.07 vs. Euro 44.99. It must be some sick joke. On the upside, it's good news that operating systems are cheaper than VMWare Fusion these days ;).
- slantyyz 14y ago
  It looks like the $50 upgrade takes you to the otherwise $99 professional version. I can't seem to find an upgrade link to the standard version.
batista 14y ago
>I'm a bit annoyed, I just paid $50 to upgrade to the Lion version last year, plus $50 for Fusion 3 upgrade the year before that, and now I have to pay again? The changing digits at the end of the names you mention (Fusion 3, 4, 5) make it sound like those are _different_ versions of the product. Did any of them came advertising "free upgrades for life"? If not, I don't see the point of this rant. The worked hard, implemented lots of features and put out a new version. Nobody is forced to buy, in fact the old version should still work fine.
- eli 14y ago
  Nobody is forced to buy, in fact the old version should still work fine. No, it doesn't. That's the problem. Fusion 3 is buggy on Lion and doesn't run at all on Mountain Lion [1]. Though there is some truth to your point. I'm guessing it is a non-trivial amount of work to support new OS releases. Perhaps it's even more work than the new features being added. Surely they shouldn't be obligated to support old releases forever. But a discount to existing customers sure would make me less likely to explore cheaper alternatives... [1] http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2003715 http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?langua...

mootothemax 14y ago

Looks like Workstation's been bumped up a version number as well, now standing at version 9: http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/overview.html http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/overview.html

fredleblanc 14y ago

Have they added the ability to prevent that darn menu helper thing from loading in the menu bar? That's all I really want in an upgrade.

myhf 14y ago
I've managed to turn off all the menu bar additions in version 3, 4, and 5. But I don't think the settings to do so were in the same place every time.

mgkimsal 14y ago

just bought 4 last month (used virtualbox for a lot of stuff, but had some proprietary vmware machines that were a real pain to try to run in vbox). $49 for purchase of vmware fusion 4. Fine. But now... I can upgrade to fusion 5 for $49... or just buy fusion 5 for... $49. Annoying. Yes, it's all in my head, but an upgrade price the same as a 'regular' price leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

adestefan 14y ago
If you bought after July 25, then the upgrade is free. https://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2012/07/buy-vmware-fusion-4-today-and-get-the-next-version-for-free.html https://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2012/07/buy-vmware-fusio...
- mgkimsal 14y ago
  dbl checked - purchased june 18. :( Would still have liked to see a discount price for upgraders, vs full price.
  - adestefan 14y ago
    I found this on their page: What if I purchased VMware Fusion 4 before July 25th, 2012? Customers who purchased VMware Fusion 4 before July 25th, 2012 can upgrade to VMware Fusion 5 Professional for 50% off the regular price or buy a full license of VMware Fusion 5.
    - mgkimsal 14y ago
      URL? I can't find that. Thanks.

ioquatix 14y ago

Is it just me or is the VMware Store completely broken? I click on any of the Buy links and I just get redirected in a circle back to the front page of the store!? I'm in New Zealand BTW. Perhaps they have some problems with non-US IP addresses...?

kropson 14y ago

Can you buy a legal copy of the Mac OS to run on a VM without buying any Mac hardware?

owyn 14y ago
Not legally. You can buy OS X server for $20 and run it on a VM, but the VM has to be running on mac hardware to be legal. I'm sure it can be done though...

fcoury 14y ago

I bought the upgrade to Fusion 4 July 26th, and they said I was eligible for a free upgrade to Fusion 5, but their website is such a royal mess that I can't seem to understand how to upgrade.