Apple’s latest macOS – Version 11, Big Sur – is now available.
No, the post will not cover Big Sur, but the topic is related to Big Sur.
Many people are using macOS. I use it, too, for personal use and for work, but sometimes you just need Windows. One option would be to keep a Windows machine but then again, it would be a different machine which you need to keep up to date and you need to share files between both machines. And this is where virtualization of a Windows machine comes into the picture as a good option.
First, let’s understand what virtualization means.
In computing, virtualization refers to the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources.
Source: Wikipedia
To put it easy – virtualization is a technology which makes it possible to transform hardware into software.
Next, let’s have a look at desktop virtualization.
Desktop virtualization is the concept of separating the logical desktop from the physical machine.
Source: Wikipedia
Virtualizing hardware into software makes it possible for you to create a virtual Windows machine on macOS. It is Windows on top of macOS but it looks and feels almost like Windows on a separate laptop or desktop. But a virtual machine (VM) is not limited to Windows as operating system. Also Linux and macOS can run in a VM.
The tools I have used are Parallels Desktop for Mac and VMware Fusion.
Following – What is . . .
- Parallels Desktop for Mac?
Parallels Desktop for Mac, is a software providing hardware virtualization for Macintosh computers with Intel processors. It is developed by Parallels, since 2018 a subsidiary of Corel.Source: Wikipedia
- VMware Fusion?
VMware Fusion is a line of Desktop Hypervisor products designed for modern application developers, IT professionals and everyone that wants to run virtual machines, OCI containers and Kubernetes clusters on a Mac. Each Edition, Fusion Pro and Fusion Player, let users run Windows and other operating systems right from macOS, without rebooting. Fusion is simple enough for home users and powerful enough for IT professionals, developers and businesses.Source: VMware Product Page for Fusion
In August 2020, VMware announced VMware Fusion 12. In the announcement, VMware named new features, like support for macOS Big Sur.
Fusion 12 will fully support macOS Catalina at launch, and is ready to support macOS Big Sur once it’s made generally available.
Source: VMware Fusion Blog
Further Fusion Player 12 which replaces Fusion 11.5 standard was announced. The interesting part about Fusion Player 12 is that it will be available with a Free for Personal Use License!
Since September 2020, Fusion 12 is available. To download your Free for Personal Use License, you need a MyVMware account. If do not have one already, follow the steps in the following VMware Knowledge Base article: How to create a My VMware profile.
Quick links:
- VMware Fusion Player – Personal Use License
- What is VMware Fusion?
- VMware Fusion Support Center
- VMware Fusion Product Documentation
**The featured image of this post can originally be found on VMware Fusion Blog
