VMware Fusion is a great choice for IT pros
September 07, 2018
VMware Fusion is a great choice for IT pros
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with VMware Fusion
I use VMware Fusion primarily for my own use. My organization does not have many Macs deployed, but for my work it makes the most sense and gives me the best productivity. However, there are times when Windows software must be used, such as managing Active Directory or creating diagrams with Visio. VMware Fusion gives me the ability to run this handful of apps in a Windows VM, which is more convenient than having a second machine. It also works well for testing new OS deployment scripts and running Linux-based applications.
- Lightweight desktop hypervisor. Less invasive into the system than the main competitor.
- Good performance. I don't notice VMs being any slower than the native OS.
- Conveniently integrates with VMware ESXi servers. Good for working with standalone servers.
- Not as tightly integrated with the host filesystem as competitors. Creates the occasional challenge if you want to open a file from someplace outside your Desktop, Documents or Downloads folders.
- Video performance is fine for business apps, but doesn't seem to cut it for demanding video applications.
- USB drivers are sometimes flaky with Windows VMs and don't work as well as one could hope.
- Fusion allows those who are most productive with Apple products to maximize their productivity without giving up the handful of Windows applications they may need.
- Fusion provides a platform that makes testing OS deployments quick and easy to test repeatedly, saving hours of waiting.
If you only need to run a single Windows VM for a handful of applications and do not need to do testing or run multiple operating systems, Parallels Desktop may be the better choice, especially for less technical end users. Parallels is a bit more user friendly. If you need flexibility, then Fusion is the better choice.