VMWare releases Fusion 7 with support for OS X Yosemite and Retina optimization

In Fusion 7, VMWare has adopted OS X Yosemite's visual style in Fusion 7, adding window translucency alongside streamlined toolbars and a new dock icon. Along with the visual tweaks, users can create more powerful virtual machines with support for up to 16 virtual CPUs, 8-terabyte virtual disks, 64 gigabytes of RAM and up to 2 gigabytes of video RAM.

The company says Fusion 7 is also faster when it comes to computationally-intensive tasks like multimedia and encryption thanks to optimizations designed to take advantage of the new hardware in Apple's most recent Macs. Along the same lines, MacBook users will find Fusion 7 to be a more energy-efficient option, using nearly half as much energy as its predecessor.

Professional users will find support for Microsoft's latest operating systems, including Windows 8.1 and Windows 2012 R2, in Fusion 7 Pro. Support for Linux has also been expanded, and users can now connect to VMware's vSphere or Workstation deployments in corporate clouds.

VMWare has also given pros the option to choose which GPU to use in systems that come with multiple graphics processing units, and Windows-focused video conferencing software can take advantage of the built-in iSight camera on MacBooks and iMacs. Finally, Fusion 7 Pro adds support for USB 3.0, HD audio with 5.1 surround sound, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Users of both editions will also find better support for Windows programs running on Macs with Retina displays.

VMWare Fusion 7 and Fusion 7 Pro are now available for $69.99 and $149.99, respecitvely, from VMWare. Existing users of Fusion 5 and Fusion 6 can upgrade for just $49.99 and $79.99.