VMware has announced that after seven months of beta testing, Fusion version 1.0 will ship today, 06-Aug-07. Fusion is VMware's virtualization software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows alongside Mac OS X; it competes closely with Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Among Fusion's notable features are Unity, a mode in which windows from Windows applications intermingle with windows from Mac applications - including full support for Exposé and minimizing windows to the Dock; support for 64-bit guest operating systems (if your Mac has a 64-bit processor); multiple virtual processors for Windows applications that require them; and the capability to run virtual appliances (packages that contain one or more pre-configured applications, along with an operating system) from VMware's Virtual Appliance Marketplace.

Some of the known issues in Release Candidate 1 of Fusion still exist. For example, when using Fusion to run a copy of Windows Vista installed under Boot Camp, you must reactivate Windows each time you switch between Boot Camp and Fusion. VMware plans to address this and other problems in future releases. Fusion retails for $79.99 and a free 30-day evaluation version is available.