With OS X Mountain Lion now in the hands of users and Windows 8 coming at the end of October, both of the Mac virtualization providers are stepping up their game with new versions this week.
Parallels is teasing the next version of its popular Mac virtualization software this week, tweeting out a link to a Facebook page with artwork for Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, scheduled to arrive on September 4.
Billed as "the number one choice of Mac users," Parallels is offering a Mac Tech Guarantee for anyone who's purchased a copy of Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac on or after July 25, which will nab you a free copy of the version 8 upgrade when it arrives -- but only for up to eight weeks after the release date.
While Parallels isn't yet talking about what the new version will offer, rival VMware is wasting no time, announcing Fusion 5 on Thursday with full support for OS X Mountain Lion, Windows 8 and the latest Macs, which includes the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
With 70 new features, VMware fans won't have to wait, because both Fusion 5 and Fusion 5 Professional are available immediately for purchase and download from the company's website for $49.99 and $99.99 respectively. Curiously, VMware is also offering a free upgrade for users who purchased Fusion 4 on or after July 25, as well as an upgrade from Parallels Desktop to Fusion 5 Professional for only $49.99.
Mac users are pretty lucky to have not one but two great solutions for Windows virtualization on their favorite platform. Which one is right for you? Thankfully, both companies offer a free trial download, so download 'em both and you be the judge.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
