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VMware, Inc.
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Getting Started with VMware Fusion
Introduction
With VMware Fusion™, you can run personal computer (PC) applications and
devices on your Intel-based Mac. Designed for the Mac user, VMware Fusion
takes advantage of the security, flexibility, and portability of virtual machines to
run Windows and other x86 operating systems at the same time as Mac OS X.
Definition of a Virtual Machine
A virtual machine is a software file that behaves just as a physical computer
does. A virtual machine contains a display, a hard disk, one or more processors,
memory, and all the other hardware that goes into a typical physical machine,
but all of the components are virtualized. That is, these elements of a virtual
machine are all created by software and stored in files on your Mac.
The virtual machine runs in a window on your Mac. You install an operating
system and applications in the virtual machine and operate it as you would
a physical computer.
The Mac that you run a virtual machine on is called a host. In this context, the
virtual machine is called a guest.
What You Can Do with VMware Fusion
With VMware Fusion, Mac users can:
 Run Windows and Linux applications on a Mac. You can run your
favorite applications at the same time as Mac applications using virtual
machines running Windows and Linux operating systems, without
rebooting your Mac.
 Create virtual machines. The New Virtual Machine Assistant guides
you through the process of creating a virtual machine, including
Windows Easy Install and Linux Easy Install.