VMware Fusion v4 seems very rushed

[olafwagner]

Hi All,

I installed Fusion v4.0.1 yesterday (after being a longtime v2 and v3 user) and I must say that overall it seems that v4 was rushed (probably to compete with Parallels that announced their latest version ahead of VMware). Here are some of the things that stand out:

Full Screen Button

OSX Lion has a DEDICATED location for a full screen button - on the upper right corner of the window. However, v4 has a proprietary button on the toolbar. I usually run my VM's with the toolbar hidden (because it seems like a massive waste of space) so know I am only left with clicking on 'View -> Full Screen' in the menu bar. Of all the changes that I expected from v3 to v4, this was an total no-brainer for me so I am immensely suprised by the lack of this.

VM Library Page

This page also seems very rushed. There is no mechanism to resize the VM thumbnails. In the past I used descriptions to identify my various VM's, but this is now gone. The actions to 'Delete' or 'Resume' a VM are barely visible in the grey bar at the top. The aesthetics of this page are incredible bland, really looks like WIP. The worst of all, however, are the dumb animations/behavior. Then I resume a VM, it (zooms) to attempt to consume the VM Library window (and you get 'black bars' if the aspect ratios differ). The resulting running VM is then in some dumb screen resolution that I don't want rather than what I previously saved it at. The only way to get to a VM's 'Settings' or this new strange 'Get Info' page is to right-click on the VM (seems like there should have been a button for this like 'Delete' and 'Resume'). Then once I have looked at the settings, once I close that, the UI remains zoomed in for that specific VM. Why doesn't it return me to the VM Library page where I was before I edited the settings.

Snapshots

The snapshots page (at last) visually shows the snapshot branches (something that that VMware Workstation on the PC has had for years), however, when you click on a VM and click on Snapshots, you get a slow animation that serves absolutely no purpose. Why even bother with stupid animations? Furthermore, the same problem as above arises that once you click on 'Done', it doesn't return you to the VM Library where I came from.

Stability

I dragged and dropped a folder into my Win7 VM and immediately the entire app crashed (not just my specific VM, but the entire VMware Fusion app). This never happened in even v3.0.1.

Hopefully my assumption that this release was indeed a bit rushed is true, and these will be addressed in upcoming updates, but at the moment I feel like the app took a few steps back where User Experience is concerned compared with v3.

[werpu]

I have the same feeling, it feels overall about 95% complete with some serious bugs not fully squashed, but functionalitywise mostly complete, that is at least 10% more than I can say about OSX Lion. But nevertheless I also have the eery feeling that the release was somewhat rushed due to the pressure parallels has given vmware with their 7 release.

[vslbeta]

+1

I'll add some more:

VMware wants to tout this as "even more Mac-like". To this effect, they uses non-native guest settings dialog (instead of a separate Windows, as 3.1 did and as was Mac-like, it now covers the main Windows in an awful imitation of System Preferences, preventing you from seeing the VM at the same time; likewise the snapshosts view). They also added animations, because Lion UI has them. Except that Fusion's one are not fluid and are sloooow so that everybody notices that there are these oh-so-shiny animations. Never mind that they get annoying after five seconds or so

VMware is probably proud of the new UI, but when it comes to usability, it's worse thanks to the stuff above. Or the library window: choosing a VM morphs it instead of keeping it open. To be fair, there are good things too: the toolbar and getting rid of the statusbar, which I think works better, and the new snapshots tree view (if only it remained a separate window).

[SvenGus]

Let's hope that Fusion 4.1 will fix the problems and incomplete features of the current version...

[mac_pro_user]

+2

RBIT="Released Before It's Time"

Running 4.01 on Lion.

1.  Screen resize in Single Window mode in desktop settings is broken.

     The VM window does not resize although the settings dialog reports the changed size.  You can resize the window by dragging the edges.

2.  Switching view between Single Window, Unity, Full Screen is broken.

     Sometimes the Unity option is grayed, so that you need to switch to Fullscreen, then switch to Unity.

3.  VM Library window:  I just don't get this one...

4.  Ugly, ugly animations & black background which exhibits Moire effects.

     I completely agree with the original poster.  This release is NOT more Mac-like (period).

Some good things:

1.  Disk shrinking has improved significantly.

     After this point, I downgraded back to 3.13.

Why not take a stable version such as 3.13 and incorporate all the supposed under the hood improvements and call it V4.0?

[gr2020]

"Then I resume a VM, it (zooms) to attempt to consume the VM Library window (and you get 'black bars' if the aspect ratios differ). The resulting running VM is then in some dumb screen resolution that I don't want rather than what I previously saved it at."

+100.  Geez.  Incredibly annoying, VMware.

Eye candy is great, except when it's detrimental to actual use...

[maxxd]

VMware should be very embarassed by VMware Fusion 4. The UX changes are abysmal and ametuerish making the entire product a pain to use. The use of animation does not enhance the experience, it is overused, performs poorly, and detracts tremendously from the app. At the same time, competing products are getting more refined and UX is improving.

If this isn't fixed in an update, it will be my last VMware Fusion purchase. If Apple put out something like this, those responsible would already be fired.

[vslavik]

+1, you have a way with words, I could never sum up the state of Fusion 4 so well in so few words. Don't get your hopes too high -- the only public output from VMware so far is lots of self-congratulatory delusions about how wonderful Fusion 4 is

[maxxd]

It will take a few years, but the narcissism and sycophancy will eventually cost them their market position. They have a lot of momentum, but then in this industry, change is brutal and frequent. While they congratulate themselves over a mediocre product, everyone else is taking a hard and critical look at themselves and what they need to do to close the gap.

We saw what happened to Microsoft when they rested on their laurels, but they had a much greater hold on the market than VMware does, and with much less replaceable products. Up until this point, I've avoided Parallels and VirtualBox, but running VMware Fusion 4 was enough to get me to download and take them for a spin. When your own product is the best advertisement for your competitor, that's a serious problem.

In any case, I suspect somebody must realize that it's a terrible release, as they've discontinued the 30-day money back guarantee. It's really too bad because I quite liked VMware Fusion and I'm sad to see what it's become.

[notafanofvm4]

"Then I resume a VM, it (zooms) to attempt to consume the VM Library window (and you get 'black bars' if the aspect ratios differ). The resulting running VM is then in some dumb screen resolution that I don't want rather than what I previously saved it at."

+10000000 from me and everyone I know that uses vmware fusion.

I work at a large (150,000 employee) company, and we are heavy vmware fusion users.

Most of my co-workers refuse to upgrade to vmware fusion 4 after seeing this library window abomination.

It is a PRODUCTIVITY KILLER having to keep re-opening the vm libary via keyboard or the menu after launching a vm.

PLEASE change it back to the way it used to be in vmware fusion 3.

I'm also not a big fan of the shapshot treeview. It's pointless and made even more annoying by the fact that it doesn't remember my choice for "Save current state before restoring".

Get rid of those 2 things and I think vm fusion 4 would be an easier pill to swallow....

Thanks!