By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 07:15 AM EST

VMware on Tuesday released its latest virtualization software, Fusion 3, offering Snow Leopard optimization and full support for Windows 7, including Aero.

The new version of VMware Fusion 3 offers more than 50 new features, including greater support for graphics-intensive games in Windows. It is available for $79.99, or at an upgrade price of $39.99 for existing users.

The virtual machine software allows Macs with Intel processors to run the Windows operating system simultaneously within Mac OS X.

Features highlighted by VMware include:

• Optimized for Snow Leopard. VMware Fusion 3 leverages Mac OS X Snow Leopard’s advanced architecture with a new 64-bit core engine and native support for the 64-bit kernel to deliver an even better Windows on Mac experience.

• Ultimate Windows 7 Experience. VMware Fusion 3 is the FIRST virtualization product for the Mac to provide the full Windows 7 experience, side-by-side with your Mac, complete with Windows Aero and Flip 3D. Run 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 -- it is your choice.

• Switching Made Easy. VMware Fusion 3 makes it easy for users to bring their entire PC to their Mac in a few easy steps –- wirelessly or with a simple Ethernet cable -– allowing customers to protect investments in existing Windows software, and to keep using the programs they still need all for the same low price.

• Best-in-Class 3D Graphics. VMware was the first to provide virtual 3D graphics and is the first to support Windows Aero in a virtual machine on the Mac. VMware Fusion 3 is also first to support DirectX 9 Shader Model 3.0 3D graphics and now adds support for OpenGL 2.1 for Windows virtual machines to enable more Windows applications and games.
  
  
• Run Windows Apps, The Mac Way. VMware Fusion has been designed from the beginning to make it easy to run Windows apps like Mac apps. VMware Fusion 3 makes it even better with the "Always On" Applications Menu that banishes the Windows Start menu from your Mac and let’s you find and launch Windows apps like Mac apps, even when VMware Fusion is not running. Cycle through open Windows apps with " command ' ", quit individual Windows applications with "command q", and use Dock Exposé with Windows apps.

• Maximum Performance. Finely Tuned. Building on the proven reliability and performance of VMware Fusion 2, the new 64-bit native core engine and 4-way multi-core SMP make VMware Fusion 3 perform even better. In addition, many smaller refinements increase overall performance from better disk and graphics performance on Snow Leopard, improved 2D interactive performance, faster scrolling in Windows applications, faster to enter Unity view, improved application launch times and much more. VMware Fusion 3 is finely tuned to make Windows run even better than before on the Mac.

VMware Fusion 3 is now available for purchase and immediate download. For more information, visit the VMware official site.