Just a few hours ago, VMware announced the release of VMware Workstation 10, VMware Fusion 10, VMware Player 6.0, and VMware Player Plus 6.0. Computer users who have ever used a virtualization software would know the difference between Workstation, Fusion, and Player.
As we all know, VMware Workstation is the best and most advanced virtualization software out there. VMware Fusion is virtualization software for Mac, and VMware Player is a free virtualization software with limited set of features designed to run on Windows. It lets you create and run virtual machines in a few mouse clicks.
The unity mode is one of the awesome of features of VMware Player which lets you run Windows XP programs in Windows 7 or Windows 8 without having to install Windows XP Mode feature.
What’s VMware Player Plus?
In simple words, the licensed version of VMware Player is called VMware Player Plus. That is, if you plan to use VMware Player in commercial environment, you have to purchase VMware Player Plus.
Even though Player includes almost all features available in Player Plus, by upgrading to Player Plus, you can add support for restricted virtual machines (virtual machines that are encrypted or require a runtime password) created by Fusion or Workstation. The other advantage is that you get limited web-based installation support for a period of 30 days.
System requirements to install and Run VMware Player Plus:
Processor: 1 GHz or faster
RAM: 1GB or more (2GB RAM recommended)
Disk space: ~150 MB
Please note that VMware Player Plus doesn’t include the advanced features present in Workstation such as snapshots, cloning, virtual machine sharing, and remote connection to VSphere.
And if you’re looking for a free virtualization software with decent set of features, install Oracle VirtulBox. It not only lets you create and run virtual machines but also lets you create snapshots and clone drives. It also supports multiple disk image types such as VDI, VMDK, and VHD.
How to install Windows 8/8.1 on VMware Player guide might also interest you.
