VMware Inc. has just rolled out a new gift for Mac users in the form of an update for its popular VMware Fusion app that comes with several new features and full support for the newest Apple Macs.

First up is the consumer version, called VMware Fusion 7. It offers a redesigned experience for OS X Yosemite which includes “translucency in windows, streamlined toolbars and simplified Dock icon,” and more, according to VMware. The company assures us the software has also been optimized for the latest Mac hardware and Retina displays, and offers an energy impact reduction of around 42 percent compared to previous versions.

More is exciting is the advanced Fusion Pro 7 for power users. VMware says it’s aimed at professionals running virtualization software beyond just a personal environment.

Naturally it’s much more expensive than the basic version, but you do get some nice extras for your trouble. Fusion Pro 7 looks a lot more like VMware’s premium Workstation software for Windows and Linux than previous editions. Last year VMware added a linked clones feature, whereby multiple copies of a virtual machine are created without duplicating the entire thing. Now it’s adding remote access to virtual machines, another feature borrowed from Workstation.

Speaking to Ars Technica, VMware’s product manager Simon Bennett explained that whereas before the virtual machine had to be running on your Mac, Fusion 7 allows users to connect virtual machines that are running elsewhere – for example on a desktop or in a data center.

“It’s really cool if you care about battery life, because all that overhead of running a hypervisor, the operating system and applications, you’re not going to pay that price in your battery life and you can also use virtual machines way bigger than would fit on a Mac laptop,” Bennett said. The feature should prove especially handy for those wanting to do software demonstrations, or for developers who often need to access multiple VMs, he added.

There’s a bunch of other features too, as described by VMware:

Dual GPU Optimization – For MacBook Pros with a discrete GPU as well as an integrated GPU, Fusion 7 Pro lets users choose which GPU to use for 3D applications. Selecting the integrated GPU will result in longer battery life while selecting the discrete GPU will offer the best performance for 3D applications in a virtual machine.

Enhanced Connectivity and iSight Support – Macs equipped with an iSight camera can now use it to conduct video conferences within a Windows virtual machine. Fusion 7 Pro also supports USB 3.0 for fast file transfers, HD audio with 5.1 surround sound, and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology.

Enhanced Productivity – The Fusion Pro Virtual Machine Library’s new power state indicator enables users to monitor and shut down virtual machines not in use to improve overall performance. Fusion 7 Pro also enables application-level, user-configurable shortcuts to easily open or switch to a specific virtual machine.

VMware Fusion 7 and VMware Fusion 7 Pro are available today for $70 and $150 respectively. If you’re running Fusion 5 or 6 now, it’ll cost you $80 to upgrade (unless you purchased version 6 after August 1 of this year, in which case the upgrade is free).

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