Newest 'Windows on a Mac' software coming

U.S.-based VMWare has announced Fusion 5, the latest version of its software that lets Apple users run Microsoft Windows on Mac computers. Made to run under Apple's OS X Mountain Lion, and ready for Windows 8 when it is released in October, it will also run legacy programs Windows 7 and Windows XP as well, Slash Gear reported Thursday. Programmed specifically for Mountain Lion and optimized for Windows 8, it will allow users to run Windows and Mountain Lion searches both in Launchpad, and Mountain Lion's notification system will provide alerts regardless of if they're coming through Windows 8 or OS X. All editions of Windows 8 -- standard, pro, and enterprise -- will run under Fusion 5, VMWare said. Fusion 5 will cost $49.95 for a standard version, with a Professional version with extra features priced at $99.99. The other main provider of cross-OS software for running Windows on an Apple computers, Parallels, has announce a Sept. 4 release date for its next version.