VMware Offers Special Deal for Users to “Upgrade” from Parallels Desktop

In any market, technology-related or not, there’s going to be some form of strong competition. At the same time, it’s a given that one company is going to boast about being better than another, even if it’s a matter of opinion and something that can’t be concluded as fact. But what’s not so common, though, is when a company is so confident in its product, that it out-right insults the competition by offering a special deal around the fact.

Cast in point: VMware. Earlier this month, lead Mac virtualization competitor Parallels released its Parallels Desktop 6, a release that amps up the application in almost every way. It becomes a true 64-bit application, offers improved graphics and audio, improves the launch speed of many Windows applications (up to 41% faster) and even allows remote access via the iPad or iPhone.

Sounds impressive, right? Well not to VMware, and to prove it, it’s offered a near rock-bottom price for current Parallels Desktop owners to “upgrade” to the latest VMware Fusion. The price? A meager $10. While the promotion runs, VMware Fusion 1 and 2 owners can also enjoy the much-dropped price. Both VMware and Parallels regularly charge $50 per upgrade license.

To rub salt in the wound (maybe), VMware couldn’t be more clear about its intentions:

“If you are considering an upgrade to Parallels Desktop 6, why spend $49.99 when you only need to spend $9.99 to get the proven and reliable way to run Windows on the Mac? For a limited time, get unparalleled reliability for less than $10 and spend the $40 you save on dinner and a movie instead. This offer expires on December 31, 2010, so act now!“

Ouch. Could this be considered poor taste by VMware? It’s hard to say, but I’m sure there will be people on both sides of the fence. But either way, if you were considering an upgrade to Fusion 3 or moving over from Parallels, it’s sure hard to go wrong with this deal.

For a limited time, users can make the switch to VMware Fusion – the best way to run Windows on the Mac– for only $9.99, a $30 cost saving from the usual VMware Fusion upgrade and a $40 cost savings from upgrading to Parallels Desktop 6.