VMware has announced that the VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 has launched, and they're offering the build for free (after going through the free registration of course) at their official beta portal. The beta portal will be the prime site for discovering bugs, offering solutions, and hosting discussions on how-tos for both existing Fusion users and those willing to try.

But more love is being thrown to the crowds who own earlier versions of VMware Fusion, because the developers say that once the final build of Fusion 2.0 rolls out, it'll be offered as a free upgrade. And that's great news, seeing as Fusion 2.0 will not only offer improved performance, it also claims to be able to do the following, too:

• Support up to 10 identical monitors as your desktop display
• Run DirectX 9.0C-level games, but now even with Shader Model requirements up to 2.0
• Legacy Boot-camp support, plus ability to upgrade to full virtual machines
• Migrate from Parallels Desktop and Virtual PC for Mac with streamlined conversion support

Now remember that this is still a beta build and not a completed release, so expect some of these features to exhibit hiccups from time to time, especially with hardware demanding tasks such as gaming and 3D modeling. Don't be surprised if some games in earlier Fusions worked and don't work with Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 - that'll be resolved soon enough.

But images of 8-way multi-monitor support got us charting out a Mac-XP 360-degree surround cinema experience...