1 - Is there any difference insofar as virtualizing the bootcamp partition when it comes to these programs?
There is a slight difference; Parallels edits some system files to get BootCamp support that VMWare does not. This means that you could come across problems if you don't shutdown your VM properly in Parallels. They are supposedly working on a fix, I don't know when it is coming though. For now I would recommend you backup your Boot Camp partition with
Winclone if you use Parallels.
2 - I keep hearing VMware is faster - how true is this? and - is it really that much faster?
VMWare actually is slightly slower for most tasks, except in disk access. It does have dual core support which can speed up multithreaded programs and 64-bit support which will allow use of more than 4 GB of RAM and 64-bit guest OSes. There is a small amount of overhead (about 10-20% of one CPU) in Parallels currently which will be most likely be eliminated in the next update.
Does anyone have any raw data regarding this?
Yes, see
this post on the VMWare boards.
3- I've also heard Parallels has more features than VMware - What features exactly does parallels have that VMware doesnt?
- "SmartSelect"
Set any Windows or Mac application to be the default for any file from either OS.
- Multiple Snapshots
- "Parallels Explorer"
Access your VM’s files and folders straight from the Mac desktop, even if your virtual machine is shut down.
- OpenGL acceleration
- Mount Windows disks on the Mac desktop while a Windows VM is running
- Configure which network interface(s) the VM uses
- Print through Mac OS X printer drivers
- "Parallels Transporter" (VMWare Fusion has a similar free tool called "VMWare Converter" but it only runs through Windows)
Transporter is a powerful tool that enables you to
migrate your entire PC system to a Parallels virtual machine. Migrate your entire PC system, including operating system, applications, files, and personal settings – without losing data or reinstalling any
software.
-"Kaspersky Internet Security"
Protect your Windows virtual machine from viruses and spyware with a FREE 6-month subscription.
4 - Can VMware Fusion place the Windows Taskbar on your Mac Desktop?
Yes, but it is a buggy feature and has to be enabled with a hidden VM configuration flag.
