The tools mentioned are essential for various purposes such as installing other operating systems, learning about technology, and developing and testing software. For the VMware community, there is exciting news – these tools are now available for free, making it possible for tech enthusiasts and developers to run virtual machines on their personal devices without incurring costs. The tools can be downloaded from the new portal at support.broadcom.com. However, for commercial use, a paid subscription is necessary, priced at $120 per year.

This subscription can be purchased through Broadcom partners or the new reseller, Digital River, and ensures that commercial customers receive all product updates and support. As a result of these changes, VMware is discontinuing the lesser Workstation Player and Fusion Player versions. However, personal users can upgrade to the full-featured Pro versions at no cost. Detailed upgrade steps are available in Broadcom’s knowledge base.

VMware’s decision to offer Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro for free personal use is seen as a significant win for the community, providing greater accessibility to these essential tools for learning and development.