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Taking VMware vSphere 5.1 for a test drive

Networking software vendor VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) launched VMware vSphere 5.1 on Tuesday, and in his first look review of the virtualization vendor’s offering, ComputerWorld’s Paul Venezia says 5.1 is more than just a mere incremental upgrade:

The first major change is the client. While the existing Windows-based client is still present, VMware has marked the 5.1 release as the point where the transition to the Web client begins, with a road map toward phasing out the fat client at some point in the near future.

(Click here to read First look: Driving VMware vSphere 5.1)

Venezia goes on to describe the new Web client’s interface, and some of the changes under the hood in 5.1, such as new switching capabilities.

At the VMworld 2012 conference last month in San Francisco, the vendor introduced new CEO Pat Gelsinger and unveiled a new cloud suite and pricing model.