What exactly is included in the Free Version of VMWare Workstation

[Michael Hoffmann]

Hello,
we have the following Situation.
We are running several hundred VMware Workstation Player an a few VMWare Workstation Pro Installations.

With the Information that VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion are now Free some Questions are coming up:

1. Does The Notice that VMWare Workstation Pro is Free also cover the VmWare Workstation Player?
   Since we cannot buy a License for the Player any more but we would prefer to only install the Player.
       Can we Install the Player also for Free?
      Will there be Updates / Patches for the Player? 
   
   
2.  How does the Activation of VMWare Workstation Pro work now?
   If i Do not Buy a License - i will not get an Activation Key.
   Will there be a general Key or du we have to install the Version that is meant for private use?
   I Believe that the Version for private use is exactly that - a Version not for commercial use.
   So i can download VMWare Workstation Pro and it will ask me for a License Key.
   
   
3. How is the Free Version licensed? (a public License or?)

[RaSystemlord]

This is an unofficial answer how "things have always been". Not sure if Broadcom has changed something, I hope others will tell about changes, if any.
The products are not like in the question, there are VMware Workstation Pro OR VMware Workstation Player.

1. does VMWare Workstation include the VmWare Workstation Player?
   /You must mean VMware Workstation Pro.  There is a separate shortcut-icon for starting the Player. So, yes./
   
       Can we Install the Player also for Free?
   /Yes. But you cannot use it for Free, if the use is commercial. Technically it works, though. This has always been the case and as of late, years already, there is license you can buy for the Player./
   
      Will there be Updates / Patches for the Player? 
   /Yes./
2. 
    How does the Activation of VMWare Workstation work now?
   /You must mean Pro. You just give the key during the installation or any time later. Evaluation time is 30 days. In the About box./
   
        Will there be a general Key or du we have to install the Version that is meant for private use?
   /The install is always the same, no key required for the install itself. In principle, you always install Pro. The reason is that there is a GUI for Network Editor, which will continue to work after Evaluation Period and as stated above, Pro includes Player. There are scenarios where you really need to edit Network Address spaces - if not obvious, also when using the Player. The general use does not differ if you run Pro or Player. Pro just has more features, which may be required in some cases.
3. How is the Free Version licensed? (a public License or?)
   /Not sure, but "commercial use" is forbidden. You need to read the finer text and also have a lawyer to interpret what it means in your particular country. The law isn't the same globally, nor are the consequences for not following the "text written by a software vendor". But I guess "the spirit" of what the "free" means, is rather clear./

[RaSystemlord]

Well, I guess my previous answer got outdated, commercial-wise, pretty quickly. Here is text from an announcement 11. November:

"Effective immediately, both VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation will transition away from the paid subscription model, meaning you can now utilize these tools without any cost. The paid versions of these offerings – Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro – are no longer available for purchase. "

[Technogeezer]

@RaSystemlord - yes, they did seem to sneak that one in under the radar. I had to look twice to see a) if it was a fake blog post, and b) was it dated April 1 (an early April Fool's joke).