Pros: Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac is a very stable program that enables guest operating systems to run on top of host operating systems. Thus, you can run multiple operating systems at the same time. 4) Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac released last November and there have been free updates since then (Latest was in May). We still support Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac as well, providing build updates for it. In this article you will learn how Parallels Desktop allows you to run Windows on your Mac. Parallels Desktop is a Mac OS application, much like Safari or TextEdit except that it allows you to create virtual machines.
I am writing this review and rating it only 3 stars, but I continue to love Parallels. I actually hope that others will buy Parallels 9 and then call, write, and chat with the support team to complain about the loss of Parallels Mobile and its replacement with a more expensive, but more functional version called Parallels Access. Hopefully, people reaching out and complaining will push them to re-visit their idea.So, here's my review of the actual software.
Parallels makes upgrading easy. I just popped in the Desktop 9 CD, then realized that they will let me download it. I prefer to download as the CD will never survive in my house. If I ever needed to re-install, then I will have to have it. So, I downloaded the software and hit install. It found my Parallels 8 and replaced it. All of my OS's are still there.
Now my Dropbox and Google drive docs are available on the Windows machine. This may seem like nothing, but I can access my Photo Stream, my iCloud Docs (which I don't use), and my Google Drive docs straight from my Windows machine without having to create shares and links or by installing and mirroring the same data on the Windows machine. This is very nice and makes it much easier for me to update a file and know it will be pushed to Google Drive or Dropbox.
The last time I upgraded my Mac, I had an issue because Parallels stopped working. Apparently, Parallels Desktop 7 worked for Lion (10.7), but not Mountain Lion (10.8). That was a frustration that I wanted to avoid. When Mavericks (10.9) comes out, I can upgrade my laptop without worrying that all of my Parallels Operating Systems will shut down. I use the windows side for some of the work that I do and that was frustrating to realize that I couldn't access Windows until I upgraded Parallels. In their defense, they notated this on their website and had sent emails that I must have missed. I was pleased that the issue was documented and easy to see if I searched.
Parallels has replaced Parallels Mobile with Parallels Access as of this version. First off, what are these things, you might ask. These are Apps that you run on your iPhone/iPad which allows you to takeover your remote machine. I can sit at the coffee shop and remember I needed to hit send on an email. I grab my phone, open the Parallels Mobile app, and it connects to my laptop at home, shows me the desktop, and lets me do what I need to do. You don't have to setup your router or anything. Just have Parallels running and you're good to go. * The downside, Parallels Mobile worked for iPhone and iPad. This meant that if I just had my phone, I was still good. Parallels Mobile was introduced around version 7 and now it's being phased out. It's being phased out in favor of Parallels Access, which does the same thing, but costs $79.99/yr and doesn't currently work on the iPhone. When you connect with Parallels Access, the computer you takeover gets all funky as Parallels us tweaking the desktop resolution so that it can show you one Mac/Windows application at a time. * The upside, Parallels Access is pretty sweet. You can takeover just one Mac/Windows Application at a time. You don't have to re-size the application to perfectly fit in the screen. They have taken the iPad finger strokes and made them work when you are taking over a remote computer. It's pretty amazing and has allowed me to get more done faster.
Parallels Access might be worth $20/yr to me, but not $79.99. It's worth even less to me because I don't have a choice. Parallels Mobile is End of Purchase. http://www.parallels.com/support/desktop-virtualization/mobile/ This means that you can't get it anymore and those of us that have been with them for years can't use it if we want to upgrade. If the next Mac upgrade to Mavericks works the same, then once I upgrade my Mac, I will have to upgrade Parallels and lose access to Parallels Mobile. (This is what I was talking about on the first paragraph. Please phone, chat, Skype, and email support. Please push for Parallels Mobile to come back or Parallels Access to be reasonably priced.)
I love Parallels and they have always come out with something new and some reason that it's worth it to me to upgrade. This is the first time I wouldn't want to give 5 stars. I still love them and want to stick with them. If you are choosing between Parallels and Fusion, I'd still say to go with Parallels. We just need them to get a little less cocky and be more open with us the consumers.
I would recommend this item to a friend!This review is from Parallels Desktop for Mac - Use Windows Applications alongside your Mac Apps!.
Parallels has announced the release of its latest version of the company's desktop virtualization solution for the Mac, Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0. The new version adds more than 50 features and product enhancements, including the ability to run Leopard Server in a virtual machine.
It sounds like one of the complaints Parallels often heard from its customers had to do with performance issues. So the Parallels team answered with a performance makeover with 4.0. The company claims that improvements have been made to the platform to include a speed boost up to 50% faster than the previous version. They also updated the hypervisor technology, the Adaptive Hypervisor, to dynamically allocate resources to meet user needs. Application responsiveness is further enhanced as the virtualization engine has been optimized to consume 15-30% less resources than previous versions. Parallels has obviously spent a significant amount of time focusing on performance.
To further increase the power of the new platform, Parallels' users can now use up to eight CPUs and 8GB of memory to a virtual machine. And users can also support 64-bit virtual machines. That is of course as long as the underlying system hardware is present. Battery life has also been extended for Parallels operating on a notebook, giving users back about 20% of their typical battery life while running a virtual machine.
Parallels Desktop Review
Graphics performance has also been improved with additional support added for DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0, OpenGL 2.0, and up to 256MB of video memory. This should be enough power to suffice the casual gamer, although hardcore gamers will probably still install native.
Coherence has also been updated. The Windows status tray is now integrated into the Mac's UI. Now when you switch to Coherence, the Windows taskbar items move to the Mac's menubar. A new viewing mode called Modality has been added to the system as well. It allows the user to set the level of transparency of the guest operating system so that the user can view the activity of a virtual machine while in the background. Parallels also added Safe Mode booting for the virtual machines as well as scheduled snapshots for added peace of mind.
Parallels Desktop 4.0 For Mac
The software is available now and priced at $79.99. Current customers can upgrade their existing software for only $39.99 until November 30, 2008. Users that purchased Version 3.0 on or after Sept. 1, 2008, qualify for a free upgrade to Version 4.0.