Parallels Desktop for Mac Pumps Up Virtual Power
Software virtualization company Parallels announced on Thursday that version 3.0 of its award-winning Parallels Desktop for Mac is now available as a beta release candidate. The final release of Parallels Desktop, which allows users to concurrently run Windows, Linux, or any other operating system with Mac's own OS X, is expected within a few weeks.
Version 3.0 of Parallels Desktop works on any Intel-powered Mac and features a new integration tool, called SmartSelect, that gives users the ability to run any Windows or OS X file with any program, from either OS. SmartSelect works in tandem with Coherence, Parallels Desktop's feature that allows Windows applications to run as if they were native Mac apps under OS X.
More Than 50 New Features
Users can drag and drop files and folders between OS X and Windows, and use Intel's Virtualization Technology for improved performance.
Coherence and SmartSelect work together, the Renton, Washington-based company said in a statement, to give "users the easiest, most fluid way to run multiple OSs and their applications simultaneously, without rebooting or switching desktop environments."
There are more than 50 new features or improvements in the 3.0 version, the company said. These include hardware -accelerated 3D graphics, a "snapshot" backup, and several new security settings to protect against cross-platform breaches.
With Parallels Transporter, an entire real Windows PC can now be migrated to a Mac, without reinstalling Windows. There is also support for using all facets of Windows Vista, for connecting virtual machines to the Internet without manual reconfiguration, and for configuring external devices on full-speed USB 2.0.
Making It Easier on I.T.
A 15-day free trial is available on the Parallels site. Current users can upgrade to the final release for $49.99, although the prerelease upgrade price is $39.99. The standard price of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 is $79.99.
Parallels builds server and workstation virtualization solutions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is part of SWsoft, which specializes in server virtualization and automation software.
By developing its virtualization solutions for servers and workstations, Parallels said, it is "helping to alleviate the cost and headache associated with a traditional I.T. infrastructure ." Such virtual infrastructures, it noted, require fewer machines, and thus help to lower operating costs, improve user productivity, and maximize hardware value.
In early May, the company announced that it was working with U.S. distributor Tech Data Corporation to offer 13 preconfigured packages of Parallels Desktop for Mac preloaded onto several Macs, including the Mac mini, iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro, with Windows XP preinstalled in the Parallels virtual machine.
Software virtualization company Parallels announced on Thursday that version 3.0 of its award-winning Parallels Desktop for Mac is now available as a beta release candidate. The final release of Parallels Desktop, which allows users to concurrently run Windows, Linux, or any other operating system with Mac's own OS X, is expected within a few weeks.
Version 3.0 of Parallels Desktop works on any Intel-powered Mac and features a new integration tool, called SmartSelect, that gives users the ability to run any Windows or OS X file with any program, from either OS. SmartSelect works in tandem with Coherence, Parallels Desktop's feature that allows Windows applications to run as if they were native Mac apps under OS X.
More Than 50 New Features
Users can drag and drop files and folders between OS X and Windows, and use Intel's Virtualization Technology for improved performance.
Coherence and SmartSelect work together, the Renton, Washington-based company said in a statement, to give "users the easiest, most fluid way to run multiple OSs and their applications simultaneously, without rebooting or switching desktop environments."
There are more than 50 new features or improvements in the 3.0 version, the company said. These include hardware -accelerated 3D graphics, a "snapshot" backup, and several new security settings to protect against cross-platform breaches.
With Parallels Transporter, an entire real Windows PC can now be migrated to a Mac, without reinstalling Windows. There is also support for using all facets of Windows Vista, for connecting virtual machines to the Internet without manual reconfiguration, and for configuring external devices on full-speed USB 2.0.
Making It Easier on I.T.
A 15-day free trial is available on the Parallels site. Current users can upgrade to the final release for $49.99, although the prerelease upgrade price is $39.99. The standard price of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 is $79.99.
Parallels builds server and workstation virtualization solutions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is part of SWsoft, which specializes in server virtualization and automation software.
By developing its virtualization solutions for servers and workstations, Parallels said, it is "helping to alleviate the cost and headache associated with a traditional I.T. infrastructure ." Such virtual infrastructures, it noted, require fewer machines, and thus help to lower operating costs, improve user productivity, and maximize hardware value.
In early May, the company announced that it was working with U.S. distributor Tech Data Corporation to offer 13 preconfigured packages of Parallels Desktop for Mac preloaded onto several Macs, including the Mac mini, iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro, with Windows XP preinstalled in the Parallels virtual machine.
