Parallels Desktop Update R

Parallels has released Update Release Candidate (RC) for the Parallels Desktop for Mac, which include better USB 2.0 support, improved drag & drop, dramatically improved Boot Camp support as well as a new "Coherence" view mode for "invisible" execution of Windows applications and better support importing third-party virtual machines. The software, which runs many alternate x86 operating systems, offers faster support for a broader range of devices, including Palm PDAs and most webcams (the current build does not support iSight). In addition, Parallels Desktop now shares the entire Mac file structure between OS X and Windows.

"This means that a user can, for example, drag a Word file directly from OS X to Word for Windows, have the Windows program automatically open, and edit the file without creating a separate, independent copy in their Windows VM," the company said. "When the user clicks 'save' after modifying the file, the update file is saved directly to their Mac."

The Parallels Desktop for Mac Update, which is free for all registered customers, includes some "groundbreaking features" that completely change the way users work with multiple operating systems on a single machine, according to the company. "Coherence" is a new view mode that lets users running Intel-powered Macs to run Windows applications directly on their Mac, without ever seeing the Windows desktop. Coherence also lets users load Windows applications from their Mac-based dock--allowing users to run Windows-only applications without ever leaving the Mac desktop. Users can easily switch between Mac and Windows applications using command+tab functionality in the Finder.

The update also includes support for USB 2.0, CD/DVD burning in virtual machines, and a new "Transporter" feature that enables entire Windows machines, as well as Virtual PC and VMware Workstation virtual machine images to be migrated to a Parallels virtual machine running on the Mac, without having to reinstall the operating system or any applications. Users can burn CDs and DVDs directly in virtual machines, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD, according to the company.

"The Update RC for Parallels Desktop for Mac brings us even closer to giving users a true native experience when working with virtual machines," said Benjamin Rudolph, Marketing Manager, Parallels. "With the inclusion of better USB 2.0 support that works seamlessly with Palm devices, and more efficient file sharing via drag and drop, users will be able to get more done by easily working with Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously.

by MacNN Staff