Parallels Desktop beta released for free
updated 05:45 pm EDT, Thu August 2, 2007
Parallels Desktop update
Parallels on Thursday began another new beta of its Parallels Desktop software for Mac, and announced that the latest test version is available for free to anyone with a permanent or trial Parallels Desktop 3.0 key. Parallels Desktop is a program that allows Mac users to run Microsoft Windows XP or Vista right alongside Mac OS X without the need to reboot, and supports intuitive operations like dragging files from Windows to Mac OS X and vice-versa. The latest beta release brings Microsoft application windows to Expose and enhances the look of each PC-oriented window. Parallels Desktop only works on Intel-based Macs, managing machine code to make use of the Intel chips present inside every new Mac to drive Microsoft Windows.
Coherence windows work with Expose
Parallels Desktop includes a "Coherence" feature that makes Microsoft Windows application windows appear identical to Mac OS X windows, making it appear to users as though Mac OS X were the only operating system running. The test version allows users to access Microsoft application windows via Apple's Expose feature -- a technology designed to ease the process of switching between windows on a Mac -- under Mac OS X, showing each Windows application in a separate selectable window.
Windows with PC content also feature Mac OS X effects like drop shadows, and "stack" with Mac windows in any order to provide a seamless desktop management experience.
Image Tool
Parallels has revived its Image Tool, making it completely compatible with snapshotted drives. Users can convert virtual hard drive formats from plain tto expanding or expanding to plain using the revamped tool, enable or disable the "undo disk" option -- choosing whether to erase all changes made during a session at shutdown -- and enlarge a virtual hard drive when space becomes sparse.
Explorer
Parallels' free Explorer utility lets users browse as well as work with the hard drive of virtual machines -- a term used to describe an operating system like Microsoft Windows running inside another system like Mac OS X -- even when the virtual machine is off or suspended. The company warns users however to consult the release notes and user guide before attempting to work with hard drives of virtual machines while they are suspended.
The publicly available test release also allows iPhone owners to sync the device with a Windows installation running on an Intel-based Mac.
The company noted that the beta isn't supported via phone support or email, adding that its support teams can only offer help for production builds like our most recent release: Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 4560.
Timing?
08/03, 12:14am reply
Once again Parallels tries to steal publicity away from VMWare. VMWare announces on Thursday that they are releasing the golden master of their virtual machine next week and Parallels offers up a "beta" -look over here, pay no attention to that other piece of software that is hitting the market. They did the same thing just before WWDC because they were scared silly that Apple was going to incorporate virtualization into the demo of Leopard that was being released the next week.
Total worthless company.
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
however...
08/03, 12:25am reply
it is a very good piece of software.
chirpy22
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
however...
08/03, 02:31am reply
it's a very buggy piece of software so beta is welcome
adrian_milliner
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2005
Totally worthless?
08/03, 08:02am reply
They've have a supported product out there for much longer than VMWare have on the Mac. They've had coherence for ages - which VMWare implemented as Unity, added expose support, and now Parallels are now adding the expose support as well. Smart Select is a killer feature as well, that I'm sure VMWare will add in a future release, but hey, it's in a supported shipping release of Parallels now.
Personally I think it's great that we've got VMWare and Parallels competing - we get better products for it.
pftqg
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2007
unstable?
08/03, 08:15am reply
haven't had any issues with the current version; then again, i'm not pushing the performance edge on my VM so maybe that's why?
legacyb4
Mac Elite
Joined: May 2001
The Key word is "FREE"
08/03, 08:52am reply
It's a slick piece of software but I don't like the fact they charge extra for UPDATES. You have to buy this maintenance contract...Please Until you get a stable product don't charge people for your updates.....
guzzi
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006
Re: Timing
08/03, 10:34am reply
They did the same thing just before WWDC because they were scared silly that Apple was going to incorporate virtualization into the demo of Leopard that was being released the next week.
If you were in the same boat, what would you do? Here's a company that's spent a boatload of time and money on creating a product and people keep pushing the rumors of the same tech being included in OS X, basically driving you out of the business.
Wouldn't you be (a) acting scared, and (b) trying to make sure you stay in the news instead of being back-burnered?
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
and
08/05, 12:10pm reply
in OS X you can't switch the OS on the fly like you can in Parallels. That makes it worth the money right there.
chirpy22
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2006