logo

 

     
 
Home
Site Map
Search
 
:: Bitwise Courses ::
 
Bitwise Dusty Archives
 
 
 

rss

 
 

ruby in steel

learn aikido in north devon

Learn Aikido in North Devon

 


Section :: software

- Format For Printing...

Parallels Desktop 8 Review

Integrate Windows and OS X
Saturday 15 September 2012.
 

Parallels Desktop 8 - $79.99 / £77.34 (upgrade: $49.99 / £34.99)
http://www.parallels.com

If, like me, you are a Windows user who also uses a Mac, it can be frustrating to be cut off from many of your favourite applications every time you boot into OS X.

While it is possible to install Windows on Mac hardware, the default way of doing so is to create a separate partition for Windows and use the Boot Camp utility to switch between operating systems. But it’s an all-or-nothing choice. When you boot into Windows, you have no access to OS X applications; when you boot into OS X, your Windows programs are unavailable. An altogether smarter alternative is provided by the Parallels Desktop. This lets you boot into OS X and then run your Windows and Mac programs right alongside one another.

Here I am simultaneously running Visual Studio and XCode on my Mac!

Parallels Desktop 8 lets you run one or more ‘virtual machines’ containing other operating systems which may include versions of Linux or Windows up to Windows 8. You need to have the appropriate installation disk for the operating system you plan to install. Alternatively, if you already have Windows installed, either on a networked PC or on a Boot Camp partition, you can migrate that installation to use it with Parallels. I migrated my Boot Camp Windows installation and, right away, I then had access to programs ranging from Windows Notepad to Visual Studio 2012.

The latest version of Parallels Desktop supports OS X versions from Leopard to up to Mountain Lion. It is faster than previous releases and supports Surround Sound 7.1 the latest additions to OS X Mountain Lion.

The integration which Parallels Desktop provides is remarkable. If you’ve used virtual machine software that loads up the entire operating system into a self-enclosed window, you may be surprised to see each Windows application popping up inside its own window – this gives the impression that Windows programs are running ‘natively’ on OS X.

With Parallels Desktop you can even use the Windows Start Menu and run standard tools such as the Windows Explorer

This impression is more than just sleight of hand, however. Windows programs actually seem to work like Mac programs. You can even run programs from the Windows Start Menu (which pops down from the Parallels toolbar) and copy and paste between Mac and Windows documents.

In short, if you are a Mac user and you want easy access to your Windows applications, Parallels Desktop 8 is the answer.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Forum

  • Worth upgrading from PD7?
    15 September 2012, by Alan Ralph

    I’m currently using Parallels Desktop 7 on my iMac (OS X Lion). The latest updates have incorporated Mountain Lion compatibility, something they’ve neglected to mention in their promotional material for PD8.

    This brings me to my only real niggle with Parallels - love their software, but it does like to butt in every so often with an advert for anti-virus software or the ugrade to PD8, both available from their store. Thankfully, the advert can be sent away, but it does annoy me to have this sort of thing happen with software I’ve paid for.

    • Worth upgrading from PD7?
      1 October 2012, by iGtZlDQd

      One of the benefits of rnnniug a Mac is the ability to run our favorite OS, Snow Leopard, and have the ability to run others, such as most versions of Linux (which I’ve tried and don’t like sorry) and really all versions of Windows. Sure, we can use Boot Camp, which has been shipping as part of the Mac OS for some time, and simply boot Windows separately; however, most of the time it may make more sense to run Windows and OS X hand in hand. Such a time can be when we have the Mac version of Adobe’s CS suite, and perhaps some Mac exclusive software, but still need to work with Windows only software, such as Visio, VIsual Studio, or SQL just to name a few. There are a few options, with VMware and Parallels perhaps being the most popular, and I have used both. VMware was my favorite since the first version, and I have had versions 2 and 3 as well. VMware does get the job done; however one day I ran into an issue. At work we use Microsoft’s Virtual PC (for Windows), and having a Mac I had to move all the virtual images into my machine so I could work and explore at home or on the go. I was unable to move the images and use them with VMware, so I figured I would give Parallels a try and downloaded the trial version. Parallels was able to recognize and accept the images that had been used with VirtualPC without any issues. There were images that ranged from 15-80GB, the contained Windows XP, VIsta and 7, as well as Windows Server 2003 and 2008 R2 each image containing different beta pre-release software, SharePoint 2007 Enterprise (MOSS), SharePoint 2003 (WSS), SSIS ad SSRS (SQL stuff) configurations (although some images were basic, just rnnniug Office or VIsual Studio). I was super excited to see Parallels accept every singe OS and configuration without issues, the only thing was that many of these virtual images asked to be reactivated or at times even for the product key; which was not a problem since I had all in hand. Not only was Parallels able to recognize these images, but it also takes more advantage of the Mac’s hardware, such as the GPU (graphics); therefore, resulting in better CPU performance not really slowing down the virtual machine nor the native OS. There are times, such as conferences and training sessions, where I run Microsoft software natively in OS X, and although VMware was able to do this, it was rather slow. VMwre and Parellels boh get the job done; however, if you’re in the technology industry and need to move virtual images from computer to computer often, than Parallels would be the best choice. I have a Quad Core i7 iMac with 16GB of RAM, which is amazing (I can run multiple images at once); however I do use my 11 MacBook Air a lot since it’s the best to carry around. As many know, the Air’s hardware is limited due to it’s portability, I can allocate 2-3GB to many of the virtual machines I put on it and still runs them better than my MacBook Pro (got replaced with a more powerful iMac and more portable Air) used to run with VMware. I know the solid state drive helps, but Parallels just takes so much more advantage of the hardware. The only thing I dislike about Parallels is how it thinks for me when setting up a virtual environment. If not careful setting it up, it seems to assume that you want to share between the native and virtual OS so it creates a local folder on the Mac. This can also result in using the wrong software at the time; for example, I was rnnniug WIndows 7 with Excel 2010 the other day. I saved and closed the file in WIndows, and when I double clicked it to reopen, it kept opening in Office 2011 on the Mac OS as opposed to WIndows; I just had to manually open Excel 2010 in Windows and locate the file which was in the WIndows OS not bad, but annoying, and also embarrassing if you’re presenting at the time and don’t need to confuse the audience with Mac vs WIndows stuff.


Home