Performance key to new Parallels Desktop for Mac

Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0 promises better performance when running multiple operating systems on a Mac.

(Credit: Parallels)

Parallels has released the newest edition of its virtualization software for the Mac, promising dramatic performance improvements for those running both Windows and Mac OS on their systems.

Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0 is 50 percent faster than the older version and has "silenced our critics with regards to performance," according to Parallels' Rawee Kambhiranond. The software allows Mac users to run Mac OS X and Windows side by side on their desktop, without having to reboot to switch between the two operating systems as enabled by Apple's Boot Camp technology.

Version 4.0 brings the aforementioned performance improvements designed to close the gap between Parallels and VMware's Fusion product, but also adds a few other tweaks.

Graphics performance is also improved with the addition of DirectX9 support and Open GL 2.0. Notifications from programs running in the Windows compartment can be displayed on the Mac menu bar, near the icons for wireless networking or Time Machine, allowing users to stay on top of what's happening in their Windows environment without having to toggle over. And Parallels improved support for mobile devices, allowing you to set preferences such as always having your iPhone connect to your Mac environment, but telling the digital camera to connect to the Windows environment.

The new software costs $79.99, and an upgrade version is available for a limited-time promotional price of $39.99, expiring on November 30. If you happened to buy a copy of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3 after September 1, you'll get a free upgrade copy.

[BrownTae]

Will this support Vista's Aero?

[Tom Krazit]

Good question, wish I had thought of that beforehand. I went back to Parallels, and here's what they said:

?Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac does not yet support Windows Vista?s Aero in a virtual machine. It is being planned for in a future update.

Also, it seems most people try to turn off Aero in native Windows machines due to the system resources that Aero requires. So, it may be likely that people may not even want to use Aero when running Windows in a VM.?

[tcarreon]

no. it does not.

[brandonm3]

yet another reason to justify getting a mac. "i'm a pc" and part of that is due to the fact that some of the apps required for my work are pc only. i have virtual pc running on my powerbook but the lag is too encumbering - if this app fixes that issue, i don't think i'll look back. Palin for prez 2009!!!

[Edwin-]

Virtual PC? No wonder the lag is encumbering. That hasn't been updated for years. Did they even make a version of that for the Intel-based Macs? You know you need a Mac with an Intel CPU inside to use Parallels Desktop and VMWare's Fusion, right? If you have an Intel based Mac then ditch that crappy Virtual PC and get Desktop or Fusion. It's like night and day.

[myles taylor]

Virtual PC doesn't run on Intel. He did say it was a powerbook.

Brandonm3, I switched to VMware Fusion awhile back and haven't looked back so far. There shouldn't be any reason for you to stay on your old Powerbook.

[boychuk]

Has anyone been using Cross-over, the utility that allows Windows programs to run on a Mac without requiring Windows? Reply with your experiences. I just downloaded it and I plan to try it.

[Penguinisto]

I use it on Linux all of the time... works like a charm there. I have yet to bother using it on my Macs though... no real need to.

/P

[tcarreon]

yes i have used it. depends on what you want to use it for. internet explorer and office seem to be the most stable and usable products. anything beyond that is a crap-shoot. they have a list of apps that are known to be supported, check out their web site.

[tcarreon]

just got parallels 4 and now i'm wishing i had not. horrible and unstable, they seem to have rushed this release to keep vmware from getting too many headlines, but it's just not usable.

after a few minutes the vm freezes and i have to kill it, it's a cpu hog compared to ver 3 when idle.

some promising features though, such as dynamic resource allocation, multi-core support and windows icons can appear in the os x menu bar next to the os x items.

just not ready yet, should have done more testing or released it in beta before calling it a final version. my recommendation would be to hold off until they've worked out some major bugs.

[MukhMan]

We (VMware) would love to have you as a customer. You can evaluate Fusion 2.0 on a trial basis by going to our website.

[Leto_Parallels]

We (Parallels) would love to help you solve your problem.
There are a few possible solutions that may fix your issue and I'm willing to look into it personally for you. Would you care to e-mail me at [e-mail] with your system and problem details? We really appreciate your feedback as well. It helps us continue to improve.

Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac was tested quite a bit, both in-house and in public beta. We wouldn't release a product we weren't confident about.

For anyone wondering, the new trial for Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac has all the features and functions of the full version, and is available at www.Parallels.com

[CapeTownMac]

I agree, Parallels 4.0 is a dog and is still very much a beta release. Among other problems I have experienced the following: 1. HP Laserjet 1000 does not print (worked fine under 3.0) 2. Copy and paste from OS X to Windows does not work at all - this is such a basic feature I can't believe it wasn't tested, I've seen this comments from many other 'beta testers' of 4.0. 3. Can't see Mac drive from Windows (why else would I buy the program?) 4. Shut down is very slow, much slower than the previous version.

In summary, the speed improvement is not that noticeable but the bugs are! I was so excited that I paid for version 4 instead of testing the free download and I didn't bother to backup my version 3 VM which was dumb.

Don't do it! Wait for the patches...

[Leto_Parallels]

Capetown, I can only estimate the cause of your problem, but by the sound of it something might have gone on while you were installing Parallels tools.
That installation is fairly sensitive, just like all hardware drivers can be. Try closing any programs you have running in OS X and reinstalling your tools through the Parallels menu bar under "Virtual Machine". If that doesn't help, you may send me an e-mail (shown above) and I can pass on the details of your issue to our tech support team. Again, thanks a lot for the feedback.

[idfubar]

Too bad the review doesn't say anything about the tools which are shipped with the product. Parallels 3 has run fantastically on our family's iMac; the only thing I noticed when virtualizing our old PC was the incompatibility in file formats between VMware and Parallels virtual machines (perhaps the newest generation of tools offers a greater possibility of seamless conversion)?