Parallels on Wednesday released Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac, a new version of its virtualization software that allows Intel-based Macs to run Windows and Linux alongside Mac OS X.
According to Parallels, the new version of its software is up to 300 percent faster than the previous version, Parallels Desktop 4. The company also hired Crimson Consulting Group to do performance testing on Parallels 5 and said it was 22 percent faster than its nearest virtualization competitor when running Windows 7 64-bit on a MacBook Pro.
While the competitor wasn't named by Parallels, it is widely thought the virtualization market is ruled by Parallels and VMWare's Fusion for Mac.
Speaking with CNET, Parallels CEO Serguei Beloussov said company had three main goals when making Parallels 5 for Mac: make it faster; make it smarter and easier; and make it more powerful.
Beloussov said the company achieved those goals by adding support for gestures, supporting a broader range of 3D features, and optimizing Parallels to handle virtual hardware and drivers more efficiently.
Parallels 5 also adds a new viewing mode called Crystal, which is similar to Coherence, where Windows completely disappears from your desktop. However, Crystal adds the Windows taskbar items on the top of the Mac OS X menu, allowing easy access.
Apple also offers a way to run Windows on an Intel-based Mac. It's called Boot Camp, but it requires the user restart the computer and run Windows separately from the Mac OS. While that may be inconvenient for many users, the native speed of running on the hardware was always seen as a major advantage. Parallels says they can now beat that.
"Parallels is faster than Boot Camp," Beloussov said. "Most slow downs with Windows is not because of computational problems, it's handling drivers. We offer optimized virtualized hardware and drivers, making it faster."
Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac is available for $79.99 or $49.99 for an upgrade.
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.
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