- Monday, 23 November 2009
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Parallels releases Desktop for Mac 4.0
THE LATEST VERSION of Parallels’ Desktop for Mac, version 4.0, a virtualisation platform for Intel-based Macs, has been released allowing punters to run Windows on their Apple computers.
Parallels reckons there’s growing demand for its software amongst customers who want to switch to Macs whist not losing any of their previous windows-based files and apps.
Amongst the features offered by Desktop for Mac 4.0 is the ability to run Apple’s Leopard Server in a virtual machine (VM), a 50 per cent speed hike over previous versions and graphics support for DirectX 9 and OpenGL 2.0.
Parallels also boasts its 'Adaptive Hypervisor' which can load balance between the Mac operating system and a virtual machine (VM) and can connect as many as eight CPUs and 8GB RAM to each VM.
All this is not good news for Vmware and its competing Fusion 2.0 platforms which supports OS X virtualisation on the desktop.
According to Parallels, users who already own a version of the firm’s software can upgrade to Desktop 4.0 for $40. Buying the software new will set customers back $80, and people who bought version 3.0 after September 1st will be lucky enough to get themselves a free upgrade. µ
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...users could pay nothing at all, and use Sun's VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org)!
Anyone seen the irony in running Windows XP on a Mac (via Parallels)?
No, I don't see the irony.
That's like trying to see the irony in running Linux in VMWare under XP... hmmm.
I got a chance to play around last week on a Mac running Parallels 3.0, and they have a thing called "Coherence view" which superimposes Windows onto the Mac desktop. You have the start menu and launch any app completely transparently. Our CAD program, ArtiosCAD, is not available on the Mac, but the dual 3GHz Xeon-based Mac Pro ran ArtiosCAD super smooth.
Niki: There is nothing ironic about it. There are some programs that have not been ported from Windows to OS X and using a VM is cheaper than keeping a second computer for a program you might only need once a week or so.
"...users could pay nothing at all, and use Sun's VirtualBox"

How does that help them run DirectX9 or OpenGL2 apps?
Avoid Parallels like the plague!
It's buggy and there is zero response when complaining.
I'm going to take legal action against them if I don't get a refund. It's time software vendors were treated more like non-software companies.
If any other product went wrong as often as some software you would get an apology, an immediate refund or a replacement. OR a service engineer would come round your house to fix it!
Let's change the current attitude towards software companies... i.e. if they produce an unacceptably buggy product they have to refund just like any other company!!