Lifehacker takes on Parallels Coherence

We've already covered the insanely feature-rich Parallels beta, including Scott's post on the new Coherence (Windows apps on the Mac desktop) mode. Now Adam Pash at Lifehacker has done a pretty complete runthrough of setting up Coherence mode for best effect, including proper desktop config and some strategies for launching Windows apps from the Dock. The beta is available free for download from Parallels' forums. If you have an Intel Mac with enough RAM and an XP2 license, and you haven't tried it yet, you should.

The remarkable thing about the Parallels story is that a program that nobody in the Mac world had heard of before April of this year has become, in only eight months, not only a best-of-breed virtualization tool but also a strategically important product for the entire Mac platform. It's the tool that Virtual PC wanted to be but never truly was: a genuine productivity solution for cross-platform work and a real argument for the success of the Mac in enterprise environments. Very exciting, and the beta bodes well for an equally lively 2007.

Thanks Gerry!