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Parallels makes Windows apps work with your MacBook's TouchBar
If you're one of those Apple users who likes (or needs) to run Mac OS and Windows side by side, you'll probably be into Parallels Desktop 13. Especially if you have one of those MacBook Pros with a TouchBar. The latest version of the software makes certain apps on Microsoft's platform fully compatible with Apple's digital OLED strip, including all the major web browsers and the entire Office Suite. For instance, if you're running PowerPoint for Windows through Parallels, you can use the TouchBar to do things like bold or italicize the text on your slides. You can also customize functions based on which app you're using, just as you would on the Mac OS interface.
Parallels Desktop 9 supports OS X Mavericks and cloud services, provides mighty performance boost
Parallels usually does a pretty great job at heavily improving its Mac / Windows fusion software, and we'd say this newly minted version doesn't fall remotely short of that. Parallels Desktop 9 brings an array of improvements and enhancements to the table: integration with popular cloud services (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and more), support for Power Nap on compatible laptops, the ability to have a keyboard customized for Windows and, perhaps most importantly, being friendly with OS X Mavericks. This new iteration is on sale now to new customers for $79.99 or $39.99 for the Student Edition, while Desktop 7 and Desktop 8 users will only have to shell out $49.99 to upgrade. The full list of novel features can be perused in the PR after the break, and there's also a video in case moving visual images are something you prefer.
Apple Stores to push Macs for business, via Parallels Desktop and Windows 8
It's always been difficult for Apple to sell the Mac as a business machine, especially in the enterprise where Windows is king. Now 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple Stores will soon be equipped with a 27" iMac running Parallels Desktop and Windows 8, just to demonstrate to business buyers that anything that can be done on a Windows machine can be done on a Mac. In contrast to Apple's longtime "Mac vs. PC" ad campaign, which sought to convince PC users to drop Windows for Mac, the new initiative is targeting businesses by pointing out how Macs can be used side-by-side with Windows PCs in the office. Any applications that are Windows-only can be run under Parallels Desktop, while native Mac versions of many other apps bring the ease of use of the platform to any office. The timing of the new initiative is perfect, with a number of new and more powerful Macs rumored to be coming this fall. Apple's redesigned Mac Pro, which is being touted in special teasers in movie theaters across the country, is definitely in the pipeline for a fall delivery, while new versions of the MacBook Pro and iMac running Intel's powerful Haswell CPU are expected as well.
Newegg offering Parallels Desktop 7 for $10 after rebate
If you've been eyeing the popular virtualization software Parallels Desktop, online retailer Newegg has a deal on it this week you don't want to miss. The site is currently offering Parallels Desktop 7 for US$9.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate. Now, there are some obvious caveats with this deal. For one, it's an older version, as Parallels Desktop 8 was released in August. Still, this version works fine with OS X Mountain Lion and offers all of the key features, such as support for Windows 8 and running Windows apps directly from within OS X. You'll also be paying $29.99 out of pocket until the rebate check from Parallels comes in the mail, but for many that's a small price to pay for an eventual $20 return.
Bertrand Serlet joins Parallels board of directors
This just in... Parallels, the company behind the popular Parallels Desktop virtualization software for Mac OS X, announced that Bertrand Serlet has been appointed to the company's board of directors. Serlet was the senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, and was responsible for the development of Mac OS X from its beginning until his departure from Apple last August. The full press release from Parallels follows. Show full PR text Former Apple Executive Bertrand Serlet Joins Parallels Board of Directors July 17, 2012 Distinguished industry veteran and former head of software engineering at Apple bolsters Parallels board with decades of industry expertise Renton, WA, July 17, 2012 – Parallels, a global leader in cloud services enablement and desktop virtualization software, announces the appointment of Betrand Serlet, former senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, to its board of directors. Serlet will serve as a non-executive director, bringing to Parallels his distinctive professional experience of having led the development of Mac OS X from its inception until his departure from Apple in 2011. Serlet's distinguished background and unique insights will help Parallels accelerate growth and continue creating software that simplifies life for consumers and businesses. "Bertrand is the rare combination of a software visionary and master of execution. We're thrilled to be bringing his world-class experience and expertise to Parallels as the company continues its fast-paced growth and global expansion," said Birger Steen, CEO of Parallels. Serlet worked at Apple for 14 years, where he led the development and creation of OS X and was frequently a key speaker at Apple industry events. Serlet previously spent eight years with NeXT contributing to NeXTSTEP, OpenStep and WebObjects, and four years as researcher at Xerox PARC. Serlet holds a doctorate in computer science from the University of Orsay, France. "With Parallels Desktop, Parallels became a critical developer for the Mac platform, and I got to know and appreciate the Parallels leadership team. I also discovered Parallels deep involvement with the cloud, represented by its rich portfolio of products. I look forward to drawing on my career at Apple to help guide Parallels as it continues on its impressive growth trajectory," said Serlet. The Parallels product portfolio addresses a wide range of consumer, small and medium business (SMB), enterprise and services provider needs. Parallels Desktop for Mac is the No. 1-selling software¹ for running Windows and Mac applications side-by-side on a Mac without rebooting, and is used by more than 50 percent of the Fortune Global 200. The company's cloud enablement software is used by more than 9,000 service providers who rely on Parallels to deliver thousands of applications and cloud services to more than 10 million SMBs in more than 130 countries. About Parallels Parallels is a worldwide leader in hosting and cloud service enablement and desktop virtualization. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with more than 900 employees in North America, Europe, and Asia. For information on Parallels, visit www.parallels.com/spp, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ParallelsCloud and Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ParallelsCloud. ¹ Mac desktop virtualization software, new unit U.S. retail sales according to NPD Research, 1/2011-5/2012
Daily Update for November 2, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Parallels Desktop 7 plays nice with Lions and cameras and developers, oh my!
Today sees the release of Parallels 7, the newest version of its popular, competition beating virtualization software. This edition plays nicely with Lion, runs multiple virtual machines and has received several performance tweaks -- for the number obsessed, you'll enjoy knowing that it resumes Windows 60 percent faster than Parallels 6. Gamers will notice a 40 percent bump in 3D graphics rendering and video-chatters will find that Windows can now access your Mac while it's being dictated by OS X. Low end users who don't have Windows 7, fear not -- you can use the "Windows on Demand" service to buy a license via an "easy-to-use wizard" like, erm -- Clippy. Mobile fans will also see Parallels' iOS app give you remote access to your home machine, but be quick -- the price is leaping skyward from $4.99 to $19.99 soon. You can grab the standalone edition for $80, but folks already using versions 5 or 6 can level-up for $50.
Boot Camp in Lion requires Windows 7
Apple's latest version of OS X 10.7 Lion ships with Boot Camp 4 which, according to an Apple support document, only runs Windows 7. Previous versions of Windows like Vista and XP are no longer supported. There's no reason for this change, but Apple, like Microsoft, is likely increasing its focus on the newer OS and lessening it on legacy versions. Mac users that must run an older version of Windows will either have to keep Boot Camp 3 if they wish to upgrade to Lion or use a third-party virtualization solution from VMWare or Parallels. [Via Macworld]
MacUpdate Spring Bundle details and giveaway
MacUpdate is offering an incredible Spring Bundle for the next five days, and we want one TUAW reader to get it for free! The Spring Bundle's $49.99 offer features 11 apps valued at $381, which is a whopping 87% discount. For your fifty bucks, you get: Parallels Desktop 6.0 Divvy (only available to the first 30,000 buyers) 1Password MacUpdate Desktop DVDRemaster Pro 7 Mac DVD Ripper 2 Hands Off! App Tamer TechTool Pro 5 Civilization IV A Better Finder Rename While I have some of these apps already and no use for some of the others, I'm buying the Spring Bundle for just two packages: Parallels Desktop 6.0 ($79 retail) and TechTool Pro 5 ($98 retail). I'm sure TUAW readers will find similar reasons to pick up the Spring Bundle from MacUpdate. We're also giving you a chance to win a free bundle courtesy of MacUpdate. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, leave a comment telling us which app in the MacUpdate Spring Bundle is your favorite. The comment must be left before Sunday, March 27, 2011 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a copy of the MacUpdate Spring Bundle, valued at $49.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Parallels' Windows virtualization goes mobile with iOS app
There's already a number of options available to virtually run Windows applications on your iPhone or iPad (even ESPN is doing it), but users of the recently released Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac now have what looks to be a particularly seamless option at their disposal. That comes in the form of Parallels Mobile, which will work on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and will let you access any virtual Windows machine running on a Mac that's using Parallels Desktop 6. Head on past the break to check it out in action, and go grab the app in the App Store right now -- it's free, but you'll have to shell out $80 for its desktop counterpart. [Thanks, Xon]
Parallels Desktop 6 coming September 13, with better 3D support and Windows/Mac integration
Parallels, Inc. has taken the wrappings off of its new desktop virtualization software (yes, the same app which was already spotted on some store shelves -- looks like a few retailers jumped the gun), and provided TUAW with a look. The update adds over 80 new and enhanced features, with better support for 3D apps and games, an enhanced Transporter program that will connect Windows and Mac files to both implementations. Also, integration between the two OSes has been improved to include the ability to use Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts, Spotlight, and Parental Controls across both Mac and Windows on the same computer. We got a quick demo of the new app, and it looks great -- Parallels has expertly integrated Windows and OS X in whatever form you want, from a full screen switchable setup, to a windows mode, all the way to Coherence mode, which leaves the virtual machine metaphor out of the equation and just lets you run Windows apps straight from the dock as if they were Mac apps. There's one caveat: Parallels has discontinued support for Tiger, so you'll need to have OS X 10.5 or better installed to run Parallels 6. The app comes in two flavors: Parallels Desktop 6 is the standard app and can be purchased (officially starting on September 14th, we're told, regardless of what's on the shelves at your local Best Buy) for US$79.99, or you can get a Switch to Mac edition (which includes easy file migration and special tutorials for Mac newbies) for $99.99. Previous users of the software can get an upgrade for $49.99. Stay tuned, too -- Parallels tells us it has more even more big news about the new version coming up soon.
Parallels Desktop 6 appears on store shelves
No official announcement from the virtualization mavens at Parallels, but it appears that the next version of the company's Mac app for Windows virtual machines is already popping up at retail. Sharp-eyed reader Matthew Fern snapped this shot of Parallels Desktop 6 already on sale at Fry's Electronics in Roseville, CA. We've got a call into the Parallels press office to find out about upgrade options and actual yes-we-admit-it release info, but chances are we'll have to wait until after the Labor Day holiday to get the final word. Thanks Matt!
Mac virtualization face-off: VMware Fusion 3 vs. Parallels Desktop 5 (video)
With Steam officially hitting Mac in just a few weeks many Apple gamers have suddenly lost their need to emulate. But, for those who are hoping to get busy in a little Command & Conquer 4 under Snow Leopard this week -- or any of the other myriad of PC-only gaming options -- virtualization is the only way to go -- short of rebooting into Boot Camp, of course. Parallels is the most commonly used solution, but how does VMware's Fusion 3 stack up for gaming? Not too well, as it turns out. MacTech sat the two down together on matching Mac hardware and ran them through a number of benchmarks, including 3DMark. The results of that test fall heavily in the favor of Parallels, offering better framerates and far more consistent visuals, which you can see for yourself in a video below. Most of the many, many other tests run favor that option as well, but we won't spoil all eight pages worth of results just waiting for you on the other end of that source link.
Parallels Desktop 5 doesn't play well with Kaspersky Anti-Virus on some Macs
My Christmas miracle was that after waiting a month and a half, my Godzilla iMac 27" 2.8 GHZ Intel Core i7 iMac showed up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve. This was, ironically, two days after receiving a letter from Macmall telling me that my order was on indefinite backorder and asked me to call if I still wanted it. I did. I bought it with Parallels 5.0 and Windows 7 preinstalled, since I'm lazy and the price was very competitive. After adding memory to bring it to 12GB, and plugging in my 23" Apple Cinema Display, giving me 3.7 feet of horizontal screen space, I ran Parallels -- which promptly crashed. I was unceremoniously told that a file named wuawcIt.exe wasn't feeling well and had to close. The sugarplums faded as I realized that this would take most of Christmas day to sort out. It did, and a bit more.
Parallels Desktop 5 ships with a host of new and improved features
There are two kinds of people in the Mac world: those who sometimes need Windows, and those who don't. If you're one of the latter group, feel free to skip the rest of this post. Parallels 5 for Mac has been released, with Snow Leopard compatibility, Windows 7 support, full support for Aero, including Flip 3D in Windows Vista and 7 & OpenGL 2.1 and a host of other new or improved features. You aren't limited to Windows either; Parallels also adds support for OpenGL 2.1 support for Linux guest operating systems. (Although we're a Mac site, I'm glad to see other OSes getting some development attention too.) It is a free upgrade for those who purchased version 4 on October 1st, 2009 or later. Others will have to pay $49.99USD to upgrade, or $79.99 for a new license. Parallels is also offering crossgrade licensing to VMware Fusion 2 users. If you have a license key for Fusion 2, you can get Paralells 5 for the same $49.99 upgrade fee as existing Parallels customers. If you're new to Parallels, check out their introductory video for an overview of how it works. If you need Windows to go with your Intel Mac, there are a lot of options: Parallels, VMware Fusion (which also recently released a new version), Boot Camp (although Apple isn't yet supporting Windows 7 in Boot Camp), CrossOver, and if you're willing to do a little more "nerd work" to set it up, you can even set up Windows virtualization for free with Sun's VirtualBox tool (well, "free" plus the cost of Windows). Parallels and VMware Fusion seem destined to be the dueling "favorite flavors" of Windows virtualization on the Mac like Coke vs. Pepsi or vanilla vs. chocolate. Which is the right one for you? Download a demo and take a look. I own both Parallels and VMware Fusion, and look forward to putting them both through their paces with Windows 7. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Macworld 2009: Interview with Parallels' CEO Serguei Beloussov
Even though we love our Macs here at TUAW and, if you're reading this site, you probably do to, there's some things you might have to use Windows for occasionally. So, what's a Mac user to do in that situation? Well, most of you probably choose one of the popular virtualization applications available for the Mac to accomplish this. One of these popular solutions is from a company called Parallels, which recently updated its Parallels Desktop for Mac application. During last week's Macworld Expo, TUAW's Michael Rose visited the Parallels booth to speak with Parallels' CEO Serguei Beloussov and get all the latest on the company's plans for "virtual" domination. Click through to see what he found out.
Parallels Desktop 4 updated
Popular virtualization software Parallels has been updated to build 3810. The software offers many upgrades and fixes, including Windows DirectX 9.0 with Shaders Model 2 support, as well as "experimental" support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7 beta. The "experimental" caution, as you might surmise, means not all features will work. For example, in Snow Leopard, there is no USB support, and Parallels notes there is no shared networking support.Parallels has been running a competitive race against VMware Fusion as each software solution tries to out-feature and outperform the other.The Parallels update can be downloaded at this link, or you can select "check for updates" from the Parallels application help menu. A complete list of the enhancements in this build can be found here. Some users are reporting faster performance and some improvements with use of peripherals.
Buy one copy of Parallels Desktop, get one free
If you've been considering Parallels Desktop for your two computers, they have a great deal for you: buy one for $80 and get one free. The price effectively gets you two copies of Parallels for $40 each. Not bad. Just follow this link here. Parallels Desktop is virtualization software that allows you to run a variety of PC operating systems from within Mac OS X. [Via Smoking Apples.]
CNET Labs benchmarks Parallels and Fusion virtualization products
Whenever two options are presented, it is often a smart move to weight the pros and cons of each and make a decision based on your needs. If you need to push Windows in a virtualization environment, Daniel A. Begun at CNET Labs has benchmarked Windows Vista running in both Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. The short of the long? If you really need to push Windows, do it in Boot Camp if at all possible. If Boot Camp is out of the question, VMware Fusion was the winner in heavy duty, multimedia tasks by a landslide, due largely in part to its support of multiple core processors (Parallels, as of this writing, only supports one core per CPU). On the flip side, however, Parallels Desktop is the only virtualization product that supports 3D gaming right now, but as a Parallels owner, I'll still vouch for running your games in Windows via Boot Camp.At the end of the CNET Labs day, both apps still have their pros and cons. Begun hails Parallels Desktop for being the more usable and intuitive of the two (and during my initial tests of both before deciding to buy, I agreed), though I had a much easier time getting non-Windows OSes installed in VMware Fusion (to this day, Parallels Desktop still won't install Ubuntu, and I have received no response as to why). Still, the moral of this particular story is that if performance is at the very top of your virtualization shopping list, VMware Fusion is, at least for now, the reigning champion. Check Begun's full article for more details on the tests and how they were performed.
Parallels Desktop 3 officially released
After teasing us by announcing a release candidate for beta testers (and a sale that is now over) and posting videos of Quake 4 - a very resource-intensive game - running impressively well in Parallels, this powerful new v3.0 of the leading virtualization suite for Mac OS X has been released. Offering significant new features like we already mentioned, such as the highly-anticipated 3D acceleration (XP for now, Vista to come) and SmartSelect for specifying files types to open in apps across virtualized OSes, this could easily be called the most significant release of Parallels since the advent of Coherence Mode. Parallels Desktop 3.0 sells for $79.99 and is ready for download now, with 15-day trial keys are available to those who already used trial keys for previous versions.
