 |
DESCRIPTION
Parallels Desktop gives Mac users the ability to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system and their critical applications at the same time as Mac OS X on any Intel-powered iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook or MacBook Pro. Parallels Desktop 4.0 offers a computing experience that is: - Easy — Get easy access to all your applications and data while enjoying the full Mac experience with Improved Windows and Mac integration, True Drag & Drop and Copy & Paste, SmartX Technologies and Built-in Installation and Migration Tools.
- Fast — Experience the fastest speed for all applications with Adaptive Hypervisor, FastLane Architecture, up to 8 way SMP and 8 GB RAM plus 64-bit support for each VM, HyperBus and support for DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0, and OpenGL 2.0.
- Powerful — Get a complete suite of essentials for Internet security, data protection and disk management with Parallels Internet Security powered by Kaspersky, Acronis True Image Home backup and restore, SmartGuard, PowerSaver, Full-hardware ACPI support and Acronis Disk Director Suite disk management.
- Developer and Enterprise Ready — Additional features specifically for Developers and IT administrators include Mac OS X Leopard Server and Windows Server OS support, VM Directory, CLI and Scripting support, SDK and API, remote control from iPhone, PXE Boot, improved networking and VM Templates.
Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac introduces support for DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0, providing fast video performance, while the Adaptive Hypervisor dynamically allocates resources to meet user needs. The responsiveness to all applications is further enhanced as the virtualization engine has been optimized to consume 15-30% less resources than previous versions.
WHAT'S NEW
Version 4.0.3844: This update contains only bugfixes and improvements.
- Improved 3D graphics in Windows virtual machines.
- Problems with Palm synchronization in Windows virtual machines — fixed.
- Random disconnection of USB 1.1 devices in Linux virtual machines — fixed.
- Invisibility of the text mouse pointer on black background in Windows virtual machines — fixed.
- Problems with SMB shares in native Windows Boot Camp installations that have Parallels Tools installed — fixed.
- Problems with Shared Networking on Snow Leopard host computers — fixed.
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later, 1GB RAM.
|
SCREENSHOT
|
|
 |
|  |
 | |  |
| Parallels Desktop User Reviews (318 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Jun 23 2009 |
STILL_SPARKLING Anyone know what the deal is when the Parallels drive refuses to show up under the Startup Disk? I installed Parallels 4.0.3844 on a spare internal drive running Leopard in my MacPro and everything was fine. Windows 7 RC1 installed also without a hitch. A few hours later, I rebooted with my main drive as the startup disk and the Parallels drive was nowhere to be found -- just an icon with a question mark on it that says Network Startup. The next day, I reformatted the Parallels drive and reinstalled Leopard on it, then reinstalled Parallels, then reinstalled Win 7. After playing around for a few hours to make sure everything was working, I rebooted back to my main HD and again, the Parallels drive disappeared. Double U Tee Eff?! This suuux. Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jun 20 2009 |
OLOTH01 is there anly option to get a german verison of Parallesls 4.0 from the last bundle??
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
 | Jun 23 2009 |
CHRISWAN Unfortunately not, But you might want to contact the customer support, see if they can arrange something for you (big chances you would get a big discount coupon to buy the german version, but who knows...)
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
 | Jun 1 2009 |
MIKEDFUNK I used Parallels at work to simply debug web apps in Internet Explorer. I have a Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 Ghz with 3 GB ram with the latest leopard install. I had MAJOR problems with Parallels 4. When I left it running beyond when my computer went to sleep I would get an unresponsive machine after a while and would restart. When I restarted my user account would not show up in the login options. The first time this happened I did a time machine restore, losing some work in the process and taking valuable time out of my day. The second time I realized there was a problem with time machine and it hadn't backed up in ages. Turns out my user folder was still there but it had been "un-blessed" and was not showing up in the list of users. I couldn't even log in as a guest user, the option was missing from the login screen. I eventually found a way to create a new user with a command in single user mode I found on the web and transferred all my files to the new user account. Before you attribute the problem to something else understand I am careful to keep up with maintenance and run a lean, minimal system. I run Onyx regularly, zap pram regularly. The only thing I run in my menubar is SoundSource. I update Leopard every time an update is released. I had Windows XP installed with all the updates available and ran that the same way. I have since ditched Parallels in favor of Virtual Box. It runs well on my machine and has almost all of the features of Parallels but for FREE. Coherence, shared networking, saved machine state, file sharing between machines, even cmd-c and cmd-v work. Parallels not only jacked my machine twice but it was also slow and buggy. Sometimes the save state file would get corrupted. Early on in v3 I tried to use parallels with the boot camp partition - that was a nightmare too. It didn't save the machine state and often wouldn't even start up. The coherence mode always had choppy dragging of windows and still does. I gave Parallels a fair shot with versions 2, 3, and 4 and finally got sick and tired of the slow startup even with a saved state, spinning beach ball, and eventually it destabilizing my entire system. I would not use Parallels now even if it was free.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 29 2009 |
UNXADM Really disappointed in the lack of frequent updates to support new operating systems. Virtualbox has already updated there software twice since the release of Ubuntu 9.04. Parallels can't even get their updated tools out. They are probably working on the next version of Parallels and figuring out how to get more upgrade cash out of people.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 29 2009 |
PWIGBH Okay! For all those out there that have problems with Parallels. I run the 2w.x version everyday at wok on a MacBook Pro running 10.4.11 with MS Office 2003, ODBC to SQL server, Sybase, Oracle and I run Outlook with one minor glitch. When I scroll up too fast in excel I have to restart excel of the screen draws funny. That's it! I works like a charm! I will say it one more time. MacBook Pro 2.4 ghz 4meg or ram Parallels 2.x version running for 1 year 5 months very little to no problems. Great software! I'm a Mac user since MacOS 1.0 to system 7 to Mac OS 8, thru MacOS 9.0.4 all the way to 10.5.7. Parallels has been the second best software I've ever used. Yes! I have a Mac Pro 2 x 3 Dual Core Intel Zeon with the latest Parallels and I install Windows 2000, MS SQL Server 2007, with IIS install, PHP, PEAR , ODBC, MS Office 2003 and it workd better than on a real PC. I write this so other can see what can be done if you do it right. Enjoy or Crash and Burn!
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 27 2009 |
OSOS10 While Parallels 4.0 works fine on my MacBook Pro 2.5, it is fairly responsive, works at a reasonable speed, and the connectivity with the MAC is fine too - I JUST HATE THIS PROGRAM. I am a light user of M$ Windows and more than 90% of the time I am not working in parallel. I want to turn Parallels on only when I WANT TO, and I want it ALWAYS in WINDOW mode (NO Coherence mode). However, Parallels knows better, THEY START PARALLELS whenever they decide (there are these two red parallel lines added to some icons - I have no control of that) and BOOM - here comes PARALLELS. MOREOVER - in these case it launches in the awful Coherence mode and a notification “YOU ARE WORKING IN COHERENCE MODE” (no one asks me if I want that - and no one cares what I set in the preferences). Immediately afterwards I am being asked (thanks a lot) if I want to let Windows\Parallels to access my entire HD - which I certainly don’t. Then, when I go back to Window mode - the setting of the window is OF COURSE full screen (and not my default 1024x752). Developers of Parallels - IF I WANTED WINDOWS I would just go and buy a Windows machine. The point is that I don’t want windows, and I use it only when there is a file that doesn’t fit MAC. Remember how OS-X asked us if we want to launch Classic Mode BEFORE booting classic environment (even if we double clicked a classic application of file), that’s the way it should be ! Here take your 1 star as this is what you deserve.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| May 27 2009 |
MISHA I'm pretty sure it should only be launching Parallels if you trying to run a .exe or if you have a document type associated with a Windows app. You can fix document type associations by Getting Info on the file and selecting what app you want to open it. Have you tried Parallels support?
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| May 27 2009 |
1) They shouldn't lunch Parallels even if I clicked on a file which is associated with Windows without asking me first (or at least to give me the opportunity to decide which way I want it) 2) The two small parallel lines are added (without my permission) to different icons on my mac - and it makes no sense that I'll have to track those and choose a different default application in order to reverse this ? 3) Parallels shifts to Coherence mode when I lunch it through clicking on an application which is associated with Windows while I specifically set it to window mode 4) When coming back from coherence to window mode it changes the window size setting. 5) I posted my earlier note after Parallels "lunched" itself 4 times during a two hours meeting and just drove me nuts ...
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| May 27 2009 |
MISHA I suggest contacting Parallels support with your issues. What you are experiencing are features of Parlallels designed to make running Windows apps seamless with your Mac apps (so if you launch an .exe directly, it launches it in Coherence mode like it's a Mac app, rather than launching Parallels in Windowed-mode -- it assumes since you are not launching Parallels from the app, that you just want to run that app alongside your Mac apps). Of course, that should probably be a setting and it's not hard to switch out of Coherence mode back to Windowed mode. Which documents are being associated with Parallels/Windows apps (the two red lines)? From my experience that only happens if I open a document in a Windows app via Parallels... like all my Vizio docs will launch Vizio in Parallels, since I opened them with that (even though OmniGraffle could handle Vizio docs). This behaves the same as a Mac app -- if you associate a file type with an app, it will always open only in that app. You can't have some .mp4 files open in QuickTime and others in iTunes (unless you manually specify them so), they either will always open in one or the other, until you change that setting. Anyway, contact Parallels support, they know their stuff.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| May 7 2009 |
KENTR With this latest update Parallels has returned as the champ! Smooth graphics, squashed bugs, and overall great performance. I new they would fix it up right.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 7 2009 |
PHILBY Contrary to other reviewers ans commenters here, I never had a problem with Parallels 4. Its gotten nicely fast, and has been very stable and easy to use for me. I've been switching between Parallels and VMWare for a while, and liked Parallels better in the end, as it feels faster and more mac-like (icons, Pref panel). The only trouble I had was with a disk image I transported from VMWare - things were very slow for a minute or two right after booting this image. Recreating the Win XP image from scratch solved this. I also just discovered Parallels "Clone to Template" feature - which may mean never having to touch the Win XP install DVD again.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 6 2009 |
MBHOCKEY Has the bug where the yellow minimize widget disappears upon switching spaced to/from Parallels occupying its own full-screen space been resolved yet???
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| May 6 2009 |
LORRE That's a bug in Leopard, has nothing to do with Parallels. Affects VMWare Fusion, Quicktime and any other fullscreen app you can think of.
(Version 4.0.3844) | |
| Apr 18 2009 |
JHT69 After needing to reinstall my OS, I tried to reinstall Parallels only for it to tell me that my new copy of Windows XP Pro had a corrupted disc. I attempted this twice with the same results. I didn't have time to waste as I needed to complete a work project using Windows only software app. I found VMWare Fusion 2.0 from Apple's site and downloaded a trial version...it booted up my WXP Pro with no problem and I bought a copy of fusion the next day. I just wish I had found Fusion BEFORE I bought into all the garbage promo quotes on the outside of the Parallels box. It's true you can't judge a book by its cover. The guy at the Apple store was right....skip Parallels and go with Fusion. The upside is that I get to send in a few proof of purchase items and will get 30.00 cash back from VMWare...an expensive lesson, but one softened by Fusion.
(Version 4.0.3810) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
|
| View all 318 posts >> |
|
