Apple’s Boot Camp got the most attention recently as a way to run Windows on the new Intel-powered Macs. But at almost the same time, little-known Virginia-based Parallels, Inc. announced a version of its virtualization software, Parallels Workstation for Intel Macs .
This software solution for running other PC operating systems is more flexible than Apple’s Boot Camp, and for many users, it may prove to be a better solution.
Pros: Parallels desktop allows creating as many virtual computers as you need (disk space permitting;-) ). If you need to run a piece of serious SW available only for Windows or Linux, just create the respective virtual computer. With Windows and Coherence, you even have the Windows applications seamlessly available from the familiar Mac desktop. Parallels is still the best way to run Windows on a Mac simultaneously and the latest version of Parallels 14 has just been released. Parallels allows you to conveniently run all those Windows only applications and games that don’t run on Mac. Parallels 11 is a polished virtualisation solution that allows Mac users to switch easily between OS X and Windows apps, regardless of which operating system they were written for. May 02, 2018 Additional Parallels Desktop Reviews, Pros & Cons and Similar Software. New: our editorial list of additional articles. We decided to gather informartion all around the internet and present you a list of helpful, external links to interesting reads about Parallels Desktop reviews, pros &. It comes with the new Mac OS X Leopard, or you can download it manually. Cons: You have to close everything you're doing in OS X and reboot. It takes longer to boot than Parallels. Thanks to Parallels ability to resume your previous Windows session.
Boot Camp Pros and Cons
A bit of background: Apple’s Boot Camp, like an earlier hacker-built solution, lets users partition their Intel-Mac’s hard drive in order to install another operating system (in Boot Camp’s case, Windows XP only) and allow the user to choose to boot into either Mac OS X or the other operating system.
Only one operating system runs at a time, but it gets full use of all the computer’s hardware resources.
Emulation Pros and Cons
But many Mac owners have long been making use of another way to run multiple operating systems. PC emulation software has long been available for the Mac, with programs like Virtual PC, SoftPC, and GuestPC letting Mac owners install and run a wide range of PC operating systems within a window on their Mac. The Mac operating system is still running allowing the Mac owner to treat the PC operating system and its applications as just another program, switching from one to the other without needing to restart the Mac.
The downside: performance. Emulation requires translating software instructions meant for one CPU into instructions designed for another, and – like translating from Chinese to English – it’s inevitably slower than just working in a single language. Because they are designed at a low level specifically for the PowerPC CPU used on pre-2006 Macs, emulators like Virtual PC and Guest PC don’t run on the new Intel-powered Macs.
Virtualization
But because these new Macs use the same Intel CPUs as other PCs, there’s no longer any need for those sorts of translations. Instead of emulation, software can make use of virtualization – letting the Intel CPU set up a virtual Intel-powered computer running in a portion of the computer’s memory.
Without needing to translate instructions from one CPU to another, performance can be much better – much closer to full speed.
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Virtualization software has become increasingly popular in some IT circles as a way, for instance, for programmers running Linux to write code for Windows systems, for help desks to support users running multiple Windows versions, or for network servers to serve applications designed for a range of operating systems. Perhaps the best-known product in this category is VMware, with products for Windows and Linux, including the free VMware Player.
Microsoft has also been active in this area with the Windows version of Virtual PC.
None of these PC virtualization products let users support Mac OS X as a “guest” operating system, and neither VMware nor Virtual PC have software that will run on the Intel Macs.
Parallels Workstation is not as well known as the major players, but the company has virtualization products available for both Windows and Linux. And now it’s first off the mark with a version for Mac OS X on Intel.
As I write, it’s available only as a free prerelease 30-day trial version (registration required to get an evaluation key code). When the product is released (expected relatively soon), pricing will be US$49; the Mac version is currently available for preorder for US$39.
https://renewpower653.weebly.com/parallels-for-mac-xp.html. I tested the prerelease version on an Intel-powered iMac (1.83 GHz CPU) loaned me by Apple Canada.
My loaner iMac had 1.5 GB of RAM, increased from the stock 512 MB. As with any emulation or virtualization setup, more RAM is always better, as your system is trying to run the guest operating systems (with their RAM requirements) at the same time as the host operating system (with its RAM requirement).
Setting up Parallels Workstation is not much different from setting up one of the older PC emulation programs; first, you create a new virtual PC, specifying the target operating system, setting a size for the virtual hard drive, and a default memory amount. (Parallels Workstation defaults to 256 MB for Windows XP and Linux installations; I upped that to 512 MB in each case).
OS Installation
Where Virtual PC was available with a range of Windows operating systems as (expensive) preinstalled drive images, Parallels Workstation requires that you manually install the guest operating system(s) from scratch. In my testing, this worked smoothly; run the wizard to create the new virtual system, insert the operating system install CD, and click the Run button. The virtualized PC starts up with the install CD, and away we go!
I installed Windows XP Professional, SuSE Linux 10, and Ubuntu Linux 5.10; each installed reasonably quickly and without problem. (SuSE is listed as a supported operating system. I installed Ubuntu using generic “Other Linux” settings. I could not get either to completely shut down their virtualized PCs). Each installation took roughly 45 minutes.
Like both Virtual PC and Guest PC, Parallels Workstation includes additional support for Windows operating system versions that can be installed after the operating system itself. These Parallels Tools include tools for sharing the clipboard between the Mac and Windows operating system and for allowing the mouse to smoothly transition from the Mac desktop to the Windows window. It also includes enhanced network and video drivers. (Unlike Virtual PC and Guest PC, you can’t drag files between the Mac and Windows desktops.)
Limitations
For non-Windows operating systems, these tools are not available; users may have to press Control + Option to get the mouse cursor to reappear for other Mac use.
The software emulates an RTL8029 network adapter; drivers for this may have to me manually installed with some operating systems. (It worked automatically in the two Linux distributions I installed).
The video display is set to a generic VESA VGA. In my Linux installations, it ran fine at 1024 x 768 mode, but it was limited to 16-bit (64,000) colour.
Don’t expect high-performance 3D video acceleration even with the Parallels Tools video enhancements. This is not a solution for Mac users wanting to play high-end Windows games.
Sound worked, but even the few seconds of Windows startup sound had some breakup. Don’t expect good multimedia performance.
Also lacking at this time is USB support. Some of Parallels documentation claims the product provides a (virtual) pair of USB 1.1 ports; most of the documentation left out mention of USB entirely. I was unable to get the virtualized Windows XP system to see my USB printer. I’m hopeful that this will be improved in the release version.
Network and Internet access was fine in all my installed operating systems with the default “bridged ethernet” setting.
Performance
And given the video, sound, and USB limitations, performance was pretty fine, too. Both Windows XP and the pair of Linux systems seeming plenty perky, comparable to running them on a modern “real” PC. I tested Windows XP using both Boot Camp and the virtualized Parallels Workstation version using the free SiSoft Sandra benchmarks. To my surprise, the virtual installation gave higher scores!
I’ve never been comfortable running Windows XP using any of the emulation software on any PowerPC Mac. No matter how much RAM I’ve devoted to it, it’s always been too slow for my tastes.
By contrast, XP runs quite nicely using Parallels Workstation on my test Intel iMac. If you’re trying this, though, be sure that you’ve got adequate RAM; I would strongly recommend having at least 1 GB of RAM, allowing you to give your virtualized PCs 512 MB while still leaving the same amount for OS X.
Another nice feature: Rather than shutting down your virtualized operating systems, you can choose to suspend them. Parallels Workstation saves your session as a (large) file. Restarting opens that file, quickly returning your virtual operating system to the state it was at when suspended. This is much quicker than rebooting.
If you need to run Windows on your Intel-based Mac, there are now several ways to go about it. Apple’s Boot Camp and Parallels Workstation are easily setup by a moderately comfortable user and have reasonably low geek factors. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Boot Camp vs. Parallels Workstation
Boot Camp only supports Windows XP at present; Parallels Workstation can be used with a wide range of PC operating systems, both Windows and non-Windows.
Boot Camp requires rebooting your computer to switch between operating systems, and only one operating system can be running at a time. If you’re running Windows and you need to get a phone number from your Mac’s Address Book, you’re out of luck.
Parallels Workstation allows you to run other PC operating systems in windows from within the Mac OS; this lets you run programs on your Mac and in the PC operating system at the same time.
And if you want to run any PC operating system other than Windows XP, Parallels Workstation makes it easy. It may prove possible to hack Boot Camp to support other operating systems, but you’re on your own at that!
An advantage of booting to Windows, as Boot Camp requires, is that with full control over the hardware, you’ve got full performance. While the virtualized operating systems in Parallels Workstation are fast, Boot Camp’s Windows XP installation is faster. And the RAM requirements of running either Mac OS X or Windows XP on their own are lower than trying to run both operating systems at the same time.
While neither Windows XP via Boot Camp nor any of the PC operating systems via Parallels Workstation fully support all the hardware on the Intel Macs at this time, Boot Camp offers better video, sound, and USB support. If you want to play Windows 3D games or print to a USB printer (at least for now), Boot Camp is the way to go.
It’s great that (Intel) Mac owners now have a variety of options to run Windows and other PC operating systems. There may be more to come; there are rumours that VMware may offer support for its software on the Intel Macs. Other rumours suggest that Apple may include virtualization support along with Boot Camp support in the upcoming OS X 10.5 “Leopard” release.
Be warned: Whether via Boot Camp or any virtualization software, running Windows on a Mac makes you just as vulnerable to all the nasty stuff as running Windows on a generic PC. For more on that, be sure to read Windows Security for Mac Users.
One of the biggest challenges for businesses looking to adopt the Apple Macintosh platform is the fact that OS X doesn’t run Windows applications. Apple’s solution to that issue is to set up a MAC to multi-boot, using a technology called Boot Camp – in other words you can natively run OS X or you can reboot the system and run a different operating system, such as Windows, Linux, or something else.
However, that dual (or multiple) boot ideology introduces a plethora of hassles and denies the user the ability to truly leverage multiple applications running across multiple OSes. Simply put, that shiny new Mac may wind up only running Windows’ business applications, turning it into little more than a very expensive PC.
Virtualization to the Rescue:
Thanks to virtualization technology, there’s no longer any excuse to constantly reboot your Mac to run other OSes. Yet, historically, virtualization has been anything but simple – proving to be complex to deploy, set up, and use reliably.
What’s more, virtualization software comes in many shapes and sizes, with free products such as Oracle’s Virtual Box and for cost products such as VMMare’s VMWare Fusion for Mac (around $80) leading in the name recognition game.
While the aforementioned products are the primary competitors for the latest iteration of Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac (also around $80), Parallels takes a different approach. Parallels 11 desktop for mac. The software focuses on tighter integration, ease of use, and support options to take the mystery (and hassles) out of virtualization for those looking to maximize productivity on their Macs.
A closer Look at Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac:
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In a world filled with free and low-cost applications, $80 may seem like a king’s ransom to pay for bringing multiple personalities to the typical Mac system. However, that $80 does buy a great deal of functionality and enables your Mac to do things previously thought impossible. What’s more, $80 is a lot cheaper than having to buy two systems (one for OS X and another for Windows) to accomplish what you may have to do on any given day.
With that in mind, $80 seems like a bargain. However, does the value offed by Parallels equate the initial cash outlay? That’s a question that can only be answered by taking a look at what the product brings to the desktop and determining whether its features, capabilities, and user experience surpass those of other options, especially Oracle’s VirtualBox, which for all intents and purposes, is free.
Software System Requirements:
Hands On with Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac:
Ease of use seems to be the evident theme with the latest version of Parallels, with wizards and guided menus doing all of the heavy lifting. For example, creating a new virtual machine can be accomplished in just a few mouse clicks – using the new virtual machine wizard.
What’s important to note is that the NVM (New Virtual Machine) wizard offers several options, including simply installing an alternate OS, migrating Windows from an existing PC, and downloading and installing alternate (free) OS, such as Ubuntu Linux, Chrome OS, Android, and even another OS X session.
For the majority of users, a Windows install will be the most likely choice, and for simplicity’s sake, Windows 7 might be the best option for those looking to transition from a Windows to a Mac. However, there are situations where Windows 8.1 may be merited, especially if someone needs to to run the latest Windows applications on an OS X system.
Parallels offers several different paths to install Windows, it can be accomplished using a Windows DVD, installed from an image file, or installed from a key drive (USB drive) – all of which should share something in common, an installable image of Windows.
We tested all three methods with the latest release of Windows 8.1 and found that the USB drive method was the quickest (we didn’t have to copy any files to the local hard drive or mount any DVDs) and simplest way to move forward. The USB drive can be either a bootable drive or just simply contain an image file of the Windows install. Once the install source is chosen, Parallels takes care of the rest, including asking for the product key.
Once a key is entered, next comes one of the most important steps for defining how the virtual machine will function. Parallels provides four canned scenarios for Windows: Productivity, Games Only, Design, and Software Development.
Each choice sets up environment variables that provide the best functionality for that option. For example, the Games Only selection runs Windows in full-screen mode and offers the most resources to Windows. Meanwhile, the others balance memory usage, resources, and disk space necessary to provide a great experience without taxing the Mac system.
Mac Pros And Cons List
One nifty feature that’s unique to Parallels, is the ability to control the Windows 8 experience. During the final steps of configuring the virtual machine, users can select between a “Windows 8” experience or make Windows 8 function like “Windows 7.” For many users transitioning to OS X, the Windows 8.1 experience was the primary catalyst for using an alternative OS or eschewing an upgrade all together.
Pc Vs Mac Pros And Cons
Here, Parallels makes a very wise choice and offers a path to the Windows 7 experience, bringing perhaps the best of both worlds (Windows 7 and OS X) to a single system in a very usable fashion.
Finalizing the install takes little more than assigning a name and validating some settings – most users can choose to go with the defaults and wind up with exactly what they would expect from a virtual machine. However, power users may want to delve into the additional settings to customize the environment and choose who will have access to the virtual machine.
Parallels provides plenty of tuning options during the creation process. Hardware choices, sharing options, security settings, and general options can all be defined during the final installation steps, and most of them can be changed later on to tune the virtual machine experience.
Overall, the setup took roughly 15 minutes, experienced Parallels users with fast MAC systems could probably pull off an install of Windows 8.1 on Parallels much more quickly.
Working With Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac:
We installed Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac on a Macbook Pro Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014 system, running OS X Version 10.9.4, with a 2.6 Ghz Intel Core i5 CPU, 8 GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 ram, and a 251 GB Flash Storage drive.
Using the Parallels NVM wizard, we created two virtual machines, a Windows 8.1 VM and a Windows 7 Ultimate VM. The NVM wizard automatically provisioned the virtual hard drives, created desktop shortcuts, and added the two VMs to the Parallels menu. Parallels for mac trial version of windows.
Launching a VM takes little more than clicking a choice on the Parallels Desktop Control Center or clicking on one of the desktop shortcuts created by the NVM wizard. You can also use the Parallels Desktop Control Center to alter VMs, switch between active VMs, pause VMs, and so on.
Parallels allows users to simultaneously launch multiple VMs, monitor the activity on those VMs from the control center, and seamlessly switch between native OS X applications, as well as applications running under VMs. Users can select between VMs using the mouse, touchpad, or keyboard shortcut keys. When resources are limited or one VM is given priority over another, Parallels will automatically pause the inactive to free up resources.
Conclusion:
Users will find that VMs perform adequately for using most Windows applications. However, the more powerful the host machine, the better a virtual machine will run. The MacBook we tested Parallels on was able to run Windows applications with aplomb – we tested most of the Microsoft Office suite and also ran applications such as Quicken, Quickbooks, and Photoshop.
While there was some lag running Photoshop, as well as other graphics intensive applications, the overall experience was acceptable. Some processor and GPU intensive tasks, such as video encoding and data encryption showed signs of impaired performance; we didn’t encounter any errors, crashes, or other problems. Comparatively speaking, the applications running under a VM on the MacBook proved to perform well enough to give an experience equivalent to a PC a couple of generations behind the current latest and greatest powerhouses available today.
Simply put, Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac solves what may be an ever increasing problem – one where users need to run multiple OSes, access legacy applications, and transition to new systems. Considering that this functionality elsewhere, the $80 is a small price to pay.
Of course, users could choose to go the free route and select Oracle’s VirtualBox. That said, free comes at the price of constant tinkering, manual configurations and limited support.
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