Home

Most Useful Reviews

• Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

  

  Parallels 4 should be a hit

  Written by LH from CLERMONT

  Nov 11, 2008

  I have been a saisfied Parallels user for about two years. I participated in the Parallels 4 beta review and am pleased to report…Read more that this new software is great! Stable, very fast, new user interface, 3d directx 9.0, open GL, DirectX shaders, 32 and 64 bit operating systems, 256 video,8 gb ram, partition resizing FAT 32 support, are just some of the improvements.
  
  The install procedure is much improved and should go smoothly (occasionally Windows install acts up, but that is usually a Windows problem). (Follow the instructions exactly!) Parallels Tools take a while to install but should work well. If you have problems installing, rebooting the Mac seems to solve most of the problems.
  
  I think that many more games will now work in Parallels (my Roller Coaster Tycoon now runs flawlessly and fast compared to several problems before). Other beta users reported a lot of applications that will now work. I still do not think that every game will work, so don't be disappointed if your doesn't.
  
  The configure tab is much improved over previous versions and there are lots of things you can configure. My computer worked well with the default settings. You can right-click on the mouse and configure the menu bar on the startup screen.
  
  I use Windows for Quicken, EWallet (synching with Iphone), Microsoft Publisher (all 2007 products work well), and several Coffee Cup web applications, and several other applications that aren't available in Mac versions. All of these applications work well. If you sync with Ewallet, be sure you use default networking.
  
  I particularly like the Coherence mode. It has been improved over Parallels 3 and integrated fine with Mac. I have lots of clip art on the windows side and I can access it on the Mac side as fast as Mac files (was much slower in previous version.)
  
  The integrated help user manual is great -- and explains most that you need to know.
  
  The supporting applications (Compressor, etc.) are much improved and there are lots of ways to back up -- including an automatic one similar to time machine.
  
  I have also beta tested a new iphone application which will eventually integrate with Parallels 4. As of now it will turn on and off, suspend, and pause the VM. I think the uses will eventually be expanded.
  
  I am using this in my Imac 2.16 gb 4gb memory machine with Windows XP home. I would recommend that you use Windows XP (less problems than Vista) and with the coherence mode you really don't need to see an interface -- use the superior Mac one!
  
  I only have one minor problem with the application. Commercial videos will not display in Coherence mode but work fine in Windowed mode and Full Screen mode. Hopefully, this will get fixed in an update. I'm sure some users will encounter other problems as this product is used in many ways.
  
  I think they will still have a 30 day free trial (so no cost to give it a try). You won't be sorry.
  
  And, no, I am not connected with Parallels in any way.
  
  

  (341 of 396 people found this review useful)

  Was this useful?

• Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

  

  AMAZING

  Written by MC

  Nov 14, 2008

  I've used and older version of Parallel before and it worked smoothly and then tested VM Ware Fusion and that was not as good as t…Read morehe older version of Parallels. I then decided to purchase Parallels 4.0 and I am extremely happy I did so. Best move. Works with no glitches and switching from windows to mac is easy and smooth. All my folders are accessible from both platforms and they all work. Great Job from the parallels team.
  

  (263 of 310 people found this review useful)

  Was this useful?

• Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

  

  Parallels Desktop 4.0 Review from closed Beta Participant

  Written by MO

  Nov 11, 2008

  After using PD 4 daily for two months, I have to say that Parallels now has the upper hand in Mac virtualization.
  Parallels is an…Read more excellent solution for running Office 2007 with Outlook and countless other Windows-only software and with support for Open GL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0, even the occasional Windows game that doesn't require the latest hardware. Version 4.0 also boasts a slick, completely redesigned user interface with new icons and graphics. PD4 also now supports up to 8GB of Ram on the Virtual Machine and 8 CPUs and more interestingly, a new "Adaptive Hypervisor"; mode that intelligently assigns CPU cycles to the operating system in use at the moment by the user. Integration of Windows with OS X is almost complete as it is now possible to place Windows System Tray Icons on the OS X Menu Bar.
  Parallels now offers a built-in "Safe Mode"; where you can confidently install programs you suspect might contain malware and if one wishes, easily return to state previous to install. Performance on my machine feels a lot snappier too, suspends and resumes are fast and I leave my Windows VM running all the time and I cannot really say I notice any slowdown. A new interesting feature in PD 4 I have not tested is iPhone support, Parallels says you can now manage your virtual machines remotely through your iPhone. A free app is available on the App Store. In conclusion, all I can say is Parallels was already a great program and with each new version it keeps getting better. I can use all the Windows-only programs necessary for work without leaving the comfort of my Mac.
  

  (260 of 307 people found this review useful)

  Was this useful?