Customer Reviews

Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(76)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

This is a very good PC emulator. It runs very fast. It uses Intel virtualization so it is able to run at near native speeds. I have run many of the Microsoft Office products as well as Developer Studio on it, it works great. A few things you should keep in mind:

** You Need a Copy of Windows

You will have to have your own copy of Windows to make use of this program. I thought I was going to use an upgrade CD that came with one of my computers that I no longer use. But Windows Genuine Advantage flagged it as an illegal copy of Windows, I guess it was licensed only for my old computer. Anyway, I bought a new copy of XP(an upgrade) and it worked just fine.

** Special Drivers

Parallels comes with some special drivers that they recommend that you install on whatever operating system you are using. This is not required. You can run the operating systems just as you would install them on any other computer. However installing the Parallels drivers increases performance. One really nice feature is the mouse driver. When the mouse driver is installed it allows you to simply drag the mouse over Parallels and click on things. Otherwise, you must click on the window first and switch your focus to the virtual machine.

** Games

I have run into some problems where the game will install just fine, but it will refuse to run saying that you must put the game's CD-ROM in. I assume this is because the virtual CD-ROM driver used by Parallels is not supporting the CD-ROM down to a low enough level to support the game's copy protection. One game that has this issue is the Sim's 2.

Also the 3d graphics are NOT virtualized. So any sort of 3d game will run as if you have no 3d acceleration hardware. Which is slow. Overall, the best way to run a game is "boot camp".

** Versions of Windows

I have used several versions of Windows on Parallels and it works great. I have tested both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

** Other Operating Systems

I have also used several flavors of Linux. It works very well. It really simulates a virtual computer, and you can install anything on it you like.

** You need RAM

Running this with less than 1gig of RAM can be painful. If you want to run several virtual machines I would suggest up to 2 gigs. However, one gig ran very well.

All in all this is a very good PC emulation and is quite fast. I have uses other emulators, that are just deadly slow. This one is quite usable. If you don't plan to use this for games, you will be very happy with this product. If you do want games its a little more hit and miss. Better to use Boot Camp.

I have used Parallels on my 20" iMac since well before it was released. I used most of the beta versions as well as each released version. When they offered it for sale, I bought it without hesitation. In short, the software is much better than one would expect for the price. On that basis alone, it should get 5 stars.

One thing I must note about Parallels. Do not expect much if your system is RAM starved (ie, you have less than 768MB). Your poor mac will be paging to disk almost constantly and you'll wonder why your blazing fast computer is so slow. That is because you are beating the tar out of your hard drive. Do yourself a favor, spend $160 for 2GB of RAM and avoid the problem altogether. I did this on my 20" iMac and my MacBook and both scream.

I use Parallels for running three different operating systems, FreeBSD, Linux, and Windows XP. Since I develop software that runs on the first two, I regularly need access to them both so I am often running one of them in the background. I can code, rsync to the virtual server, test, and continue coding. I open SSH sessions to the virtual server just as if it were a real one. For nearly all intents and purposes, running these operating systems under Parallels is every bit as good as running them on a real server.

In fact, since Parallels has come out, the dual 3.0GHz Xeon system that I have tucked away in a rack in our guest bedroom (because the fans are so loud) has not been powered up. In many ways, Parallels is much better than that having a real server.

1. It uses far less power and generates almost no noise pollution (important in home offices) when running on my iMac.

2. More convenient. My dual Xeon is a server, so switching operating systems meant going into the other room, unplugging the hotswap hard drive with FreeBSD and plugging in the one with Windows (or vice versa). With Parallels, simply shut down the one running, select the one you want, and click "Start".

3. Portable. The dual Xeon is anchored to the rack in the closet. My virtual machines can be dropped onto my MacBook drive for portable access. I spent two months away from home this year and that feature was more wonderful than you can imagine.

4. Easy snapshots. I like to test my software on "virgin" boxes. This means reinstalling the OS quite frequently on a "real" server, or as I do on the Xeon, building a FreeBSD jail to test in. While the SATA disks in the iMac cannot keep pace with the Ultra320 SCSI disks in the server, I can generate a new system with a clean install simply by copying a Parallels disk image.

5. Leverages existing computing resources. I already have a really fast desktop, more than fast enough for development work and software testing.

6. Because my virtual machines are so much faster (than Virtual PC on a dual G5) now, I use them much more frequently. Things I would have never have taken the time for such as, "I wonder what this looks like in IE for Windows", I check now. There is value in that for developers. I can save the state of the OS I am running, switch to another, and then switch back.

7. Stability. My systems never crash. Anything that changes that makes me particularly grumpy. I have had only one crash while running a very early beta of Parallels. I stopped using it until the next beta came out and it's been steady as a rock every since.

There are a couple downsides to using Parallels. For example, I could not run Virtual PC 2004 for Windows under XP when XP was running under Parallels (google "simerson vpc 2004 xp" for details).

You need enough RAM for Mac OS X (1GB min on Intel systems) and the operating system you will run. For most people, that will be XP which should have 512MB set aside for it.

I set it up on my grandmothers computer (I switched her from a Sony to an iMac) so she could run her old programs in XP. For those who aren't technically savvy, comprehending the concept of two environments on one computer can be a challenge. Getting data back and forth between the environments can be a challenge.

Parallels is highly recommended.

The software sets up a virtual operating system (OS) environment (Windows XP, in my case) where it almost always (I'll get to that) seems that you are on a PC. The problems I've been having is that the virtual environment does not do well with hardware recognition.

For example, Win XP does not recognize that there is a bluetooth card installed on the MacBook. A bluetooth device will work but when I try to load the software for that device so that I can tweak the way the device operates, the software will say that no bluetooth card is on the computer and will abort its setup. The bluetooth device software is checking the device file of XP and the bluetooth card is not found.

When attaching a flash drive into a USB port, XP does not recognize that the device has been attached. OS X recognizes the device first which may prevent XP in the virtual system from seeing the drive. However, even after I "eject" the flash drive in OS X, XP still cannot recognize the drive.

Last, the console window has increased in size by a factor of three and I see no way to make it the smaller size it used to be. The console window is a window that is about 1/4 the size of the screen; you can see the XP environment well enough to work in that window and in OS X at the same time (usually one will expand the console so that the XP window is the entire screen, but other times you may want to make the window smaller). It's a nice feature, potentially.

I'm sure all these issues are resolvable (maybe). However, if you want to call the makers of this software and speak to tech support, it will cost you $29.99! If you send an e-mail asking the question you will not get a timely response. I sent an e-mail 1.5 weeks ago and have yet to hear back. If you go to their website to try to get your question answered, the site has a list of FAQs but no online technical support, such as a knowledge base where one can look for known issues and how to resolve them.

My sense of this company is that it's a group of folks either working in a small rented space or in someone's basement. One of their requisites for being hired into their company (you can find this on their website) is enjoying drinking beer and shooting pool at the end of the day. Nice work culture, but it would be even nicer if they had some sort of customer service above the level of none.

Three stars for the software, zero stars for the lack of user support.

*** Follow-up: 1/27/07 - Another week has gone by with no response after sending yet another e-mail with my questions.

Parallels has great potential -- and it almost lives up to the hype. When I first bought it, the install from the CD didn't work on my new core 2 duo iMac. But after I downloaded the updated version, it installed fine. Since then, the only problem I've had is I can't print to my HP USB printer. A new update was just released which supposedly fixes the problem, but I haven't installed it yet.

If you're not worried about running video-intensive games, Parallels can handle just about anything you throw at it. I've installed Word, ZoneAlarm, and Time Matters (legal billing software) without a single hiccup.

I noticed some complaints in other reviews about tech support for Parallels. Their staff has always answered my e-mails, though it usually takes a few days. The user forums at the Parallels website, though, are tremendously helpful. A patient and moderately-experienced user can find a solution to just about any problem by searching the forum archives or posting a question.

I have no doubt that in a few months Parallels really will live up to its hype. In the meantime, it's still a tremendously useful tool for Mac users.

(Updated 4-11-2007 and 4-29-2007 to reflect new information on my Parallels crash, as well as the new version that fixes some of the cons I originally posted.)

I just got Parallels today and this review offers you a first impression of what it is like to install and use. First you launch Parallels. The Parallels screen opens, and displays some key preferences that you'll probably want to edit (see tips below). Clicking the play button (like a movie) you launch Windows (XP in my case) which boots on my iMac in about 10 seconds. In the Parallels window, Windows looks just like you are "booting" it yet the Mac is running the whole time! I switch between the Mac and Windows using "command+tab" (that's the "open apple" for you hardcore Mac'ers). Here are some pros and cons as well as some tips.

Pro:
-Install of Parallels went smoothly... the set up was automated, and went quickly with little or no decision-making
-Scary how much my Mac acts like a Windows PC
-Windows install included immediate access to the internet through my Mac account, a huge surprise
-So far SUPERIOR to VirtualPC, which after hours and hours, I never got working... Parallels was so easy.
-All my peripherals seem to work, even my Sony mouse which has a memory stick slot in it (in other words, it's multi-functional/fancy and was supported nicely)
-I use my Mac to safely browse the internet and download programs... I even downloaded office for Windows on my Mac and then used Parallels to retrieve it (I could have used Parallels to get it directly, but then I'd have to browse using Windows and risk viruses)
-Share files very easily between the OSX (Mac) and Windows using a shared folder (I've shared photos and a free yet massive Microsoft Office trial program this way, to test it).
-Automatically maps PC Control key functions over to Mac Command key... handy!

Con:
-Technical support is worse than any other tech group I have had to use... my Parallels was down 3 weeks and they didn't even call or email me once to let me know what the status of my problem is (or that the problem was even received). I finally called them and waited 90 minutes although the system said it would be only 10. Each time I moved ahead in the queue, the quoted wait time got longer! When I got through, they were able to resolve the "black screen" problem quickly (launching XP produced a completely empty black window), apparently it was common. My other problem was the "install tools" wasn't working, which means you can't share a folder between the Mac and XP. In the short term I emailed files to myself as a poor man's method to share files, fortunately I was working with small ones. Turns out that while the cause is still undetermined, I found a Parallels disk image on my drive which when manually clicked, manually launched the installer I needed. Weird.
-To me, the instructions are weak, the manual is not very good and instructions that come with upgrades are terrible... you've been warned
-Seems a little slow at times. I've bumped up the "RAM" allocation to 604 MB (max recommended), but think it may need even more.
-People report slow or incompatible gaming.

Tips (Neutral Commentary):
-I recycled an old copy of XP that was registered once, but no longer in use. When registering, call Microsoft as your option. I left them know that I was "reinstalling the software." I didn't bother to tell them that I was installing to a Mac... I figured that this would generate a pointless and a lengthy discussion to a confused person in India.
-After installing XP, immediately seek out the updates. This might require many "reboots" which in this case aren't reboots at all. The program cycles yet your Mac OS is running the whole time!
-If it's not already obvious, you need a copy of Windows.
-Give it RAM! The default of 256 KB is laughable and will produce frustratingly slow performance.
-This will work alongside Apple's free "Boot Camp" beta so you can have the convenience of Parallels with the computing speed/compatibility offered by Boot Camp (with Boot Camp you must reboot your computer to switch between . Windows and your Mac OS). Just remember that when you call Microsoft to register Windows, your copy of Windows is being "reinstalled on the same computer."
-Have your Windows Virus protection handy to install immediately
-Set aside time to install of Microsoft's updates to maximize security and compatibility. In the first 3 days I installed 124 XP updates (yes, I counted them, all 124 of them) from the Microsoft web site... you'll need to reboot XP many times to do this.
-My extended keys (i.e. the number pad area to the right) is activated using the "clear" key which is in the same position as the "num lock" would be... many functions behave like this automatically as described in the "pro" section above

Bottom line: Excellent, wonderfully handy! Amazing to see Windows XP coexisting with my Mac OS. Pray that you do not need their tech support as I think that it is terribly slow and not very effective except for the more basic issues.

If you've got a top end Intel Core 2 Duo processor Mac (desktop or laptop) then this is possibly the most impressive thing you'll ever see or use because "Parallels" will convert your machine into one of the fastest, highest resolution Windows machines out there. Set the screen resolution in the Windows "window" to its highest level (1538 x 921 pixels), make sure that the Parallels Tools are installed correctly, select "Full Screen" mode and there it is... quite amazing... looks better than the any PC you've ever seen, works just like a PC, lets you seamlessly transfer files between the Mac window and the PC window, and transforms your Windows versions of Word, Excel, Publisher and even Photoshop into the most beautiful experiences. And, when you get bored with them you're only a keystroke away from watching the screen flip round to reveal your Mac.

Good enough? Well there's more to come because it also, even more amazingly, lets you run any Windows application program as a window right within the Mac screen (at equally high resolutions) just as though it was one of your Mac applications... seamlessly, stable and fast.

The downsides? You need a fully spec'd Mac with a reasonable amount of memory to get the best out of it (this review is based on 2.33ghz MacBook Pro with 3 gigabytes of memory) but then you're getting, in effect, two top end machines in one. You need to spend some time configuring Parallels correctly, particularly in integrating the Windows side into any wireless network, but the installation instructions are clear and they work. It's not great for processor intensive 3D games (you need Apple's Boot Camp for that, athough this requires a lengthy reboot between the Mac & Windows environments). Oh yes, and you need a copy of Windows XP... a small additional price to pay for such a brilliant piece of software innovation.

Apple "geeks" may continue to argue that OSX is better than Windows but the truth is that a top end Intel Mac with Parallels running on it is the perfect solution... a PC that runs OSX at its highest levels and Windows at a level that's as good as any dedicated PC out there, with instant switching between the two in a single, fully integrated environment. Incredible.

I've had Parallels Desktop for Mac for a few weeks now. For the most part, it works very well. When booting or shutting down, it pretty much ties up the Mac, but that isn't the end of the world. What was very disappointing is that the program does not recognize the Express Card slot. I have a Verizon air card in there and I take my Mac around to do demonstrations that REQUIRE the Windows version of Internet Explorer.

Okay, that's also not the end of the world, but I really wanted some help on this and like other reviewers here, reading through their manual and FAQs, I was somewhat snowed by technical jargon. The effort to make their educational material understandable to the "rest of us" simply wasn't present. Initially I was not able to find in their materials that the Express Card was not supported, so I tried to contact them for help.

So I emailed them. And waited their obligatory 72 hours. Then emailed again. 72 hours later, I emailed them again. After one more block of 72 hours, I was finally convinced they wanted me to pay the $30 for a phone "incident." I paid it. Then I called and got their answering machine. Left a detailed message. Two days later and no return call, I called back. Same thing. Machine, left message, no return call. After a week of this, I called American Express and asked for the $30 to be returned to my card due to non-delivery of the service.

They've got a product that has many strong points. But someone in an executive capacity at Parallels has to realize you just can't ignore your customers on tech support lines. Well, I guess you can, but then realize the fact that more and more of us will post reviews like this and eventually that erodes sales.

This is an outstanding piece of software. It is Simple to install, works as advertised, and a bargain at the price. If you are a mac user, you know how annoying it is when you need to run a windows program or a web site that will only work with explorer.

This program blows away those limits. Literally, any program you want on windows... you can run (and run FAST), the only exception is 3D games that use Direct X, but for that you have boot camp. Also, given how rapidly the Parallels is updating the software i think it is just a matter of time before we see this as well.

This has allowed me to replace avery singe PC in my office with a MAC (we had legacy software that only ran on PC's). This was never possible before because of Virtual PC's sluggishness.

I highly recommend this software.

I saw Parallels demonstrated this week in the Apple booth at Software 2007. It looked pretty slick so I prepared to order it on Amazon until I saw the reviews complaining about documentation, bugs, performance, and support.

I returned to the Apple booth the next day and there were two reps from Nova Development. They were knowledgeable and very helpful. As for support, they admitted that it was a bad situation. Their business plan was to sell 10,000 copies in the first year and they have sold hundreds of thousands. The demand cratered their support lines... not an excuse, just a fact of life. They hope to get it resolved, but that takes time.

As for documentation, they said it was developed in Russia and the manuals were written in "Ringlish." Again, they are "working on it."

So I threw the dice and bought a copy of Parallels and WinXP from Amazon. The installation was a snap if you use the manual as a "guideline" versus taking it literally. I am new to the MAC yet I had no problems at all. Yes, the manual could/should be better but I had Parallels and WinXP running in less than 30 minutes.

I didn't need support so I cannot comment but it is safe to say you are probably on your own for now. The manual has a lot of info in it and actually is quite helpful, but the install routine did most of the work for me.

A few thoughts, 1. You have to have a full version of WinXP so don't whine that it doesn't come with Parallels. Do you really think an $80 product is going to include a $160 product free?? 2. Don't even think about Parallels if you don't have the horsepower. I have a 4 core MAC PRO with 8 gig of memory and WinXP is blindingly fast. An XP reboot from beginning to end is about 10 seconds. I've never seen XP so fast. I'm not saying you need this much processing power, but a small machine will probably choke on virtual machines. 3. This is a relatively new product so some things are not perfected yet. With the large and growing user base, I expect to see all sorts of enhancements over time. The only big hole I see at this time is gaming. Maybe later.

Overall, this is a fabulous product. If you have doubts after reading the negative posts, I encourage you to give it a try anyway. I did and am very happy and impressed.

Installation of Parallels Desktop 3.0 on my MacBook Pro with Leopard was as promised simple and fast. This is a fast machine with 2GB RAM. In difference to Parallels 2.0 the installation was a huge improvement. Once I got into configuring and trying to use the product my impression changed. It is correct that no reboots and restarts are necessary for installation, I had however at least three hangs or crashes trying to change screen resolution settings and sometimes it took minutes to wait for the focus to change between the Mac and the XP desktop. I tried to be patient through that process hoping that my parameter settings would eventually lead to the promised native performance. After two days of repeatedly trying to make those changes I decided that anyway the very frustrating window focus switches and many other quirks were not acceptable. I am a software expert, but I Switched to Mac because these were exactly the things I did NOT WANT. I had also tried the product 'CrossOver' before that is even less usable.

Solution? Uninstall PD 3.0 is as easy as install. A sigh of relief! I recommend to switch to Leopard and use the new BootCamp to partition the disk (16GB is a good size) install WindowsXP native (don't waste your time with Vista). Make sure to format in FAT32 as that gives you access from Leopard to the Windows disk for sharing. You can go up to 32GB if you have a lot to share. If you are worried about Viruses don't enable the network while you are on XP.

Installation is a mormal Windows full install. Then you pop in the Leopard disk to install the Mac Drivers and XP becomes bearable running on a Mac.