Parallels Desktop 5.0 for Mac

by Nova Development US

Product Features

• Run Windows up to 3 times faster than Parallels Desktop 40 for Mac
• Optimized for Mac OS X 106 Snow Leopard
• Support for Aero in Windows Vista and 7
• Use Multi-Touch trackpad gestures to control Windows applications
• Full support for Mac OS X Server, 8 virtual CPUs and 64-bit Windows

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B002QARRBM
• Item model number: 40912
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 2, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #6 in Software > Utilities > Cross Platform

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With more than 2 million users worldwide, the award-winning Parallels Desktop for Mac is easier than ever to use with its brand new Mac user interface and lightning-fast performance. This new version is packed with over 70 new features that make running Windows programs on a Mac completely seamless.

Performance and innovation make Parallels #1. Now includes more than 70 powerful new features! Click to enlarge.

Run Mac OS X and Windows side by side. Now with support with Windows 7. Click to enlarge.

Coherence makes Windows programs run and act like Mac applications. Click to enlarge.

Remotely manage your Parallels virtual machine with our Free iPhone App.

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac delivers brand new features plus performance enhancements including full support for Aero in Windows Vista and 7, faster virtual machine performance, expanded USB device compatibility, enhanced 3D graphics and optimization for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. New Features in Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac include:

• Run Windows up to 3 times faster than previous version.
• Support for Aero in Windows Vista & 7: Get the complete Windows experience with Aero animation.
• Smart Copy and Paste: Easily move formatted text and images between Windows and Mac Applications
• Coherence Mode: Seamlessly run Windows programs alongside Mac applications.
• 3D Graphics Support: Run 3D applications with DirectX 9Ex and OpenGL 2.1
• Optimized for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Take advantage of Apple's latest operating system.
• Plus additional performance and general enhancements, such as:
  
  
  • Runs Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and more
  • Improved USB device connectivity and performance
  • Use Multi-touch gestures, Spaces and Exposé
  • Up to 7 times faster graphics performance than previous version
  • Full support for Mac OS X Server, 8 virtual CPUs and 64-bit Windows

Run Windows on Your Mac the Easy Way. Right Alongside Mac OS X.
Parallels Desktop for Mac makes it possible to run Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Linux and more side-by-side with Mac OS X without rebooting. With Parallels' award-winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and your favorite Windows applications at the same time. You can even drag-and-drop files between desktops! Launch Windows applications like Mac applications--right from your Mac's dock.

Parallels Desktop for Mac 5 is the biggest upgrade ever with over 70 new features. It also comes with a complete suite of essential tools you need to run Windows on a Mac. Parallels Desktop now ships with $175 in bonus software including Kaspersky Internet Security, Acronis Disk Director and Acronis True Image.

Lightning-fast performance
Parallels Desktop takes advantage of Intel Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors and Intel VT-x2 hardware accelerated virtualization, for near-native speed and rock-solid performance. With support for up to 8 GB RAM and up to 8 CPUs, Parallels Desktop for Mac delivers maximum performance.

Unmatched Compatibility
Enjoy all the benefits of having a Mac and keep running the Windows programs you can't live without. Parallels Desktop for Mac runs thousands of Windows applications and is compatible with your favorite USB devices including mobile phones, printers, scanners and GPS devices. With Parallels Desktop you can run any version of Windows, including 7, Vista and XP, as well as Linux, FreeBSD, even MS-DOS, at the same time as OS X! Parallels also supports running Mac OS X Leopard Server in a virtual machine.

Comprehensive Protection and Privacy
Parallels Internet Security by Kaspersky protects your Windows programs from virus and spyware threats and even includes a firewall and anti-spam tools. Parallels Desktop also includes SmartGuard instant "snapshots" which make backup and recovery easier than ever.

Additional Features

• Advanced virtualization engine with lightning-fast performance
• Use Windows on your Mac without rebooting
• Install Windows XP, Vista or 7 in 3 easy steps
• Run literally thousands of Windows apps, like Outlook, Access, Project, Quicken and QuickBooks--all at near-native speed.
• Easily share files between Mac and Windows
• Launch Windows apps directly from the Mac Dock.
• Run more than 60 different OSs, including Linux, BSD and more.
• Run Mac OS X and Windows on multiple monitors.
• Migrate your existing PC to your Mac. Even import Boot Camp partitions and VMware Fusion virtual machines.
• Use iPhone to manage virtual machines
• SmartGuard's instant "snapshots" make backup and recovery easier than ever.
• Unmatched Ease of Use

Includes $175 in Essential Windows Software

• Parallels Internet Security by Kaspersky protects against virus and spyware threats, plus firewall and anti-spam. $79.99 value
• Acronis TrueImage Home backup and recovery software for Windows. $49.99 value
• Acronis Disk Director Suite disk partitioning software for Windows. $49.95 value

With more than 1 million users worldwide, the award-winning Parallels Desktop for Mac is the #1 Mac System Utility.*

90 Day Money Back Guarantee
If you are not completely satisfied with Parallels Desktop for Mac for any reason, you may return the software directly to Nova Development within 90 days of purchase for your money back.

*No. 1 claim based on NPD Techworld Reports for the period 8/1/06 - 9/30/09. Reviews and awards cited may be for previous versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac. Windows operating system sold separately.

Product Description

Parallels Desktop for Mac makes it possible to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X without rebooting. With Parallels’ award-winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and your favorite Windows applications at the same time. You can even drag-and-drop files between desktops! Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac is the biggest upgrade ever with 60+ new features and enhancements.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

156 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than VMWare Fusion 3, November 15, 2009

By 

P. Lau (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parallels Desktop 5.0 for Mac (CD-ROM)

I used this and used VMWare Fusion 3. Both have issues. But Parallels has fewer deal breaking issues. So I chose Parallels. I use a 13" MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard. I run Windows 7 in the VM. Here are my findings:

Parallels 5

Pros: Fast, rock solid

Cons: Windows Manager (which manages the Aero interface) keeps crashing under 2 CPU configuration. So Aero is really usable under 1 CPU configuration. Windows 7 cannot even run all the tests to calculate the Windows Experience Index with 2 CPU configuration due to video issue.

VMWare Fusion 3

Pros: It runs

Cons:
Aero exhibits random missing tile effect. That is, random patches of square of the user interface would "lag" and appear missing for a fraction of a second. DirectX implementation apparently isn't that good.

The share OS X folders with VM implementation is retarded. All shared folders appear under one virtual drive in the VM. What it means is the root of the virtual drive is not writable.

It is not fast. I ran a time consuming task in Parallels, it took about 10 minutes to finish. I ran the same task in VMWare, I lost patience after maybe 15-20 minutes. I went and took a shower just to give it enough time to finish.

I highly recommend getting the trial versions of both software and see which one works for you. For me the speed of VMWare and that dumb shared folder implementation are the deal breakers for me and so I went with Parallels.

Parallels gets 4 stars out of 5 because of the Aero problem under 2 CPU configuration.

---------- Update 1/5/2010 ----------

Parallels has released the first update to Desktop 5.0 for Mac, which has fixed the Aero problem under 2 CPU configuration. Aero is rock solid now. While I did not try to find every supposed improvement in this update, I did notice one big improvement in the area of shared folder access. Access of Mac files from within the VM is very much faster than before. I can actually use file access intensive program on a Mac folder mounted in the VM as a network shared drive whereas before doing so would impose a speed penalty. Considering the fix to Aero, I have updated my previous four stars rating to five stars.

---------- Update 2/23/2010 ----------

I have installed Windows 7 using Boot Camp on a separate partition of my MacBook Pro. This gives me the option of running Windows 7 natively on the hardware in addition to running under a virtual environment provided by Parallels. I did a Windows Experience Index comparison between the two. Now note that Windows 7 has full access to my MacBook Pro's 4GB of RAM under Boot Camp but only 2GB under Parallels. Here are the results:

Boot Camp
Processor: 5.9
Memory: 5.9
Graphics: 5.3
Gaming graphics: 5.5
Primary hard disk: 5.9

Parallels
Processor: 5.8
Memory: 5.5
Graphics: 4.8
Gaming graphics: 3.9
Primary hard disk: 6.5

The results are very competitive, especially if you don't play games on your Mac. It validates my previous impression that Parallels indeed provides a very fast virtual environment.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars IF you know what you're doing., March 31, 2010

By 

M.D.C. "The Franchise" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Parallels Desktop 5.0 for Mac (CD-ROM)

Meaning...it's 4 stars IF you know what you're doing. If you're a newbie to VMs in generals, go with VMWare.

Why do I say that? Well, there are a few reasons. In a nutshell though, if you're not resourceful and self-sufficient, Parallels is likely to get on your nerves. You should not expect to be coddled, nor should you expect flawless support, or even support anywhere near the caliber of other end user applications. That's fine...IF you know what you're doing. Now, I understand that Parallels really tries to pitch this to people telling them that a caveman could set this up and that nobody should have a problem continuing to use Windows in their daily lives. Unfortunately, newbies need to understand that virtual machines aren't nearly that easy to work with. They can be, but by default they are not. There are a lot of factors that go into setting up, managing and supporting a virtual machine. So much so that there are certification courses about it, which should tell you something.


IF YOU DO NOT HAVE VM EXPERIENCE:

A virtual machine, or VM, is essentially a file or group of files made up of part of your hard drive, and run in an emulation-type environment. What this then does is feed pseudo-hardware specs to the operating system, which then installs the proper drivers. This has the benefit of disconnecting you from the hardware you own and allowing you to work with operating systems that may not necessarily work well on your base hardware, but it also allows you to run almost any OS within your MacBook, iMac or Mac Pro's operating system without the need to reboot your computer. If you work with Windows at your job, you'll be able to see the immediate benefits of such an arrangement. If you're comfortable with Mac OS you can keep that same level of comfort while maintaining compatibility in the workplace.

To achieve this feat, you'll need the install medium for the operating system you want to set up. Alternately, you can download a pre-packed virtual machine from the Parallels website which saves you time at the tradeoff of having to deal with someone else's handywork. If you're just trying to evaluate an OS though, this is the most time and cost effective way to do it. If you need to use another OS in your Mac for whatever reason on a more permanent basis, you'll want to build your own to make sure you have all of the tools you need. Plus, it's a good learning experience...provided you do it right. From there it should be fairly simple to get up and running; just let the wizard guide you through it, or follow the included instructions. What's important to note: your VM should have 1 CPU max and no more than 25% of your total RAM. In other words, if you have a Apple MacBook Pro MB990LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop or similar model, or iMac with 4GB RAM, you should give the VM 1GB and no more. Parallels itself should be allocated no more than 2GB and told to balance the RAM usage. Why do I recommend these settings? Because any more and your Mac will suddenly not be so fast.

There is a reason for this. When you're dealing with Windows, there are a lot of background writes and drive accesses and paging that takes place. If you give Windows a lot of RAM, it will thrash the drive paging an equal amount of disk space. That thrash, combined with the RAM usage (which is now not available for the Mac OS), will cause your computer to slow to a crawl. It's not nearly as noticeable if you've got 8GB RAM and a 7200 RPM drive, so if you do decide to upgrade your computer, then you can bump up the specs...but I still stand by the 25% of RAM rule (meaning 2GB max) and 1CPU for the best results.

IF you're migrating from a PC, you can use the Parallels Transporter Agent to assist you. The cleanest way to do this, and your local computer hardware store (not Best Buy. Frys or something else please!) can assist you, is to connect a crossover cable between the old and new computer, use Mac OS to set up a local network between the two via Ethernet, and load the Transporter Agent onto the old computer and let it run. In my experience it doesn't work well when connected over a router, or when trying to use local attached storage to get it done. One thing you should keep in mind when doing this: if you have multiple drives or partitions and don't want to grab everything, don't use Transporter Agent. It will try to grab everything. So on your 250GB MacBook you might find yourself running out of drive space when all said and done. Instead, get a product like Symantec Norton Ghost 15.0 (1 PC), load that onto Windows, let it image specifically what you want to grab, and then import that image into Parallels to create the VM. Parallels will then model the new VM appropriately; you will have to do some Disk Management to correct certain things like mappings and whatnot, but generally this is the best way to approach it.

Also, if you have a multi boot scenario on the PC, know that you will likely need to do some boot record fixing when the VM is up and running. If you go to Windows Vista or Windows 7, and likely XP, Microsoft is going to compel you to re-activate because to Windows the hardware is now different. Just deal with it; there's no way to avoid this.

Once you're up and running, you can fine tune the experience even further. Parallels offers a variety of options to assist you with your new VM. You can optimize the VM such that its performance is enhanced, or if it's just a background one-off requirement, that priority be given to Mac OS. You can share folders to the VM from Mac and vice versa (though, keep in mind that Mac OS cannot write to NTFS drives). You can also create snapshots which are used to roll back to a previous instance of the VM. This is valuable if your VM is used for critical business and you need to be able to reverse changes or issues. You could use System Restore in Windows, but that won't get rid of a rootkit; also, if for whatever reason Windows will not boot, it's difficult to get to System Restore. The snapshot can be rolled back at any time without fault, and you can even schedule automated periodic snapshots to make sure you can always reverse damage. Just be aware that these will take up hard drive space, so if you don't plan on upgrading your hard drive, you'll need to keep an eye on your available space.

There are a lot of other features to Parallels, but those are the big ones. It's a solid application IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. If you don't, it can get frustrating and in some cases feel like an unfinished application just because it's quite picky on certain things with VMs. I will tell you that stories about poor XP performance are either user driven or poor hardware; I've got the MacBook Pro unibody 2009 edition I linked to earlier, and I've got three VMs - two on Parallels. One is a Windows 7 VM which was migrated from my old PC. The other is an XP VM that I use to sync with my Microsoft Zune. The XP VM is screaming fast - faster than a physical computer, in fact. But that's because I set it up properly. XP Pro Service Pack 3, fresh installed, 1CPU, 1GB RAM, 50GB hard drive. It runs circles around everything, even Snow Leopard.

109 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Shockingly bad support, November 27, 2009

By 

J. Barnhart (Santa Clara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parallels Desktop 5.0 for Mac (CD-ROM)

The truth is, Parallels does a good enough job running many applications that you may just think this program is great. If your programs DO work under Parallels, you should consider yourself as lucky as a lottery winner.

If anything DOESN'T work in Parallels Desktop, you just bought a ticket to trouble. The first step in the "support dance" is to contact them with your problem. They provide email support, so you'll get a reply asking for more detail. You will send the detail and nothing further will come back.

Then, in a few days, they'll send an email asking if it's OK to close the support request. Close it? You just opened it and nothing has been done! You will convey this in a pithy email. Another day goes by, then a response with some boilerplate like "how to install the software" or some other useless FAQ. You will reply with the original problem, in as much detail as you can manange.

Anther day or two, then a response asking for more clarification. You clarify. Another day then EUREKA! They have duplicated the problem and now they're handing it off to the technical team! But don't uncork the champagne yet....

A few weeks go by. You send a message inquiring about the issue. A polite reply saying their technical team is working on it and they have no idea when a fix will be ready. A few more weeks go by. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

Then, a new fixpack is ready! You try to still your heart as you download the 85M install file and apply it to your defective system. Breathlessly you fire up the virtual machine and try to run the broken program. Disappointment creeps back when you realize the fix was not implemented in the new fixpack.

Back to the emails. Loop again. And again. And again. It seems like this will go on endlessly -- more fixpacks to try, more disappointment. But just when it seems there is no end in sight -- a new VERSION of Parallels.

Do you know what a new VERSION means? YOU GET TO BUY IT AGAIN! That's right, you've waited patiently so long that your version 4 has been replaced by version 5, and you are no longer able to obtain any more fixpacks because your product is now DEAD.

Thanks for playing Parallels roulette.

Oh, and don't bother asking Parallels for a free version upgrade just because they never fixed your problem. That falls on deaf ears.

But then you google "virtualbox" and the world looks a little brighter...