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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/867
104 MacDirectory
REVIEW
PARALLELS 4.0 > A WORTHWHILE UPGRADE IS THE APP FOR YOU
Parallels 4.0 for Mac is the latest version
of the groundbreaking virtualization app
that brings the full functionality of
Windows to the Macintosh without the
requirement of a reboot into Boot Camp.
Available only for Intel-based Macs,
running OS X 10.411 or later, Parallels has
been waging a fierce war against its main
competitor, VMWare, with each upgrade
from either prompting a response from its
rival. Talking about that mess would not
serve those of you who are more curious
about what Parallels has to offer the new
user, so we'll limit this review to discussing
some of the new things you can look
forward to in Parallels 4.0.
To start with, you'll love the different ways
you can manage your virtualization
experience. First of all, new to Parallels is
the Modality mode, which allows you to
keep tabs of what's going on in the VM
(virtual machine, the Windows
environment that you'll be using for
everything) window by resizing the window
to keep it visible anywhere you choose.
How is this useful? You could, for example,
start a download running in the VM, and
shrink the Modality window down to a tiny
size and keep it in one corner, while you
keep working in the Mac environment.
You'll know at a glance exactly how close
the download is to finishing without having
to repeatedly shift focus back and forth
between Mac and Windows.
An even better way to interface with the
VM is to use Coherence mode. With
Coherence applied, Parallels does away
with the full-screen Windows experience
altogether, in favor of integrating all open
applications directly into the Mac's Dock.
Clicking on the Parallels icon in the Dock
gives you access to the standard Windows
Start Menu, and nothing else. Launching
an application in Windows creates a
corresponding icon in the Dock, which
allows you to effectively run Windows
programs right from the Mac, each in its
own dedicated window. One of the key
benefits to this is being able to better
manage the user experience by seeing all
open applications and easily switching
between them via the command-tab trick
that so many people use.
Also new in this version is iPhone support.
Currently functionality is limited to being
able to view the totality of the VM
environment and the ability to button-
control only a few commands, like power
off/on, restart, and suspend. It's not
immediately clear how useful this
functionality might be, but it's a step in
the right direction.
Parallels also does a great job of enabling
the sharing of files and folders seamlessly
between the Mac and Windows
environments. From the Mac side, it's a
simple matter of dragging and dropping
directly into the VM window. From the VM
side, all Mac files and folders can be seen
and opened. Being a switcher has never
been so easy.
If I had one standout gripe, it would be
that playing 3D games in Parallels still isn't
quite up to speed, in both senses of the
phrase. There are doubtless ways to
configure the VM for better performance,
but it's a road not entirely free of bumps
at this stage. If you must play PC games,
CrossOver Games by CodeWeavers
might be a better choice.
In all, people new to Parallels will find a lot
to enjoy in the latest version, and previous
owners of the app will want to upgrade
immediately. There is so much to talk
about in the latest version that one review
couldn't possibly cover it all. If you've ever
needed to interact with Windows on your
Mac, Parallels is the app for you.
WORDS BY KEONI CHAVEZ
Product Parallels 4.0
Made by Parallels