Parallels unveils leaner, faster Desktop

Posted on 11 Nov 2008 at 11:54

Parallels has unveiled the new version of its Desktop for Mac software for running Windows and other operating systems on a Mac.

Unlike Apple’s Boot Camp, Parallels does not turn the whole Mac into a Windows box, but runs the alien operating system in a virtual machine (VM) alongside OS X.

The upgrade aims to improves OS integration and boost performance by up to 50% and incorporates new security, backup and power saving features.

Among those new features are support for DirectX 9, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0 to give faster video performance, with an Adaptive Hypervisor that dynamically allocates resources to meet user needs.

Parallels also says that the responsiveness to all applications benefits from optimisation of the virtualisation engine so that it consumes 15-30% less resources than previous versions.

Established PC security expert Kaspersky provides anti-virus, firewall, scanner, recovery, filtering and identity protection tools, while Acronis provides software for backup and disk recovery.

Other new features include quick access to all virtual machines, additional Screenview modes, Clips for screenshots and Speech Recognition, not to mention support for more than 45 operating systems.

“Parallels is committed to continuing the innovation that has resulted in Parallels Desktop for Mac winning more than 30 major awards and becoming the preferred Windows-on-Mac virtualisation product,” said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. “With version 4.0, we are extending our advantage by delivering a premium solution that is easy, fast and powerful – with premium tools and utilities included at no extra cost.”

Parallels Desktop for Mac 4 costs £49.99; upgrades costs £24.99 until 30 November 2008, £31.99 thereafter.

Author: Simon Aughton

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