After several weeks of very successful beta testing (thanks again to everyone who participated!), the Parallels Desktop for Mac Update is ready for general release!
Starting today, all registered Parallels Desktop for Mac customers can get the Update COMPLETELY FREE. Just make sure that "auto-update" is turned on (menu bar -> Help -> Check for Updates), and you'll get the new build automatically. If you prefer to download it manually, you can get the Update here. Look for Build 3186.
Of course, our 15-day free, fully-functional trial still applies, so if you're a new user and want to check our Desktop for Mac, you can get a trial key and the application at the Desktop for Mac Main Download Page.
There's a ton of new stuff in the Update. Here are a few of the most important features:
- Coherence: Our coolest new feature! With Coherence, you can run Windows applications on your Mac OS X desktop, just like they were native Mac applications. You can even load Windows applications directly from the Mac application dock.
Microsoft Project for Windows XP running in Coherenceat the same time as Safari and iPhoto.
Windows applications, ready to load, in the Mac dock- Parallels Transporter: Upgrade to a Mac, and bring your old PC with you! Transporter will move the entire contents of your Windows PC - OS, applications, files, and settings - to a Parallels virtual machine running on your Mac, meaning that even though you're moving to a new machine, you won't lose any of your data or applications, or have to go through the sometimes painful process of "starting from scratch" with a new Windows install.
- “Plug and Play” USB 2.0 support: By upgrading USB support from 1.1 to 2.0, users can now access popular USB devices like external hard drives, printers, and scanners, and use them at full native speed, simply by plugging the device into their Macs. iSight cameras built-in to MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs are also fully supported in virtual machines. There is no complicated setup required to make USB devices work.
- Full-feature virtual CD/DVD drive: Now you can burn CDs and DVDs directly in virtual machines, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD just like you would on a real PC.
- Support for Boot Camp partitions: Run your entire Boot Camp installation, directly in a Parallels virtual machine! You can switch between loading Windows in Parallels Desktop or Boot Camp as often as you need to.
- True “Drag and Drop”: Easily share files between Windows and OS X by dragging documents and folders from one desktop to another. We made this feature completely customizable to maximize system security.
- Works with Windows Vista: Build a new virtual machine that runs Windows Vista, or upgrade your existing Windows XP virtual machine to Windows Vista, without losing any data or having to reinstall any applications.
Thanks again for everyone who helped make this the best Parallels Desktop for Mac version yet. We've got a lot more planned for you in 2007!
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