Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Parallels

 

Just in case you’ve been living under a large solid mass of mineral-composed matter:

Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) released today!

It’s been almost two years since the release of OS X Leopard (10.5), and four years since OS X Tiger (10.4) released in 2005. Quite a few Mac users still use Tiger, and OS X has been known for years as being one of the most (if not the most) stable and well performing desktop operating systems out there. However, even more people have enjoyed the little goodies that come with the latest updates and releases of newer versions, and that’s what makes times like these so exciting for Mac lovers!

With our huge focus on Mac, Parallels extremely excited about the release as well. The question everybody around the office is asking each other is “are you getting Snow Leopard?” There are some excellent reasons to, as OS X Snow Leopard has some impressive features and refinements to show off, like faster wake up/shut down times and quicker Time Machine backup. The change that instantly jumped out at me, though, was the huge drop in footprint. Half the size of its predecessor, OS X Snow Leopard only takes up 7GB on the hard drive it’s running on. That’s some seriously impressive optimization!

Another optimization Apple has introduced in OS X Snow Leopard is a speedy installation process. It takes 50% less time to get a new OS X Snow Leopard installed than the previous version… which brings me to a couple pointers for Parallels users:

Snow Leopard and your Parallels Desktop 4.0

• We’ve been able to test both Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac and Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition products, and we’re happy to confirm that they’re both compatible with the new OS X Snow Leopard.
• If you’re going to set up a fresh OS X Snow Leopard installation (not an upgrade), then don’t forget to back up your existing data!
  • Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac can easily be re-installed in about 10 minutes, but your virtual machine data will be lost along with the rest of your Mac files
  • If you have an external hard drive (or Time Capsule), make sure your important files are copied over so you can use the Time Machine browser to move them to your new setup later
  • Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac virtual machine (.pvm) files are located in your User/Documents/Parallels folder by default (you can also search for “.pvm” in your Finder)
    • Just move or copy the .pvm file to a safe location
    • When you have the latest version of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac installed on your new Snow Leopard setup, copy the .pvm file back into your User/Documents/Parallels folder and click on it to add it back to your virtual machine list
• Before running an upgrade to OS X Snow Leopard, make sure all your applications are completely closed, including Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

If there are additional questions on how upgrading affects your Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac virtual machine, please ask in the comments or e-mail me directly at sgibbons@parallels.com

UPDATE:

As of yesterday, we have a new build for Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac (build 3846) which addresses a couple minor issues with the Snow Leopard update. We encourage everyone to install this through the "Check for Updates" feature in the Help menu to take advantage of our latest efforts.

Additionally, for those still using Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac, but now want to upgrade to Snow Leopard, we have good news! During the month of September, Parallels is offering a special upgrade price of $39.99 so you can run Apple’s most advanced operating system on the fastest, most powerful version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, version 4.0. Details on this discount can be found HERE.

Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition

                                 

                      Want one of these?                                     …but your whole life is stored on one of these?

There are a lot of people out there who are more than ready to make the leap to Mac. The problem is that switching from one system to the other can be a huge hassle. Not only is your whole life stored on your Windows PC (programs included), but the operating system is different from Windows and takes just a little getting used to. Problem solved:

Introducing Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition! It’s the perfect way to make the transition from the PC to the wide world of Mac at your own pace. It guides new Mac users through the whole switching process from start to finish, teaching along the way. The box includes interactive tutorials, an easy method for transferring your data, and finally a way to run all the Windows programs you’re used to inside your new Mac environment.

Tech savvy readers - that means no more friends & family tech support. Auntie Etna will need no assistance setting this one up on her own (though you really shouldn’t need an excuse to visit her anyway, imo).

Like a digital Willy Wonka, Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition is designed to tour new Mac users through their switch between systems, along the way pointing out some of the key tidbits that make Macs so flexible and easy to use. Through the interactive tutorials, the Parallels Desktop Instructor, Saied, will teach you how you can keep the usability of your Windows setup while still enjoying all the aspects of your Mac. The bundle is basically set up so that you can flip open your new Mac, pop the CD in, and Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition will interactively guide you through the entire process!

        

Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition – showing the Parallels Desktop Instructor,

and Coherence view mode using Exposé in to view open applications in Mac OS X

Through the tutorial process, you’ll also learn how to make the move from your PC to your Mac with the included transfer kit. This is the first time anyone has ever provided a method of transfer like this for creating a virtual machine. You literally plug the Parallels High Speed USB Transfer Cable into both your PC and your Mac, and the Enhanced Parallels Transporter takes care of everything, boxing up your Windows data and shipping it over to use as a contained virtual machine within OS X.

How does the transfer kit make transferring your data so simple? Well, obviously it's powered by magic... MAGIC, I tell you! Well, that and the advanced formatting and transfer software of the groundbreaking Parallels Transporter, blah blah blah... but also MAGIC! Keep in mind that when all is said and done, your Mac is crowned with the award winning Parallels Desktop for Mac, allowing you to run the software you had on your Windows PC, making for a completely seamless move. Pretty awesome, right?

The Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition webpage is HERE and has all the details. Check it out!

Windows 7: TAKE 2

WINDOWS 7!

There are a lot of people out there still trying out Windows 7 before it releases (only a couple more months!). I'm one of them, and I've collected a couple tips since my last blog post on it.

"But Mister Parallels Blogger Man," you say, "I thought you were against running Windows 7 as a primary workspace because it's in beta!"

Well... yes! But also, NO!!! Let me explain...

First off, I've had too much sugar today. Secondly, through the wonderful gift of virtualization, I'm able to work in Windows 7 through Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac while keeping my precious data elsewhere! Everything that's important to me is either floating in the clouds (Like my e-mail which is stored on a Microsoft Exchange server) or on the Mac OS X partition (like my top secret documents, photos, blog drafts, etc…). I just use shortcuts that point to Mac destinations from the Windows side. Even my desktop wallpaper images are grabbed from my Mac folders.

This accomplishes a few different things:

1) I don't have to worry about managing my Windows drive space. When files are stored on the Mac side, my Windows VM doesn't really get any bigger.

2) If something bad happens to my Windows 7 installation, nothing of value will be lost (I can hear the Mac fanboys snicker at that one). I can easily wipe, make a new VM, and the most I'll have to do is reinstall my programs... but maybe not! See, I happen to keep a VM clone lying around which I created just after installing Microsoft Office and a few other key goodies. It's like having a freshly installed Windows machine in my pocket that I can duplicate and load up whenever I need it on any Intel Mac. It even retains that new-OS smell.

3) Files and folders stored on the Mac side can be shared between OS X and multiple Windows/Linux VMs - That is, if I have multiple virtual machines, and I don't want to run them all at once (possibly due to limited machine resources), they can share the Mac OS X drive space as an available folder between them that’s always open.

Moving on, I've seen a few people mention a lack of network connectivity within Windows 7 after installation. If this is a problem, try installing/reinstalling Parallels Tools (See the image below). Because Windows 7 is still only supported on an experimental basis, Parallels Tools isn't configured to launch the first time you reach your Windows desktop. This throws some people off. No tools means no network support, clipboard support, mouse support, and a hand full of other features.

One thing I was happy to notice shortly after my last Windows 7 blog is that the sound is no longer missing inside the VM. Microsoft took care of that by providing AC'97 audio drivers via Windows Updater. Make sure you grab the optional updates as well at the important ones by opening the Windows Update in the System and Security menu.

As you can see there have been quite a few released in just the past couple weeks

That's all for now! As always, questions and comments are welcome. Let me know how Windows 7 runs on your Mac!