Parallels Desktop 4 for Windows & Linux

Every now and then I get a message from a Consumer Tech Blog reader enquiring when we will update Parallels Workstation 2.2, so I wanted to flag our latest post on the Between the Lines blog, announcing the availability of Parallels Desktop 4 for Windows & Linux, our much anticipated PC virtualization update:

Parallels Desktop 4 for Windows & Linux uses the same Fastlane architecture implemented in Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac. That means it’s fast, safe, reliable and able to use the same virtual machines, easily moving between Mac and PC virtualization. We’ve also implemented many of the same features that people love in Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac, like Coherence mode and the SmartX Technologies.

Again, for more information, the full blog post is HERE and the new product page can be found HERE. Check it out!

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!

Parallels Desktop for Mac: NetworkWorld’s Clear Choice Test Winner!

NetworkWorld tested each of the most popular virtualization methods out there for desktops, and to quote a famous line from Humphrey Bogart, “of all the hypervisor solutions on all the desktops in all the world, they award ours.”

Okay, I’m paraphrasing there, but really, the nice folks at NetworkWorld did say something along those lines when they recently reviewed all the hypervisor solutions currently available for the desktop. Here’s what they said:

"Parallels won our overall performance tests on both Mac and Windows platforms. And Parallels Desktop is our Clear Choice Test winner for Mac desktop virtualization."

We love getting news like this at Parallels, as it shows how much our dedication to innovation and listening to customers really does make for a better user experience (amazing concept, right?). I mean after all, many of the features that have contributed to Parallels Desktop for Mac winning 30 or so awards came from ideas thought up by our fans!  For example, NetworkWorld found that:

“Parallels handled USB flash drive use more easily than VMware Fusion or VirtualBox for Mac.”

This capability was specifically added in response to customer requests and it’s great to see it being appreciated!

Overall, NetworkWorld found:

“Of the three hypervisors tested for the Mac, Parallels was strongest in features and usability, and its 64-bit guest virtual machine support provides flexibility for developers.”

What's even more important is what you think. We love hearing about peoples’ experiences with Parallels Desktop for Mac and would love to hear from you about what features would make the product award-winning for you.  Post your suggestions in the comments! We read every post, and no idea is too small!

Cronkite: King of the Anchormen

During our recent case study with the Arizona State University and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, we had the opportunity to make many friends and witness a teaching staff and student base committed to driving the future of journalistic integrity. It's with them and the rest of the world that we bid farewell to legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.

Known to many as "the most trusted man in America," Walter Cronkite revolutionized journalism and made the craft his own, delivering an unbiased view in his news reports to audiences not just in America, but around the world. His most well known coverage includes the Apollo 11 Moon landing and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The Cronkite School of Journalism's primary goal is to continue the principles laid down by Cronkite during his years as news anchor.  The students strive to follow in his footsteps. Through them, Walter Cronkite's integrity and his legacy will live on, and with them we mourn his passing.

Walter Cronkite
1916 - 2009

Pictures from the party!

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Parallels Innovation Party at WWDC!  We had a great night and really enjoyed meeting you all.  It was a perfect opportunity to hang out with fellow developers and show demonstrations of some of our cool innovative technologies. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Jillian's Billiards were great hosts as usual, and we made the most of the pool tables later in the evening when there was enough room to actually play!

Congratulations to our prize draw winners, particularly Ilya Shereshevsky who scooped our grand prize; an Amazon Kindle:

WWDC 2009 is just ending, and the Parallels team wishes all attendees a safe trip back home. We hope to see you again next year!

His love is real. But he is not.

Apple’s WWDC isn't the only June event stirring up comments in the wonderful world of technology. The gamers in the room know exactly what I'm talking about: The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Now while I'm not about to turn this into "The Parallels Gaming Review Blog," I urgently need to point out a particularly exciting demonstration that took place during E3, and that would be Microsoft's Project Natal. The project, if successful, could easily have long reaching effects on the technology world in general. Once you learn about it, I think you'll see why.

The project revolves around an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360, a motion & audio sensor, which basically substitutes any need for a controller with hand and body gestures as well as speech. There have been camera and motion-based themes before in gaming, but nothing on this level, and putting this device to work is Lionhead Studios' Milo (Project Dmitri).

Milo seems to be 30% video game, 30% virtual pet and 30% science experiment. He moves, talks and plays like a real boy, and even asks and responds to questions when you talk to him. The first time I watched him was with a friend, and we were both reminded of the little boy in Spielberg’s A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Milo knows what you look like, thanks to the Natal sensor, and can recognize your face as well as the color clothing you're wearing.

"Oh, hi Mr. Lincoln, why are you wearing that awful black hat again?"

Users can interact with Milo's world almost as if it were real. A perfect example of this is Milo's fish pond, where you can lean over, ripple the water with your hands, and scare the little fish away. On the surface of the water is a wavy reflection of you, as captured by the sensor. Drawings you make can even be handed to Milo (By holding them up to the camera) and transferred into his universe where he'll reach up and take it.

Realize also that when playing this very fun and interactive game, you'll be seen by any real-world passerby as a lunatic trying to dance and swim into your television set. And you thought playing Wii tennis made you look silly.

To see Lionhead Studios’ E3 video on IGN’s page, click HERE.

Key Notes from the Keynote (WWDC)

Well the WWDC 09 keynote ended a few hours ago, and I've got to say, not too shabby! Phill Schiller seemed a bit more comfortable on stage than at his Macworld 09 keynote.

We’re not looking at anything all that surprising this year: the new 15'' MacBook Pro has the same improved battery as the 17'' announced at MacWorld, as well as faster speeds than the previous 15'' MacBook Pro.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Not a lot we didn't already know, and the presentation seemed to focus on the sheer performance factor of running in 64-bit. This is very important to developers, of course, and hey this is a developer conference after all. Multi-threading got its own slide in the presentation, and sky's the limit with available RAM (or maybe hardware's the limit? Either way Snow Leopard can handle it).

So what of the iPhone?  Unfortunately Apple ignored our requests: it seems there was no laser beam or tea-brewing upgrade to the new 3.0 OS.  Serves us right for only submitting them this weekend, but I’m sure they’re working on them now.  Just you wait for WWDC 2010... Back to this year’s keynote, it seems iPhone 3.0 OS will offer expanded horizons on the implementation of landscape view. We will see cut, copy and paste capabilities (woo!), as well as additional language support, the ability to track and remotely wipe your iPhone's data for security purposes, and tethering which will allow you to share your iPhone's Internet connection with your computer (Mac or PC).

The biggest news of the event was the announcement of the iPhone 3GS. Basically just like the iPhone 3G but with a few upgrades you've probably heard about by now. An improved camera, video (with tap-to-focus ability on the screen), video editing, voice control, improved speed and a digital compass. It will be $199 for the smallun' (16Gb) and $299 for the biggun' (32Gb). Will I be getting one? Ahm.... *grin* probably.... (so shiny).

I must point out the distinct lack of time manipulation support going on here. Don't worry, it will be announced next year for sure... I've seen it already. Phil Schiller comes out in an Elvis jumpsuit.

WWDC: Key Expectations

Monday morning is not generally the highlight of my week, but I’m making an exception for this coming Monday as it brings with it the start of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), and with that the opening keynote.  There's already been plenty of speculation over what Phil Schiller will unveil during the session... Being a developer conference, the content is likely going to revolve around the nuts and bolts of Apple software, so I expect we're probably looking at two potential focuses: Mac OS X Snow Leopard 3.0, and iPhone 3.0. I’m pretty excited about both, but being a gadget addict, I'd like to focus on the latter of the two.

Last year's keynote introduced the new SDK as well as the features for iPhone 2.0 firmware, including Microsoft Exchange support and improvements to Apple's App Store.

Hopefully this year the iPhone 3.0 feature set will be just as impressive, and as I said there are plenty of wish lists and rumors floating around. On that note, I talked to a few of my fellow iPhone fans and asked them for their honest opinion on what they wish to see featured in the iPhone 3.0 update:

"I would really like it to shoot lasers this time around. The iPhone has revolutionized the way many people interact with their cell phones, music, and most importantly the apps. It's time we had laser beams to improve that experience further. Also, Ghostbusters."

-Nick G., Apple user

Nick brings up a good point. On release, the Apps for the iPhone seemed to be an afterthought to the iPod, photo sharing and GPS mapping abilities of the iPhone. Now just look at how that changed as more and more people developed Apps. Fans become developers. The Apps are now a huge part of the iPhone experience, and largely thanks to the SDK and App Store updates, both of which have really let the developer community shine.

“I would really like to have the ability to etch-a-sketch with the iPhone, where I have the great ability to shake it so I can clear the screen! Then I can write on it some more, and shake-shake-shake it clean again! I LOVE SHAKING THIS THING!!!"

-Ariel Leroux, Seattle Designer Developer Interaction Group (D2ig)

It's true, while the touch screen is an integral part of the iPhone look and feel, the accelerometer isn't widely utilized in the day to day use of the iPhone, and is usually limited to gaming applications (which happened to be another highlight in last year's WWDC keynote).

"I'd enjoy having a virtual servant. That's basically what it comes down to. It would serve me tea in the morning while it reads my incoming e-mail and tells me how important I am."

-Rawee K., Parallels

This really reflects what a few people have been asking for with the push services proposed last year. The ability to keep data flowing, even while the iPhone itself isn't running a particular app. It applies to many applications where you have data being constantly sent from a server, most importantly e-mail. Somewhat technical stuff, I know, but trust me it's a useful part of the smartphone experience.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the ability to cut, copy and paste. For such a simple feature, it’s going to make a huge difference in my every day use. It’s annoying when you’re trying to post somewhere online and you can’t include a link or quote in your message. As a secondary request, some sort of pan-dimensional or time travel ability would be great, too.

Who thinks they know what Apple has up their sleeve? There's still time before Monday, so respond in the blog comments below, and tell us what you expect/hope will be in the keynote!