What’s new in the Official Update of Parallels Desktop for Mac?

We’re proud to announce that the Official Update for Parallels Desktop for Mac is launched and FREE for all existing Parallels Desktop for Mac users! With great new features, improvements, and fixes, Parallels Desktop for Mac is even easier to use.

• Parallels Coherence – Launch and run Windows applications directly from your Mac desktop!
• Parallels Transporter - Migrate your entire real Windows PC to your new Mac, without reinstalling Windows or any applications!
• Wide OS support - Including full compatibility with OS X "Leopard" and support for Windows Vista
• Shared Networking - Seamlessly connect your virtual machines to the internet without any manual network reconfiguration
• USB 2.0 support - “Plug and play” popular USB 2.0 devices like printers, scanners, and external hard drives, and use them at full native speed!
• Installation Assistant built-in tool included - Now installing Windows on a Mac takes just 3 easy steps. It’s even easier than installing it on a PC!
• Drag and Drop - Drag and drop files and folders of any size between OS X and Windows
• Graphic performance support – Start taking advantages of using Intel’s Virtualization Technology that drives rock solid stability and blazingly fast performance
• Boot Camp Support – Use a Windows XP Boot Camp partition as a virtual hard disk in Parallels Desktop for Mac
• Improved Shared Folders performance – Open folders and files faster, and transfer data across OSes with almost zero lag

Installation Assistant built-in tool

Thanks to the new Parallels Installation Assistant, installing Windows on your Mac is now even easier than installing it on a PC! This new built-in tool is already included as part of the Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Already using Parallels? The Installation Assistant is available as a FREE, AUTOMATIC update for all registered customers.

How does it work?
With a powerful, easy to use “Express Windows OS Installation Mode” for Windows Vista and Windows XP, the Installation Assistant completely automates the virtual machine setup and installation of Windows - with almost no user interaction.

Start taking advantage of running Windows on your Mac in just three easy steps:

• Select which Windows operating system you want to install,
• Enter your name, company and Windows activation key,
• Click finish - and let the Installation Assistant do the rest!

The Installation Assistant does the rest! You do not need to enter any additional information, select settings, or answer any potentially confusing technical questions. This new built-in tool automatically completes the full installation in a pre-designed virtual machine.

After Windows is installed, the Installation Assistant automatically installs Parallels Tools, a free set of useful add-ons that improve networking, video and sound support, syncs mouse activity and OS system clocks, and enables cutting, copying, and pasting of data, as well as file sharing, between Windows and OS X.

Need to run other operation systems on your Mac?

The Installation Assistant provides improved and much more user-friendly setup for other versions of Windows, plus any Linux distribution, FreeBSD, Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, and MS-DOS.

NOTE! If you are already using Parallels Desktop for Mac, updating Parallels Desktop does not require a re-install of any guest operating systems or applications. After updating, users should only re-install Parallels Tools.

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Parallels Coherence

Run Windows applications like they were native Mac applications

What is it?
A groundbreaking feature that lets users run Windows applications without seeing Windows. When a user switches to Coherence mode, their Windows desktop disappears, leaving their Windows applications running directly on their Mac desktop. This is the first opportunity ever for Mac users to run Windows applications in an effectively native environment!

How does it work?
Coherence is new, unique view mode that enables users to work with Windows applications on their Mac without seeing the Windows operating system. In Coherence mode, the entire Windows OS is running, just like it would in windowed or full-screen mode, but the user doesn’t see it, eliminating the confusing and sometimes jarring switch between the Windows and Mac desktop.

To enable easy access to Windows applications in Coherence mode, users can add any Windows shortcut icon to their Mac application dock, and load the program just by clicking the icon, like they would do with any normal Mac application. Users can also choose to show or hide the Windows task bar if they’d like. If the Windows taskbar is hidden, a user can access the Windows start menu by clicking the Parallels Desktop icon in the Mac application dock.

Why is it important?
The introduction of Coherence is a fundamental shift in the way computer users work with virtualization and multiple operating systems. It changes the question from “which operating system do I need to work in?” to “Which application is best for the task at hand?” By enabling Windows applications to run on a Mac desktop without any traces of the Windows operating system in view, users can get more done in less time, and truly experience the best of the Windows and Mac worlds.

Coherence in Action

     

Screenshots - click to enlarge.

Video from YouTube.com

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Transporter

Transporter is a powerful tool that quickly helps you:

• Migrate your existing Windows PC to a Parallels Virtual Machine
• NEW! Convert VMware and Virtual PC virtual hard disks to Parallels virtual machines

IMPORTANT! Parallels Desktop for Mac Update Beta1 (Build 3036) users MUST upgrade their Transporter package on their Windows source machine before using Transporter in Build 3186. Failing to do so may result in a system crash and loss of data.

Click here to download Transporter package... http://download.parallels.com/GA/Parallels-Tsp-2.0.1080-Win.exe

How to use Transporter

Migrate remote Windows PC over network to Parallels VM on your Mac/PC

• Step 1: Install Transporter Agent on the Windows PC you would like to migrate to a Paralells virtual machine
• Step 2: Run Transporter on your Mac/PC
• Step 3: Follow the simple wizard to complete the migration process

Migrate Windows PC locally or to any removable media

• Step 1: Install both Transporter and Transporter Agent on the Windows PC you would like to migrate
• Step 2: Run Transporter on that Windows PC
• Step 3: Follow the simple wizard to complete the migration process
• Step 4: Deliver the resulting virtual machine to Mac/PC using any removable media

Convert VMware Workstation/Server or Microsoft Virtual PC virtual HDD to Parallels Virtual Machine

• Step 1: Run Transporter on your Mac or PC
• Step 2: Follow the simple Transporter Wizard to convert your VMware or Virtual HDD to a Parallels-ready HDD format

The Mac version of Transporters is bundled into Parallels Desktop for Mac Update.

IMPORTANT! Parallels Desktop for Mac Update Beta1 (Build 3036) users MUST upgrade their Transporter package on their Windows source machine before using Transporter in Build 3186. Failing to do so may result in a system crash and loss of data.

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