Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Review

Review: Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac November 13, 2017 / Steven Sande Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac was released a few months ago, and since then I've been using it to run Windows, Linux, Mac and even Android virtual machines on my 27-inch iMac. Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac review: Touch Bar control for virtualised Windows apps, and more The latest version of Parallels' Mac-based virtualisation software is now optimised for macOS High. Parallels Desktop 14 For Mac Review Parallels 14 is definitely faster to launch and more slimline than previous versions. The improved Touch Bar support for Windows apps also makes it more convenient to use major Windows apps on Mac.

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac Review

One of the best reasons the Mac switched over to Intel processors has been to provide “native” Windows compatibility without sacrificing system speed for interpreters and emulators. However, even with the compatibility switching to x86 architecture and hardware, Macs and OS X still leaves the user with stumbling blocks and incompatibilities that aren’t just annoying, they can be downright frustrating.

After reading this Parallels Desktop for Mac review, you’ll discover that there are ways virtually all of those issues can go away, making your Mac even more compatible with Windows and Windows even easier to use on your Mac.

Why Put Windows On My Mac?

Regardless of how much you love your Mac, OS X only has an 8% market share whereas Windows has just under a 90% market share. That means most software, most applications and most data is designed for Windows and generated by Windows.

Granted, there are things that the Mac does much better, even though Windows may have closed the gap over the last few years, but dedicated Mac users aren’t likely to switch. This means finding ways to make Windows and Windows applications work on current Macintosh hardware. That’s where a software package like Parallels Desktop for Mac comes into play.

Workarounds such as dual-boot systems and concurrent running operating systems have been around for years. However, today’s users want more flexibility and ease of use than that. They also want to be able to move data between Windows and OS X quickly and easily, not with a bunch of kludge solutions that work, but take multiple steps to achieve success. With Parallels Desktop for Mac, you get smooth usability between OS X and Windows as well as a lot more.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Review Features

Parallels Desktop for Mac gives you so much more than basic workarounds and kludge solutions for your Mac/Windows issues. Here’s a partial list of features you’ll find in Parallels Desktop for Mac:

  • Run Windows apps from the Dock
  • Use Mac gestures in Windows apps
  • Copy & Paste and Drag & Drop between Windows and Mac apps
  • Run any Windows app on a Mac including IE, Windows Media Player and hundreds more
  • Support for up to 64gb or RAM
  • Supports Win7, 8, 8.1, Linux and more
  • Ready for OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)
  • Support for 3 button mouse

Parallels Desktop for Mac Review Overview

Once the Windows Virtual Machine is set up, you’ll be able to run Windows apps directly from the Launchpad or Dock. Even Windows 8.1 start screen is supported through Launchpad.

Regardless of your main reason to use Windows, Parallels Desktop for Mac can be totally optimized for that use with a single click.

Quickly and easily change modes so you can run either OS X apps or Windows apps faster than ever.

If you’re migrating from a Windows PC to a Mac, Parallels Desktop for Mac gives you easy to use tools to make migration simple

Parallels Desktop for Mac Review Conclusion

If you love your Mac but need to run Windows applications, you need the most powerful, fastest and easiest tools to make your Windows use as pain free and productive as possible. With all of the capabilities of Parallels Desktop for Mac, you won’t believe how easy Windows is to use, especially on your Mac. If you’re looking for the best Windows solution for your Mac, you’re looking for Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Parallels for mac reviews

Parallels Desktop for Mac Review Pros and Cons

Pros -

  • Easy to use, supports Mac gestures in Windows apps and Windows app launches from the Dock or Launchpad
  • Supports latest Mac hardware and the latest software from both Apple and Windows

Cons -

Parallels Desktop 13 For Mac

  • Still requires the use of third party storage for “native” data exchanges through Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
  • Careful battery management is still necessary for MacBook Pro Air, etc..

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Categories: Mac Software, Parallels, Uncategorized

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac review: Run Windows as if it were a Mac app

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac review: Run Windows as if it were a Mac app

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac is the latest version of the Parallels Desktop software that allows Mac users to run Windows simultaneously. It’s not the same as Apple’s own Boot Camp software. You see, Boot Camp allows you to install and run Windows on your Mac, but it exists in a separate partition on your hard drive and you must reboot your Mac in order to run Windows. And when it is running Windows, it can be difficult to access files that exist on the macOS in your Mac.

Parallels Desktop 12 is different. Essentially, it is a virtualization software, and what it does is that it allows Mac users to run Windows within macOS. Think of it as running both macOS and Windows operating systems concurrently on the same device. You can switch instantaneously from one OS to the next, and even copy files and text from one OS to the other.

Parallels Desktop 10 For Mac

Parallels has always prided itself on its ease of use and interoperability, and the latest Parallels Desktop 12 is no different. You can use Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant to control macOS, and you can also use Siri to control Windows 10. Icons for Windows app will also show up on your Mac dock and Launchpad you can launch them directly from there. Likewise, you will find your Mac files in Windows’ File Explorer and you can work on them so long as you have compatible Windows apps. Windows apps can also be launched in fullscreen mode, just like your Mac apps; and Mac features like Mission Control and Notification Center will also fully support Windows apps.

While last year’s Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac was important because it supported the new Windows 10 operating system, this year’s Parallels Desktop 12 is more of a light upgrade. That said, Parallels promised numerous performance improvements.

Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Review

Some key performance improvements that Parallels claim are 90% faster snapshot creation (a snapshot is a saved state of the virtual machine), 60% faster suspension of virtual machines, 25% faster shared folders performance, 10% battery life improvement, and better performance in low memory situations.

Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac

I didn’t have a Mac running Parallels Desktop 11 to test these claims but Parallels Desktop 12 ran smoothly on my test machine, which is a 3-year old 13-inch MacBook Pro with very modest specifications - just a dual-core 2.6GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of flash storage.

Speaking of powerful Mac machines, you’ll definitely want one of them if you decide to do any amount of gaming. Although Mac now has many great apps, gaming is still almost exclusively limited to PC. Parallels Desktop 12 will support even more gaming features and one of them is the Xbox app on Windows 10, which allows users to stream games from their Xbox onto their Windows machine. On paper, it sounds like a cool feature because all of the heavy game processing duties will be handled on the Xbox, and all you need is a good connection to stream the game. Unfortunately, I don’t have an Xbox to test out this feature, but Parallels claims it is good enough to play even the latest games like Overwatch. Even so, I won’t recommend any Mac users to run out there and get Parallels for the sole purpose of playing games, a PC or a gaming console like the Xbox or PlayStation is still going to do a much better job.

Alongside Parallels Desktop 12, Parallels also has a new utility called Parallels Toolbox. It is available as a standalone app, but it comes free with Parallels Desktop 12 and it has some handy features. For example, it allows you to download videos from video-sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo straight to your system. It’s also a screen recorder, allowing you to record a video of your desktop, active window or a designated area. It can even help you transcode videos so that you can upload them onto your iPhone and iPad.

Parallels desktop 10 for mac

Overall, the Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac does a good job of improving the Windows on Mac usage experience. But the biggest problem it faces is that not many people will require such a niche application. Macs have a good variety of apps to choose from, and web-based apps are more prevalent than ever, which means there are fewer reasons for Mac users to want to hold onto their Windows app.

Llave Activacion Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac

Besides Windows, Parallels Desktop 12 can also support other operating systems such as Chromium OS, Android, Linux, and even older versions of OS X. The bundled Parallels Toolbox utility is also handy. Overall, if you find yourself requiring to run specialized Windows apps, then the new Parallels Desktop 12 is a lifesaver.

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