Parallels for Mac is best known as one of the easiest ways to run Windows apps on your Mac without needing to boot into a separate mode from macOS. Parallels Desktop 14 is the most powerful solution for running Windows and Windows applications on Mac with significantly less disk, memory, and CPU usage. New to Parallels Desktop for Mac?
I am writing this review and rating it only 3 stars, but I continue to love Parallels. I actually hope that others will buy Parallels 9 and then call, write, and chat with the support team to complain about the loss of Parallels Mobile and its replacement with a more expensive, but more functional version called Parallels Access. Hopefully, people reaching out and complaining will push them to re-visit their idea.So, here's my review of the actual software.
Parallels makes upgrading easy. I just popped in the Desktop 9 CD, then realized that they will let me download it. I prefer to download as the CD will never survive in my house. If I ever needed to re-install, then I will have to have it. So, I downloaded the software and hit install. It found my Parallels 8 and replaced it. All of my OS's are still there.
Now my Dropbox and Google drive docs are available on the Windows machine. This may seem like nothing, but I can access my Photo Stream, my iCloud Docs (which I don't use), and my Google Drive docs straight from my Windows machine without having to create shares and links or by installing and mirroring the same data on the Windows machine. This is very nice and makes it much easier for me to update a file and know it will be pushed to Google Drive or Dropbox.
The last time I upgraded my Mac, I had an issue because Parallels stopped working. Apparently, Parallels Desktop 7 worked for Lion (10.7), but not Mountain Lion (10.8). That was a frustration that I wanted to avoid. When Mavericks (10.9) comes out, I can upgrade my laptop without worrying that all of my Parallels Operating Systems will shut down. I use the windows side for some of the work that I do and that was frustrating to realize that I couldn't access Windows until I upgraded Parallels. In their defense, they notated this on their website and had sent emails that I must have missed. I was pleased that the issue was documented and easy to see if I searched.
Parallels has replaced Parallels Mobile with Parallels Access as of this version. First off, what are these things, you might ask. These are Apps that you run on your iPhone/iPad which allows you to takeover your remote machine. I can sit at the coffee shop and remember I needed to hit send on an email. I grab my phone, open the Parallels Mobile app, and it connects to my laptop at home, shows me the desktop, and lets me do what I need to do. You don't have to setup your router or anything. Just have Parallels running and you're good to go. * The downside, Parallels Mobile worked for iPhone and iPad. This meant that if I just had my phone, I was still good. Parallels Mobile was introduced around version 7 and now it's being phased out. It's being phased out in favor of Parallels Access, which does the same thing, but costs $79.99/yr and doesn't currently work on the iPhone. When you connect with Parallels Access, the computer you takeover gets all funky as Parallels us tweaking the desktop resolution so that it can show you one Mac/Windows application at a time. * The upside, Parallels Access is pretty sweet. You can takeover just one Mac/Windows Application at a time. You don't have to re-size the application to perfectly fit in the screen. They have taken the iPad finger strokes and made them work when you are taking over a remote computer. It's pretty amazing and has allowed me to get more done faster.
Parallels Access might be worth $20/yr to me, but not $79.99. It's worth even less to me because I don't have a choice. Parallels Mobile is End of Purchase. http://www.parallels.com/support/desktop-virtualization/mobile/ This means that you can't get it anymore and those of us that have been with them for years can't use it if we want to upgrade. If the next Mac upgrade to Mavericks works the same, then once I upgrade my Mac, I will have to upgrade Parallels and lose access to Parallels Mobile. (This is what I was talking about on the first paragraph. Please phone, chat, Skype, and email support. Please push for Parallels Mobile to come back or Parallels Access to be reasonably priced.)
I love Parallels and they have always come out with something new and some reason that it's worth it to me to upgrade. This is the first time I wouldn't want to give 5 stars. I still love them and want to stick with them. If you are choosing between Parallels and Fusion, I'd still say to go with Parallels. We just need them to get a little less cocky and be more open with us the consumers.
I would recommend this item to a friend!This review is from Parallels Desktop for Mac - Use Windows Applications alongside your Mac Apps!.
Parallels Server for Mac running Mac OS X Leopard Server in a VM on top of Mac OS X Leopard Server | |
| Developer(s) | Parallels, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | Mac OS X Server |
| Platform | Apple–Intel architecture |
| Available in | Multilingual[which?] |
| Type | Hypervisor |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | parallels.com/products/server/mac/ |
Parallels Server for Mac is a server-sidedesktop virtualization product built for the Mac OS X Server platform and is developed by Parallels, Inc., a developer of desktop virtualization and virtual private server software. This software allows users to run multiple distributions of Linux, Windows and FreeBSD server applications alongside Mac OS X Server on Intel-based Apple hardware.
Parallels Server for Mac was not in development for more than a year[1] before its alpha stage was demoed at MacWorld 2008 [2] and the product was officially released on June 17, 2008.[3] While in beta, Parallels Server for Mac did not allow running Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine; however, Apple eased up on its licensing restrictions before Parallels Server for Mac’s GA release to allow running Mac OS X Leopard Server in a virtual machine as long as that virtual machine is running on Apple hardware.[4]
Overview[edit]
Similar to Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Server for Mac is a hypervisor-based server virtualization software that allows users to run multiple guest operating systems, each in a virtual machine, alongside a primary or 'host' operating system. The product's hypervisor allows each virtual machine to function as a standalone server with its own virtualized hardware, memory and processor. However, unlike the desktop software, Parallels Server for Mac is a hardware-optimized enterprise product designed to handle server workloads such as databases and enterprise email and is aimed at the professional market rather than the consumer market.[5] Parallels Server for Mac allows users to run Intel-powered Apple hardware in a business environment without isolating the Mac servers from the organization’s Windows and Linux systems.
System requirements[edit]
- Intel-powered Mac server or desktop computer running Mac OS X Server Leopard
- Minimum 2 GB RAM
- 40.5 MB hard disk space for Parallels Server for Mac
- Minimum 150 GB for VM files and virtual hard disks
- Optical drive
- Ethernet or FireWire network adapter
Key features[edit]
Users can run 32- and 64-bit guest operating systems such as Mac OS X Server, Windows, Linux, and Apple UNIX runtime for Xserve and DTK in virtual machines on Apple Xserves and Mac Pros.Parallels Server for Mac comes with Parallels Tools, Parallels Transporter for P2V and V2V migration and Parallels Disk Image tool for modifying the size of virtual disks. Also included are the Parallels Management Console, which allows server administrators to manage the virtual machines both locally and remotely[3] and Parallels Explorer, which allows access to virtual machines without launching the guest operating system.
Additional features include:
- ARM guest OS support (only works with ios, other systems fail to start)
- Virtual support for 4-way Symmetric Multi-processing (4-way SMP)
- Up to 32 GB of physical RAM
- 64 MB memory support with up to 8 GB guest memory
- Supports virtual guest disk sizes up to 2 TB
- Supports Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT-x)) hardware acceleration
- Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in VMs
- SDK that enables third-party vendors to incorporate support for Parallels Server for Mac into their own products
- SNMP, Command line interface (CLI)
- VM Assistant to create new virtual machines
Limitations[edit]
Parallels Server for Mac can run only on Intel-based Apple hardware which must be running Mac OS X Leopard Server, not Mac OS X Tiger Server or on PC hardware. Also, at this time, users cannot run Mac OS X versions newer than 10.6 in a virtual environment due to Apple licensing restrictions. Also Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) and 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and 10.9 (Mavericks) cannot be virtualized with this software.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Parallels For Mac Download
- ^Parallels demos Mac server virtualization
- ^Macworld | Parallels Server for Mac demoed at WWDC
- ^ abParallels Server for Mac Announced || The Mac Observer
- ^Virtualization Report | David Marshall | InfoWorld | Parallels announces the first Mac server virtualization platform | June 18, 2008 08:14 AM | David MarshallArchived June 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Parallels Server for Mac available now - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)