Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac - An overview

Parallels Desktop 7 has always gained immense popularity due to its strong features in the market. Parallels Desktop 7 was officially announced on 1st of September 2011 and this was subsequently released on 6th of September 2011. The main attraction in the latest version to name a few is the integration with Mac OS X Lion, smart and intuitive user interface, sophisticated help and documentation, enhanced battery life, performance and 3D graphics and many more. It is famous for its performance, simplicity and no rebooting. It has gained popularity because it has been through intensive testing and is relied upon by consumers for running the windows application on mac.

Parallels Desktop 7 is the new release of Parallels virtualization program, which facilitates users to run Linux, Windows and even the latest OS X Lion directly with Mac OS X. The current version is much simpler in configuring virtual machines, supporting Lion’s full screen mode, integrated Launchpad and in-app store for purchasing other programs and Windows. It has the capability to utilize iSight web cams along with Window clients with enhanced virtual printing.

The incredible achievement is the integration of the windows application with OS X. Both Windows and Mac OS X application can run simultaneously without rebooting. Several activities like initiating windows application from Mac dock or the drag drop feature wherein the files are dragged and dropped between Mac applications and Windows and many more can be done with complete faith, speed and control. The system supports Lion as a guest OS. All Lion animations are supported by the system.

Parallels can be easily installed even if one uses Mac Book Pro, IMac or MacBook Air. One needs to just follow a quick process of downloading the software from the official website, enter his / her personalized key and then one can move on independently and smoothly. Subsequent to this, one can access any of the windows programs which he / she might need for that matter even Microsoft Office 2010, on his /her own Mac. This is indeed a wonderful feeling.

Parallels Desktop Features

The speed of Parallels Desktop 7 has gone up 60% than the Parallels Desktop 6 while resuming windows and the speed for 3D graphics has increased by 45%. That is a remarkable performance upgrade and is highly appreciated by users. The compatibility of Lion has increased in the new release. The accelerated OpenGL graphics in Linux is support by Parallels, it offers an unbelievable options of settings for configuring virtual machines and application itself. There is a complete new look given to the preferences and now is more like Mac so that he / she finds it easy to query. The search menu has enhanced features and is displayed in a window which is floating similar to help files found in other OX programs. The entire help content is presented in a very well structured and useful way. Customers would love to experience multiple sessions of Lion and Windows running simultaneously on their Mac. Parallels Desktop 7 allows customers to install Windows if they do not have a windows license. There is “Windows on Demand” which is included as a service by Parallels which allows customers to buy and automatically install Windows 7 on the Mac in the virtual machine.

Parallels Desktop 7 is stable, fast and has an extremely customizable way to install windows on a Mac. It has an upgraded feature which facilitates connection to virtual machines remotely from iOS devices using the Parallels Mobile Application. It supports various Guest operating systems which include various versions of Microsoft windows, which includes windows 7 and MS-DOS, Mac OS X Lion, Snow Leopard Server, Mac OS X Leopard Server, various Linux distributions, FreeBSD, eComStation, OS/2 and Solaris.

Parallels Desktop 7 supports Mac OS X parental controls, Intel AES-NI encryption which ensures tight security and guarantees data protection. The performance is enhanced to a greater extent in the current version and supports premium quality 3D graphics. The system supports up-to 1 GB video memory in virtual machine. The audio support is enhanced up-to 192kHz.

Parallels Desktop 7 handles migration of an existing system in three different ways; it either allows migration across network, it could be via USB (transfer cable) that is offered with Parallels which is “Switching over to Mac Edition” or a utility provided by Parallels that utilizes one’s own USB drive for data storage from an existing application and then allows import it into a Mac. The overall speed of the application is excellent and supports exceptional virtual gaming performance in windows. It is therefore, prominently known to be highly customizable.

Parallels Desktop 7 installs application quickly and requires no manual intervention, it checks for any automatic updates of versions while installing. One can decide where he / she would want to install the application; it need not necessarily reside in the application folder. One must activate Parallels Desktop by entering the key during the initial setup. One license per computer is required presently by Parallels Desktop 7, if one utilizes a laptop and a desktop Mac, for example, then two copies are required of the program.

Once the activation is done the new Parallel’s window is displayed. The main objective is to assist installation of windows from different sources. Even Mac OS X Lion can be installed from the wizard, and existing virtual machine can be imported. If required one can visit Parallels convenience store and buy different operating systems and applications which run on them. Parallels Desktop 7 makes it simple to install Fedora, Chrome and Ubuntu operating systems. Ready to use versions of them can be downloaded from Parallels and without any human intervention they can then automatically install themselves. This is too good to be true.

Even though its interface is dedicated on running windows on Mac, it is still compatible with other operating systems. The Linux guests can also be utilized in Parallels Coherence mode. The system assists in managing already installed virtual machines by presenting them in a list displaying each one’s status and if active a live screen-shot. One can perform configuration, initialization and removing of virtual machines through a control-click .