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If you love running macOS, but find yourself needing to virtualize other operating systems (Windows, Linux, or even multiple copies of macOS), you’ll want to take note of this article. Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac was released a few hours ago. Since version 1 in 2006, Parallels Desktop has been a staple on many Mac users’ computers. Year after year, it’s been back with upgrades to enhance the experience for those that need to live in a dual OS world. So what’s new in version 14? Well, a lot actually…

With Parallels Desktop, you can switch between Mac and Windows without ever needing to reboot your computer. If you have already installed Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp, you can set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp Partition or import Windows and your data from Boot Camp into. With Parallels Desktop, you can switch between Mac and Windows without ever needing to reboot your computer. If you have already installed Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp, you can set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp Partition or import Windows and your data from Boot Camp into. Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows 30+ tools in a lightweight, powerful, all-in-one application for Mac ® and PC. Easy to use and economical—a whole suite of tools for a fraction of the cost of individual apps, packaged in one simple interface. Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac boosts performance, with hundreds of new features and even more tools for everyday tasks on both Mac and Windows. Clean your drive, secure private files, download videos, make GIFs, and more.

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First and foremost, it is now compatible with macOS Mojave and the latest version of Windows 10. Mojave can be run as a host and a guest OS (host OS compatibility will be final when Mojave ships). In recent years, Parallels has continued to make using Windows easier on a Mac by adding support for Microsoft Ink on the Mac and being able to use the Touch Bar on Windows applications. Dark Mode, Quick Look, and Camera continuity with iOS will also be supported when Mojave is released.

In version 14, Parallels Desktop is focusing on a few key areas: optimizing storage of your guest virtual machines, support for more Windows applications, pro features for IT departments, and simplifying everyday tasks that users do between Windows and Mac.

One of the features I am most excited to try is optimizing storage of the virtual machines. If you have 256 GB of storage or lower on your computer, running a couple of virtual machines can tax your free space very quickly. According to internal testing, a Windows 10 VM that was using 45.13 GB in Parallels Desktop 13 shrunk down to 17.77 GB in version 14. While your mileage may vary depending on how many different OS’ you have installed, you should expect to save something on storage. Snapshots will also use 15% less space than previously.

Next, version 14 will also now support 4K cameras in virtual machines. This feature will be great if you have to use Windows to host WebEx demos or meet with clients via Windows-only applications. I also mentioned Microsoft Ink. While it is supported it in version 13, version 14 is enhancing it even further. Microsoft has announced that pressure sensitivity is coming in Office 2019, and version 14 will support that as well. It works in all Windows applications that use pressure data from a stylus. Pressure sensitivity will also work in Photoshop and Illustrator.

While Parallels Desktop 13 supported over 200,000 Windows applications, version 14 has continued to add more. Release 14 changes the way video memory is allocated and also improved Open GL support. As a result, some applications did not work correctly in version 13, but now do in version 14.

I mentioned improved Touch Bar support was added in version 13. Version 14 brings support for even more applications. SketchUp, AutoCAD, OneNote, Quickbooks, Visual Studio, Quicken, and Revit have all been added. If your favorite application isn’t supported, you can add them using the Touch Bar Wizard or by customizing an XML document.

For IT departments who deploy Parallels, the overhauled design Licensing Portal is a great way to simplify management of your users who need to virtualize an OS. You can invite users via e-mail to set up an account. You can deploy the application using Jamf Pro, and you can replace existing virtual machines.

Finally, there are a host (no pun intended) of items that are new that I didn’t have time to include a full write up on. They are: better multi-monitor support, improved Windows 10 boot times, improved performance for suspending an OS, decreased memory usage, and enhanced express installation of Windows.

Version 14 is a paid upgrade if you are a perpetual license holder. If you have version 12 or 13, you can upgrade for $49.99. It’s $99.99 for a new license, but you can also sign up for a subscription if you plan on upgrading every year. The subscription for the standard edition is $79.99 per year. If you need the pro or business edition, it is $99.99 per year.

You can buy Parallels 14 by visiting their website. A free trial is available.

System Requirements

• A Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, Intel Core M, or Xeon processor
• Minimum 4 GB of memory—8 GB is recommended
• 600 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop application installation
• Additional disk space for virtual machines (varies on OS and applications installed, e.g., at least 16 GB is required for Windows 10)
• SSD drive is recommended for better performance

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Introduction

Parallels Desktop 1.0 for Mac OS X
Developer: Parallels (product page)
System requirements: Any Mac with an Intel CPU, Mac OS X 10.4.6, 512MB of RAM, 30MB free drive space
Price: US$79.99 (US$49.99 through July 15)

Move over emulation, virtualization is in and it's hotter than two Jessica Albas wresting the devil himself in a pit of molten steel. It's no contest, virtualization has it all: multiple operating systems running on the same machine at nearly the full speed of the host's processor with each system seamlessly networking with the next. Add to that the fact that it's cheaper than getting a new machine and you have the guaranteed latest craze. Not even the Hula Hoop can stop this one.

Okay, virtualization isn't totally new–it's just new to Macs and Parallels Desktop is the first out the door with a 1.0 product for Mactels. For those that are just getting to the party, here's a bit of a breakdown on virtualization. The idea is that program acts as a virtual machine (VM) and its job is to bethe PC (one of the more boring drama classes), tricking the client OS into thinking it's inside a real x86 machine with a physical hard drive, keyboard, Ethernet card, etc., when in reality, it's merely grabbing unused CPU cycles and RAM inside another OS to do it's thing.

The benefits are pretty clear over a real PC: It's running on the Mac you know and love but you're not sacrificing access to the occasional Windows-only app that you might need. Maybe you have a copy of Office XP for Windows and don't want to shell out for the Mac version. Sure, you could load up Apple's Boot Camp, but using a program like Parallels–or its competitors VMWare, WINE and MS' Virtual PC–means you don't have to reboot just to use that accounting program at work.

It is a great prospect and now even Apple is recommending running Parallels on their Get A Mac site:

Buy Parallels For Mac

When that page went up, the price of Parallels not-so-coincidentally went up from $50 to $80, so let this be a lesson to us all: never say 'wow, that's so cheap' on a public forum again. Still, that's still cheaper than the $129 charges for the Virtual PC standalone package and if it works as advertised, it's hard to compare the two. Parallels promises to be a big upgrade from the pokey and painful Virtual PC emulation. So let's see if it's the cheap and fast hydra PC we've all been waiting for.

Minimum requirements

• Any Intel Mac (doesn't require a machine with VT-x support)
• A minimum of 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB recommended
• 30 MB of available HD space for Parallels plus enough room for the VM OS
• OS X 10.4.6

Test Hardware

Parallels

• MacBook Pro 2.0
• 2 GB RAM
• OS X 10.4.6 / 10.4.7 (both tested)

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