Following the trend first delivered by VMware’s Fusion beta product, Parallels has announced v3 of its virtualization software for the Mac. This time around, the big gun unloads: Parallels now includes 3D support under Windows, which means the final holdout under Windows has crossed over to the virtualized world: gaming.
Parallels v3 looks simply amazing, and I mean it when I say there’s really no reason on Earth to purchase a Windows-only machine anymore — especially if you have any curiosity whatsoever about the Mac or iLife. Under Parallels, you’ll get its Coherence 2.0 mode, which allows Windows apps to live side-by-side with OSX apps in separate windows. You get cross-OS file and application support. Support for Vista’s Aero Glass is coming soon. And finally, you get 3D support, which means you can have a native hardware experience for gaming, just as if you were booting into Windows itself via Boot Camp.
PARALLELS DESKTOP 3.0 FOR MAC DELIVERS:
Completely Seamless User Experience
- Cross OS application & file integration with Parallels SmartSelect
- Offline access to virtual machine files with Paralles Explorer
- Coherence 2.0, including shared folders and UI enhancements
- Linux Tools for seamless integration betwen Mac OS X and Linux
Native Hardware Experience
- 3D graphics support to play the hottest games and run the most popular applications
- Expanded support for USB 2.0 devices
- USB connection assistant quickly connects you to your OS of choice
- Shared printers for cross OS printing
- Significantly enhancements performance and audio quality
Protection against Mishaps
- Hit a problem? Quickly and easily go back in time to a clean VM state
- Bulletproof your VMs with SnapShots
- Control the levels of integration and isolation with Security Manager
- Make your virtual machine read-only
- Get virus and spyware protection with a FREE 6-month Kaspersky subscription trial
(Word to the wise: wait for real-world testing before you sell your Windows gaming rig in favor of this solution.)
If you’re a Windows person, the risk of getting into a Mac and enjoying OSX and the entire universe of Mac applications has decreased to almost nothing. If you want your Windows apps available, install Parallels and keep it handy. If you need Windows, you’ll have it, no reboot required. Gaming included.
My bet? You’ll install Parallels just to have the Windows safety net available on your new Mac, and after some time of honest and diligent work under OSX, you’ll find you won’t need Windows ever again — except maybe for the occasional game.
27 responses so far ↓
Sebhelyesfarku // June 1, 2007 at 1:21 pm
” there’s really no reason on Earth to purchase a Windows-only machine anymore ” except if someone is not a dumbass Maczealot and don’t give a beep about OS X.
Bill // June 1, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Is the speed with VISTA pretty good? I would love to test drive it on a spare drive in my Pro Tower and check if my apps for work are compatible with VISTA. This would make a lot of soon to be new Mac owners in my practice happy. They are sittng on thier wallets awaiting Leopard and VISTA compatibility[which probably will not occur for years, given our software support history with our vendor]. Worst case senario, we install XP using Boot camp.
Brian Purkiss // June 1, 2007 at 2:01 pm
“There’s really no reason on Earth to purchase a Windows-only machine anymore”
Has there ever been a reason other than ‘everyone has one’ and gaming?
But even then, all the major games come out for mac too - even if you have to wait a few months…
Jeff Ventura // June 1, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Brian: MS Office has been a real solid driver for Windows-only purchases, and it continues to be, really. There are plenty of MS Office-compatible options under OSX, but the truth is many people don’t want to re-learn any aspect of something they already know.
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Bill P. // June 1, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Jeff,
Are you wearing blinders or what? MS Office IS available as a Mac product. Did you think that the Microsoft Mac Business Unit was making toys or something? What isn’t available is the database module “Access”, which is no big deal as Filemaker Pro is a much better product anyways.
Jeff Ventura // June 1, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Bill P: MS Office is available if you want to use Rosetta in an Intel environment. I don’t. If I had to use MS Office proper, I’d much rather use Office 2007 (great suite) under Windows XP/Vista running under Parallels than the Office 2004 under emulation.
Bill // June 1, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I use MS Office 2004 on my Pro Tower and life is good. It runs well. I use Entourage as a replacement for Palm Desktop for my Treo. It works well. I ahev not been successful in getting Exchange to work, but it did not work with my PC as well, even using a setup utility created by my IT dept. It does not matter to me as I also have my Treo. OK, my second ]replacement] Treo since the first died in 4 months. The only thing about Office that is tricky from windows to Mac is Power pointusing avi vs quicktime. Not very interchangable when going cross platform.
Top Posts « WordPress.com // June 1, 2007 at 8:02 pm
[...] No reason on earth to buy a Windows machine anymore. Following the trend first delivered by VMware’s Fusion beta product, Parallels has announced v3 of its […] [...]
2.0 weblogs // June 1, 2007 at 9:03 pm
One reason is to be able to kick yourself and say, “Goll dang-it, i shoulda’ bought me an Apple computer!”
It’s not a good reason, but a reason nonetheless!
http://ThunkDifferent.com
fifthdecade // June 1, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I just bought my sixth Mac in 2 years of being a Mac user. This one’s for the office and if it works out we’ll order four more. And that’ll be good for Apple and for Microsoft.
I really don’t know why Bill Gates is so petrified of losing the Windows monopoly to the extent he restricts which software they graciously allow Apple to use… and hobble what they do sell for use on Macs.
James Fryer // June 1, 2007 at 10:03 pm
How about price? A Mac + Parallels + Vista adds $200. On top of that, Apple has a big whole in the middle of their line up (yes I have complained about this before). What if you need a powerful system stuffed with RAM, but don’t have $3K to get a Mac Pro? You’re out of luck, unless you want a Dell. $1200 will get you a quick Dell with oodles of RAM. I’m not saying Apples are over priced, you get what you pay for, but they don’t cater to the whole market.
Kevin // June 1, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Tablet PCs are reason enough to buy Windows computers.
Jeff Ventura // June 2, 2007 at 7:28 am
@James — If you use a Mac with Parallels + Vista, yes, the price will be higher. But if you have ANY INTEREST WHATSOEVER in another operating system entirely, along with its apps, plus great hardware design, Apple’s a fantastic route.
With my MBP + Parallels, I can run OSX and Vista at near-native speeds, now with 3D graphics. And Ubuntu if I so choose. All from a laptop whose primary OS is arguably the best one on the market.
If one has NO appreciation for those nuances and wants a cheap Dell or HP Windows laptop, then the Apple route is not for you. Clearly.
Jeff Ventura // June 2, 2007 at 7:30 am
@Kevin — true. Even though tablet adoption has been bad and much slower than hoped, buying a Mac if you need tablet functionality doesn’t make much sense.
So I suppose there is one reason on Earth.
Bill // June 2, 2007 at 8:36 am
James, right now, I have two dead Dell machines that died months after the warranty expired. [My eMachine died 3 months after the warranty expired. The motherboard died at15 months old] One is a high end Dell laptop and the LCD is now unreadable. The Tower can probably be fixed as I ‘think’ it just has a bad hard drive. My friends bring them to me to fix, but the guys with Macs keep going and going. These mid range and bargain PC’s end up not being a bargain as they just do not last as long as a Mac does.I have been fixing friends and family computers for years, and this is a common experience. I used my G4 Mac for more than 7 yrs before replacing it with a Pro Tower, but now I use it in my exercise room. It is 8 yrs old and runs like a champ. I did upgrade the CPU to get more speed 3 yrs ago, and spent $300. PC world showed in independent survey telling that Apple has the highest reliability and customer satisfaction. Dell did not fair so well.
Bill // June 2, 2007 at 9:26 am
I just oped the Dell Tower. It was ordered with two identical drives RAID 1 [mirrored]. I was wondering how it failed. It only has ONE drive inside! Dell rips off another customer. My brother ordered a dual core laptop months ago and received a single core. Dell still has not replaced it. They wanted to give him $100 credit [used only at Dell] and claim ed that his motherboard would need replaced for such an upgrade and that he would lose all of his data….
Dell and several other companies have the right to repair with refurbished parts. Read the fine print. Apple does not.
James Fryer // June 2, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Jeff, the cheapest Apple I can buy that will take four gigs of RAM is a $2500 Mac Pro. A well appointed Dell XPS (that will take 4 gigs) is less then a grand. The Mac Pro looks like a great machine that no doubt runs circles around a Dell, and I would love to have one. But, I do not have an infinite budget. Fact is, Apple does not have a machine for designers on a budget.
Why do I want 4 gigs? Because CS2 is a RAM hog and I want to throw as much RAM at it as I can. And I expect CS3 to be even worse.
Bill, as for reliability, that’s pretty much a non issue now. It was once true that there was a noticeable difference in ‘robustness’, but that’s simply not the case any more. Consumer Reports’s survey shows the % of Apple notebooks needing repair and Dell notebooks needing repair to be the same at 18%. Apple desktops faired better then Dell at 11% vs. 16%. But then Dell sells some really cheap desktops and Apple does not.
My own anecdotal evidence trends towards Dell as I have a seven year old Dell notebook that is still going strong, but my MacBook had to go home for three and half weeks last fall so Apple could convince it to stop randomly shutting down.
I’m not crazy about buying a Dell and I have a not so secret wish that Apple will add a more modest desktop to the lineup that would fit my needs.
The bottom line is that the less I spend on computers, the more I can spend on my family.
Neil Anderson // June 2, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Coherence mode in Parallels works so well it’s difficult to remember I’m running native Windows’ apps.
Bill // June 2, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Funny you should mention Dell XPS. I have many dead ones that have been replaced at work [I have 300+ employees] and several from my friends. The customer support is the worst that I have used. Check out other reports as well as Consumer. Both of my Mac G4 are 8 yrs old and going strong. I did however upgrade the CPU in each. Thanks, my experience is that the less expensive Dell would cost the same or more because of the need to replace. I too have a Dell laptop that is 7 yrs old and running fine, but I have met many more dead ones recently, arriving at a premature fate of late. Dell just doesn’t make them like they used to. We nnow use HP at work, but they have not been much better. The high end workstations, especially recently have had motherboards replaced and entire workstations. It is frustrating. These beauties costs about $60,000 due to proprietary software. They should last better than one year, and have much less than a 25% failure rate. I wish that my vendor would support Macs. I hope that you now understand how I feel, especially during a busy day when I am awaiting for a working work station.
Peace.
James Fryer // June 2, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Bill, I do know how you feel. Like I said, I do not cherish the thought of a Dell purchase, perhaps it is time for me to build my own.
AppleCare was good… until they had a hold of my MacBook, then they ignored me or lied to me. But still, the AppleCare people seem a lot more on the ball then other tech support I have used. That’s a compelling argument for Apple, especially in the consumer field.
And like I said, I would prefer to buy another Apple, they just don’t have the product I need.
Bill // June 3, 2007 at 8:31 am
James, your word reflect an understanding and compassionate person. More people should be like you. You may want to try cyberpowerPC.com for a custom rig. I bought from them a few years ago before building myself, and have had a few friends use them recently. They can build it with the parts that you like, and have good warranty and support. I think that their prices rival building yourself.
Jeff Ventura // June 3, 2007 at 9:40 am
@James: I agree with you about the hole in Apple’s lineup — there is no way to get a entry-level pro machine for a reasonable price. $2500 isn’t reasonable for most people.
That said, the iMac needs to be able to take 4 GB. That would solve the problem immediately.
Then, of course, people would gripe about the lack of a headless pro option, at which point this argument would start anew.
The bottom line is that Apple has never wanted to compete at the very low-end of the market (and that’s why I think you’ll see the Mac mini get axed and the AppleTV become its replacement) or with those who want to piece their machines out part-by-part on Newegg. Apple doesn’t want the rig builders or modders or hardcore gaming hardware nerds. It cedes that market, just as I would if I were Jobs.
beanie // June 5, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Desktop virtualization sucks compared to running on a true computer and probably limited to techies. Server virtualization is where virtualization is gaining in popularity. There you can install virtual Linux and Windows servers. I do not think you can install MacOSX as guest, although it can host.
Robert Newman // June 9, 2007 at 10:41 am
Just wanted to say that I agree with Kevin. The only reason that I own ANY Windows equipment is due to the need/desire to have a Tablet PC with handwriting recognition. I own a Fujitsu Stylistic LT/C-500 running Windows 2000 and recently purchased a new Gateway Convertible tablet/laptop computer simply for the tablet capability. I would get rid of both if Mac would come out with a tablet priced so that students/home users could afford to buy it. The Gateway cost me less than 1000.00 and although Vista is still not OS X it works well. I keep hoping for Apple to come out with something similar, would even pay a LITTLE more for an Apple/OS X product.
James Strang // August 4, 2008 at 12:24 am
Why is it that Mac users are so paranoid about using their machines. Oh! Look my machine is better than yours …… Get a grip. I have been running and building P.C’s for over 20 years and I wouldn’t use a Mac if you gave it to me for nothing.
I am at the moment running two P.C’s of my own accross a 32 machine network. One of the machines is an Intel based Duel Core CPU running at 2.2Ghtz x 2 with 4GB RAM and the other is an Duel Core AMD 6000+ CPU running at 3Ghtz x 2 with 4GB of RAM. Both machines out perform Mac’s and as of next week I will be installing another two machines onto the network running the Quad Core CPU’s from AMD. As to the reliability of the P.C. I have an old one which is 14 years old. Very slow compared to today’s machines but still working. So get a grip and if you want to but a rubbish PC buy a DELL but if you want something special build it yourself or get someone who knows how to put them together to do it for you. You say Mac’s are better?? Ok that’s your opinion. But just one thing…. Is there more Mac’s or PC’s out there?? Have a good one guys. Keep smiling!
James Strang // August 4, 2008 at 12:35 am
Forgot to mention. The Intel machine is using the XP-PRO OS and the AMD Machine is using the Vista Ultimate OS. As to Bill Gates and Microsoft… Well we all know where he got the idea for Windows from. APPLE way back the first windows was windows 3.1 and that was more or less just a DOS GUI operating system. Amstrad tried it at this time too but died soon afterwards. I’m not knocking the Mac. I just wish people would just get on with their lives and use whatever machine they want and stop knocking each other. Both types of machine have their good and bad points. Once again, take care and have a good one. Bye!