Parallels Desktop - A virtual machine for everyone
Parallels Desktop is one of the most reliable and best performing solutions to run another
operating system on your Mac in a virtual machine. I tested the new version of this program (released as Build 9.0.23350), which brings remarkable improvements and supports the latest MacOsX 10.9 version, commonly known as Mavericks. After the setup procedure (a very straightforward wizard), you can create a new virtual machine. The first step is to click File /New /Virtual Machine.
At this point you need to choose what operating system you want to install. There are several available options. You can use an install DVD, an ISO image or you can download some operating systems for free (Windows 8.1, Ubuntu, ChromeOS and Android, see Fig. 1). In my video tutorial, I'll show you how to install a new virtual machine step by step. Parallels Desktop offers a very smooth user experience and the virtualized operating system performs well, even when put to the test. To prove it to you, I'm going to show you how a videogame performs in a virtual machine created with Parallels.
The user has a wide choice of options to customize the way OS X and the virtualized operating system work together:
Compared with previous versions, Parallels 9 performs better. It's faster and some bugs have been corrected. Shutting down, rebooting and suspending time are now way faster and it freezes much less often. Parallels shares files with OS X when both operating systems (physical and virtual) are connected to the same cloud service, thereby avoiding duplications.
The new version detects any ISO image or CD containing an operating system present in your Mac and it automatically shows them to the user as possible choices when creating a new virtual machine.
Wrap up
Parallels can sometimes slow down your Mac. Its impact on the RAM usage can be reduced by changing the default settings. By going to Virtual Machine/Configure and clicking Optimization tab, you can change the default setting (Faster Virtual Machine) to Faster Mac. This way your Mac will perform a little faster, although I suggest to kill any open app you don't currently need while you're using Parallels. You can also customize the amount of RAM memory assigned to the virtual machine (Fig. 3).
Parallels Desktop has a well deserved reputation as a virtualization software and does very good at what it's supposed to do. It's a little too expensive for home users (for corporate users it's an optimal solution) and slows down your Mac remarkably.
So the final decision is up to the user. If you need a virtual machine only to use some Windows programs or to open some files and applications you couldn't use on a Mac, maybe you could consider free and open-source alternatives like VirtualBox that perform likewise. If you need to do something more graphic-intensive, like playing Windows videogames, using emulators, delving into C# development, etc., then go for Parallels.
In a corporate environment, Parallels Desktop is a very good solution and it can be a viable option to deal with the coming end of Windows XP in April 2014, which many companies are still using today. A virtual machine can, in fact, be a good temporary solution to handle the needed migration activity from XP to a newer operating system.
Stay tuned for coming posts and thanks for your time
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| Fig. 1 (Click to enlarge) |
At this point you need to choose what operating system you want to install. There are several available options. You can use an install DVD, an ISO image or you can download some operating systems for free (Windows 8.1, Ubuntu, ChromeOS and Android, see Fig. 1). In my video tutorial, I'll show you how to install a new virtual machine step by step. Parallels Desktop offers a very smooth user experience and the virtualized operating system performs well, even when put to the test. To prove it to you, I'm going to show you how a videogame performs in a virtual machine created with Parallels.
The user has a wide choice of options to customize the way OS X and the virtualized operating system work together:
- Coherence Mode: Choosing this option, Mac and the virtualized operating system are merged together, as if they were one system. This way Windows programs, for example, will appear on the Mac desktop next to Mac applications, and both Windows and Mac documents are stored in the same folder. It's not my favorite solution, but sometimes it can be useful, especially if you don't like or can't skip from one window to another one.
- Single Window: This way Mac and the guest system will appear in separate Windows; you can choose this option as a default, opting for "Like a PC" option when installing the new virtual machine (see video tutorial). That's what I personally prefer, but you can always switch to a different view from Parallels menu or with keyboard shortcuts.
- Modality Mode: It allows you to resize the virtual machine windows and place it side by side with your Mac's applications.
- Full Screen Mode: In this case, the virtual machine is displayed in full screen, as if it were the resident operating system on that computer. To exit full screen it's enough to move the mouse to the upper right corner for a bit till OS X menubar appears and then choose "Exit Full Screen" from Parallels Desktop's View menu.
Compared with previous versions, Parallels 9 performs better. It's faster and some bugs have been corrected. Shutting down, rebooting and suspending time are now way faster and it freezes much less often. Parallels shares files with OS X when both operating systems (physical and virtual) are connected to the same cloud service, thereby avoiding duplications.
The new version detects any ISO image or CD containing an operating system present in your Mac and it automatically shows them to the user as possible choices when creating a new virtual machine.
Wrap up
- Pros:
- Cons:
Parallels can sometimes slow down your Mac. Its impact on the RAM usage can be reduced by changing the default settings. By going to Virtual Machine/Configure and clicking Optimization tab, you can change the default setting (Faster Virtual Machine) to Faster Mac. This way your Mac will perform a little faster, although I suggest to kill any open app you don't currently need while you're using Parallels. You can also customize the amount of RAM memory assigned to the virtual machine (Fig. 3).
Parallels Desktop has a well deserved reputation as a virtualization software and does very good at what it's supposed to do. It's a little too expensive for home users (for corporate users it's an optimal solution) and slows down your Mac remarkably.
So the final decision is up to the user. If you need a virtual machine only to use some Windows programs or to open some files and applications you couldn't use on a Mac, maybe you could consider free and open-source alternatives like VirtualBox that perform likewise. If you need to do something more graphic-intensive, like playing Windows videogames, using emulators, delving into C# development, etc., then go for Parallels.
In a corporate environment, Parallels Desktop is a very good solution and it can be a viable option to deal with the coming end of Windows XP in April 2014, which many companies are still using today. A virtual machine can, in fact, be a good temporary solution to handle the needed migration activity from XP to a newer operating system.
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| Fig. 2 (Click to enlarge) |
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| Fig. 3 (Click to enlarge) |
Stay tuned for coming posts and thanks for your time
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