• How To Stream On Youtube For Gaming On Mac
• Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017 Shortcut
• Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017
• Screen Recorder For Gaming On Mac
• Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017 Holiday

I have a fully upgraded 13' MacBook Pro w/ the Intel 550 graphics. Prior to this I was running parallels on my mid 2015 15' model and the performance was fine. – Parallels Desktop could work Linux, Windows along with Operating system X Server as a digital device on your Mac. – This can assist approximately 8 CPUs. – This will be able to support 32 bit or even sixty-four-bit visitor Operating systems.

Parallels Desktop for Mac, by Parallels, is software providing hardware virtualization for Macintosh computers with Intel processors.

• 1Overview
• 2Version 2.5
• 3Version 3.0
• 4Version 4.0
• 5Version 5
  • 5.1Feature update
• 15Supported operating systems

Overview[edit]

Parallels, Inc. is a developer of desktop and server virtualization software.

Historical[edit]

Released on June 15, 2006, it was the first software product to bring mainstream virtualization to Macintosh computers utilizing the Apple–Intel architecture (earlier software products ran PC software in an emulated environment).

Its name initially was 'Parallels Workstation for Mac OS X', which was consistent with the company's corresponding Linux and Windows products. This name was not well received within the Mac community, where some felt that the name, particularly the term “workstation,” evoked the aesthetics of a Windows product. Parallels agreed: “Since we've got a great Mac product, we should make it look and sound like a Mac product...”, it was therefore renamed ‘Parallels Desktop for Mac’.^[1]

On January 10, 2007, Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac was awarded “Best in Show” at MacWorld 2007.^[2]

Technical[edit]

Parallels Desktop for Mac is a hardware emulation virtualization software, using hypervisor technology that works by mapping the host computer's hardware resources directly to the virtual machine's resources. Each virtual machine thus operates identically to a standalone computer, with virtually all the resources of a physical computer.^[3] Because all guest virtual machines use the same hardware drivers irrespective of the actual hardware on the host computer, virtual machine instances are highly portable between computers. For example, a running virtual machine can be stopped, copied to another physical computer, and restarted.

Parallels Desktop for Mac is able to virtualize a full set of standard PC hardware, including^[4]

• A virtualized CPU of the same type as the host's physical processor,
• ACPI compliance system,
• A generic motherboard compatible with the Intel i965 chipset,
• Up to 64 GB of RAM for guest virtual machines,
• Up to 2 GB of video RAM (VRAM),
• VGA and SVGAvideo adapter with VESA 3.0 support and OpenGL and DirectX 10.1 acceleration,
• A 1.44 MB floppy drive, which can be mapped to a physical drive or to an image file,
• Up to four IDE devices. This includes virtual hard drives ranging in size from 20 MB to 2 TB each and CD/DVD-ROM drives. Virtual CD/DVD-ROM drives can be mapped to either physical drives or ISO image files.
• DVD/CD-ROM “pass-through” access,
• Up to four serial ports that can be mapped to a pipe or to an output file,
• Up to three bi-directional parallel ports, each of which can be mapped to a real port, to a real printer, or to an output file,
• An Ethernet virtual network card compatible with Realtek RTL8029(AS), capable of up to 16 network interface connections,
• Up to eight USB 2.0 devices and two USB 1.1 devices,
• An AC'97-compatible sound card.
• A 104-key Windows enhanced keyboard and a PS/2 wheel mouse.

Version 2.5[edit]

The first official release of version 2.5 was on February 27, 2007, as build 3186.

Version 2.5 brought support for USB 2.0 devices, which expanded the number of USB devices supported at native speed, including support for built-in iSight USB webcams. The amount of video RAM allocated to the guest OS was made adjustable, up to 32MB. Full featured CD/DVD drives arrived in this version, which allowed the user to burn disks directly in the virtual environment, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD as one would in Mac OS X. In addition, a shared clipboard and drag-drop support between Mac OS X and the guest OS was implemented. This version brought the ability for users with a Windows XP installation to upgrade to Windows Vista from within the VM environment.^[5] A new feature known as Coherence was added, which removed the Windows chrome, desktop, and the virtualization frames to create a more seamless desktop environment between Windows and Mac OS X applications. This version also allowed users to boot their existing Boot Camp Windows XP partitions, which eliminated the need to have multiple Windows installations on their Mac. A tool called Parallels Transporter was included to allow users to migrate their Windows PC, or existing VMware or Virtual PC VMs to Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Netsys lawsuit[edit]

In 2007, the German company Netsys GmbH sued Parallels' German distributor Avanquest for copyright violation, claiming that Parallels Desktop and Parallels Workstation are directly based on a line of products called “twoOStwo” that Parallels developed on paid commission for Netsys, of which it says, Netsys has been assigned all copyrights. Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that Parallels Desktop 2.5's compatibility with “twoOStwo” showed that the two software products are run by essentially the same functional core.^[6] When Netsys lost its initial urgency proceeding, it filed a new suit, in which it requested a temporary injunction from the Landgericht district court of Berlin.^[7]

Version 3.0[edit]

On June 7, 2007 build 4124 was released as the first publicly available version of Desktop 3.0.

Version 3.0 retained all of the functionality from previous versions and added new features and tools. Support for DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL^[8] was added, allowing Mac users to play some Windows games without the need to boot into Windows with Boot Camp.^[9] A new feature called SmartSelect offers cross OS file and application integration by allowing the user to open Windows files with Mac OS X programs and vice versa. Parallels Explorer was introduced, which allows the user to browse their Windows system files in Mac OS X without actually launching Windows. A new snapshot feature was included, allowing one to restore their virtual machine environment to a previous state in case of issues. Further, Parallels added a security manager to limit the amount of interaction between the Windows and Mac OS X installations. This version included a long-awaited complete “Parallels tools'” driver suite for Linux guest operating systems. Therefore, integration between Mac OS X and Linux guest-OS's was greatly improved.^[10]

Despite the addition of numerous new features, tools and added functionality, the first iteration of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 was missing some of the features that Parallels had planned for it. A Parallels, Inc. representative stated at MacWorld in January 2007 that version 3.0 would bring accelerated graphics, “multi-core virtual machines/virtual SMP, some SCSI support, a more Mac-like feel, as well as a more sophisticated coherence mode, dubbed Coherence 2.0”.^[11] While accelerated graphics have materialised, Coherence, as well as the overall look and feel of Parallels Desktop for Mac has only changed slightly. Also, SCSI support has not been implemented.^[12]

It is currently unknown if these features have been abandoned altogether, or if they will show up in a later build of version 3.0.

Build 4560, released on July 17, 2007,^[13] added an imaging tool which allowed users to add capacity to their virtual disks.

Feature update[edit]

Build 5160, released on September 11, 2007,^[14] added some new features and updated some current features.

The release focused on updates to Coherence, with support for Exposé, window shadows, transparent windows, and the ability to overlap several Windows and Mac windows. Further, Parallels' Image Tool was updated to allow one to change their virtual hard disk format between plain and expanding.Parallels Explorer was updated to allow for one to automatically mount an offline VM hard drive to the Mac desktop. Some new features added are iPhone support in Windows, allowing iTunes in Windows to sync with it.^[15] Users can now mirror desktops or other folders. Further, Mac drives can now be mapped by Windows and sound devices can now be changed ‘on the fly’. Up to 2 GB of RAM can be allocated to a virtual machine, with a total of 4 GB of RAM available.^[16]

Parallels Desktop for Mac Build 5608 added support for guest Parallels Tools for Linux in the latest Linux distributions (including Ubuntu 8). It also added support for running 3D graphics in Windows virtual machines on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.3.

Use of code from the Wine project[edit]

According to Parallels' Licensing page, Desktop for Mac version 3.0 contains Direct3D code that was originally developed by the Wineopen-source project.^[17] Wine software is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, which required Parallels to release the source code. Parallels released the modified source code on July 2, 2007, about 2 weeks after the promised release date.^[18] A Parallels spokesman explained the reasons for the delay in a message on the official company blog.^[19]

Version 4.0[edit]

Version 4.0, released November 11, 2008,^[20] updates its GUI, adds some new features, enhances its performance by up to 50%^[21] and consumes 15–30% less power than previous versions.^[22] Version 4.0 is the first version that supports both 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems. Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac's 3D support includes DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0^[23] as well as 256 MB video memory. It also adds support for 8 GB RAM in a virtual machine and 8-way SMP. Parallels Desktop 4.0 introduces an adaptive hypervisor, which allows users to focus the host computer's resources towards either host or the guest operating system.^[24]

Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac adds some new features such as:

• A fourth viewing mode called Modality,^[20] which allows users to scale the size of an active guest operating system on the Mac's desktop
• A new screenshot utility called Clips, which lets users take and share screenshots between the host and the guest operating systems.
• Start Menu integration and Automatic Windows Notifications on the Apple Menu Bar.
• The ability to use select voice commands^[25] to remotely control the virtual machine.
• The ability to start and stop a virtual machine via the iPhone. (Requires installing an iPhone application from Apple's AppStore.)

Starting with the Version 4.0 release, Parallels Desktop for Mac has a new logo, which resembles an aluminum iMac, with what appears to be Windows XP on the screen and 2 parallel red lines overlaid on the right side.

Feature update[edit]

Build 3810, released January 9, 2009,^[26] includes performance enhancements and features, such as DirectX 9.0 Shaders Model 2 and Vertex Shader support for additional 3D support Intel Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE4) for better media applications performance. Build 3810 also adds support for running Windows 7 in a VM and for running Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server as either a host or as a guest OS.^[27]

Also included are usability features such as the ability to share Windows files by dragging them directly to a Mac application in the Mac Dock. Windows can now also automatically start in the background when a user opens a Windows application on the Mac desktop. Version 4.0 drew criticism for problems upgrading from Version 3.0 shortly after its initial release.^[28] Build 3810 also addresses installation and upgrade issues previously experienced with Version 4.0 and introduces the option to enroll in the company's new Customer Experience Program, which lets customers provide information about their preferences and user priorities.

Version 5[edit]

Officially released on November 4, 2009, Parallels Desktop 5 adds several new features, mainly to improve integration with the host OS.

New features include:

• 3D graphics and speed improvements
• Optimized for Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
• Support for Windows 7
• Theming of Windows applications to make them look like native applications
• Support for Multi-Touch gestures (from a trackpad or Magic Mouse) and the Apple Remote
• The ability to drag and drop formatted text and images between Windows, Linux, and Mac applications,
• The ability for a system administrator to lock down a virtual machine so that users can't change the state of the virtual machine,
• Support for OpenGL 2.1 for Linux guest virtual machines.
• Support for DirectX 9c with Shader Model 3.

Feature update[edit]

Build 9308, released on December 21, 2009, added some new features.^[29]

Linux guest operating systems[edit]

• Parallels Tools support Xorg 1.7 in Fedora 12 virtual machines (experimental)
• Parallels Tools support Mandriva 2010 (experimental)
• OpenSUSE 11.1 installation media auto detection

Virtualization[edit]

• Improved performance for USB mass storage.

Windows guest operating systems[edit]

• Improved resume from suspend in virtual machines with multiple monitors assigned.
• Improved performance for file access via Shared Folders.

3D and video[edit]

• Improved performance for video playback in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
• Windows Aero is not available by default for machines with Intel GMA X3100 and GMA 950 graphic adapters (some MacBook and Mac Mini models). It is available on MacBooks with NVIDIA 9400M graphics cards.^[30]
• Vertical synchronization is now configurable. You can configure these settings using the corresponding option in the virtual machine video configuration page.
• Improved 3D performance for the video game Mirror's Edge.

macOS Server guest operating system[edit]

• The ability to pass kernel options to the macOS Server guest OS has been added. To do so, enable the 'Select boot device on startup' option in the virtual machine configuration, which will enable you to specify the necessary kernel options in the 5-second timeout before booting the kernel.

Version 6[edit]

Officially announced on September 9, 2010 and launched on September 14, 2010, Parallel 6 has full 64-bit support for the first time. Parallels claims that Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac '[has] over 80 new and improved features, including speed 40% above the previous version.' Specific new features include:

• An all-new 64-bit engine
• 5.1 Surround Sound support
• Better import implementation of VMware, Virtual PC virtual machines and Boot Camp partitions
• Improved network, hard drive and Transporter performance
• Windows program Spotlight integration
• Faster Windows launch time
• Enhanced 3D graphics that are 40% better than previous versions
• Ability to extend Mac OS X Parental Controls to Windows applications
• Ability to use Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts in Windows applications
• Enhanced Spaces and Exposé support

Version 7[edit]

Officially announced on September 1, 2011 and released on September 6, 2011, Parallels Desktop 7 adds many new features. These include:

• Integration with OS X 10.7.4 'Lion':
  • Full-screen support
  • Use of Launchpad for Windows apps
  • Mission Control support
  • Lion as a guest OS
  • Lion animations support
• Improved user interface
• New standard help and documentation
• Shared devices with Mac OS X
• Longer battery life
• Mac OS X parental controls support
• Support for Intel AES-NI encryption
• Enhanced performance and 3D graphics
• Support for up to 1GB video memory in virtual machine
• Enhanced audio support - up to 192 kHz
• Surround sound 7.1
• Added support for Windows 7

Version 8[edit]

Officially announced August 22, 2012 and released September 4, 2012, Parallels Desktop 8 adds many new features:

• OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' as a guest OS
• Retina resolution can be passed to virtual machines
• Windows 7 and Windows 8 automatically optimised for best experience on Retina
• Parallels Desktop notifications
• Notification Center support for Windows 8 toast notifications
• Mountain Lion Dictation in Windows apps
• Full screen on demand for Windows applications in Coherence
• Presentation Wizard
• Open in Internet Explorer button for Safari
• Drag & drop file to Outlook in the Dock opens new email with attachment
• Multi-language Keyboard Sync in Mac and Windows
• Full support for new Modern UI Windows 8 applications (Dock, Mission Control, Launchpad)
• Reworked Keyboard shortcuts preferences
• Use the standard OS X system preferences to set Parallels Desktop application shortcuts.
• Resources (CPU/RAM) monitoring
• Indication for VM hard drive space usage
• Shared Bluetooth
• Improved Virtual Machine boot time/Windows boots time are up to 25% faster than previous version
• Pause & resume Windows up to 25% faster than previous version
• Input/output (I/O) operations are up to 35% faster than previous version
• Games run up to 30% faster than previous version
• DirectX 10 support
• Full USB 3.0 support for faster connections to peripheral devices for Virtual Machines starting from Parallels Desktop 8.0.18305 <http://kb.parallels.com/en/115008>

Version 9[edit]

Officially announced on August 29, 2013 and released on September 5, 2013, Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac includes these new features and enhancements:

• Brings back the 'real' Start menu for Windows 8 and enables Modern apps in separate windows instead of full screen
• Power Nap support, so applications stay up-to-date on Retina Display Mac and MacBook Air computers
• Thunderbolt and Firewire storage devices are designated to connect to Windows virtual machine
• Sticky Multi-monitor setup remembers settings and puts Windows virtual machines back into Full Screen mode on the remote monitor
• Sync iCloud, SkyDrive, Dropbox and more without unnecessary duplication of files
• Windows apps can launch the OS X Mountain Lion Dictionary with Dictionary gesture
• Enhanced integration with MacOS for Linux users
• Enhanced New Virtual Machine Wizard makes it easier to set up a new virtual machine, especially on computers without hard drives
• PDF printer for Windows to print from any Windows application to a PDF on the Mac desktop, even if the application doesn't have that functionality
• Compatibility with OS X 10.9 'Mavericks'
• Easily install and access complimentary security software subscriptions from one location
• Up to 40% better disk performance than previous versions
• Virtual machines shut down up to 25% faster and suspend up to 20% faster than with Parallels Desktop 8
• 3D graphics and web browsing are 15% faster than in Parallels Desktop 8

Enterprise version:

• Set an expiration date for the virtual machine.
• Run virtual machines in headless mode.
• Start virtual machines on Mac boot.

Version 10[edit]

Released August 20, 2014, Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac includes support for OS X 10.10 'Yosemite'.^[31]

Less than a year after release of its release, Parallels spokesperson John Uppendahl confirmed version 10 will not be fully compatible with Windows 10. The coherence mode, which integrates the Windows user interface with OS X, will not be updated and users will need to purchase and upgrade to version 11 to continue using this feature.^[32]

Version 11[edit]

Released August 19, 2015, Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac includes support for Windows 10 and is ready for OS X 10.11 'El Capitan'.^[33]

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac is available as a one-time purchase of $79.99 for the Desktop edition, and as an annual subscription of $99.99 for Pro edition.^[34] Version 11 has multiple issues with macOS 10.13, High Sierra. The website currently offers a full price upgrade to Version 13 as a correction, effectively making this version obsolete with the macOS upgrades.^[35]

Version 12[edit]

Released August 18, 2016.^[36]

Version 13[edit]

Released August 22, 2017,^[37] Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac provides macOS High Sierra readiness and support for upcoming Windows 10 features. According to Parallels, the new version makes it simple for MacBook Pro users to add Windows applications to the Touch Bar, and to use the Touch Bar within Windows applications. It is also the first solution to bring the upcoming Windows 10 People Bar feature to the Mac, including integration with the Mac Dock and Spotlight. The new version also features up to 100 percent performance improvements for completing certain tasks. The update also brings in a slightly refreshed UI to better match macOS and visual improvements for Windows users on Retina displays.^[38]

Version 14[edit]

Released August 21, 2018, Parallels Desktop 14 supports macOS 10.14 'Mojave'.^[39]

Supported operating systems[edit]

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business, Home and Pro Editions requires these versions of MacOS:^[40]

Parallels Desktop 11 and 12 only partially support macOS 'High Sierra':

^A Coherence Mode windows may appear under MacOS windows, and some graphics artifacts may occur.

^B Neither Parallels Desktop 11 nor 12 fully support APFS disks, including virtual disks and Boot Camp partitions. Therefore, a 'High Sierra' guest machine must be installed 'manually' by passing the '--converttoapfs NO' command line switch, and cannot use the automated Parallels virtual machine creation process.

Guest[edit]

In Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, support for guest operating systems includes a variety of 32-bit and 64-bit x86 operating systems, including:^[40]

• Multiple versions of Windows, including Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 (Windows 8.1 must generally be installed from a DVD, since Microsoft offered only the '.exe' version of Windows 8.1 in downloadable form, and did not offer the '.iso' version as a download (Microsoft has released an ISO version of Windows 8.1 a few months earlier)).
• Mac OS X Leopard Server, Snow Leopard Server, and Mac OS X Lion (only with Mac OS X Lion as host OS)
• Various Linux distributions
• eComStation, OS/2, Solaris

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Rudolph, Ben (2006-05-18). 'Parallels Workstation for Mac OS X is now Parallels Desktop for Mac—and the release candidate is ready for download!'. The Official Parallels Virtualization Blog. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
2. ^Rudolph, Ben (2006-05-18). 'Parallels Desktop for Mac Update RC Wins MacWorld Expo 2007 'Best in Show''. Parallels, Inc. Archived from the original on 2007-01-16. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
3. ^'Parallels Desktop for Mac Datasheet'(PDF). Parallels, Inc. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
4. ^'System Requirements'. Parallels, Inc. Archived from the original on 2006-12-21. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
5. ^'Desktop Release Features'. Parallels Web. Archived from the original on 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
6. ^'Virtualization's Dirty Laundry Aired in German Court Room'. Virtual Strategy. 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
7. ^'Netsys sues Parallels German distributor'. MacNN.
8. ^'Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 3D Graphics'. SWSoft Parallels. 2007-06-07. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09.Cite uses deprecated parameter |deadurl= (help)
9. ^Wang, Anthony (2006-12-11). 'Inside Mac Games Interviews Parallels'. Inside Mac Games. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
10. ^'Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 overview'. SWSoft Parallels. 2007-05-31.
11. ^Chang, Jacqui (2007-01-11). 'Ars at Macworld: Interview with Parallels'. Ars Technica.
12. ^'Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 overview'. SWSoft Parallels. 2007-06-07. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09.Cite uses deprecated parameter |deadurl= (help)
13. ^Rudolph, Ben (2007-07-17). 'Desktop for Mac 3.0 – Build 4560'. Official Parallels Blog. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
14. ^Rudolph, Ben (2007-09-01). 'Parallels Desktop 3.0 Feature Update is LIVE!'. Official Parallels Blog. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
15. ^'Beta Announcement Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac Feature Update'. Parallels, Inc. 2007-08-02.
16. ^'Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 5160 features and improvements'. Parallels. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
17. ^Licensing information. Parallels, Inc. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
18. ^Dösinger, Stefan (2007-07-03). Parallels Desktop WatchArchived 2012-07-17 at Archive.today. The official Wine Wiki. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
19. ^Rudolph, Ben (2007-07-03). 'The Lowdown on Parallels & Wine'. Official Parallels Blog. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
20. ^ ^ab'Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0 Released'. O'Grady's PowerPage. 2008-11-11. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03.
21. ^Vilches, Jose (2008-11-11). 'Parallels launches Desktop for Mac 4.0'. TechSpot. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
22. ^'Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac Offers Premium Windows-on-Mac Experience with Virtualization Enhancements Plus Internet Security, Data Protection and Disk Management' (Press release). Parallels. 2008-11-11. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
23. ^'Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0 unveiled'. MacWorld.
24. ^Wagner, Mitch (2008-11-11). 'Parallels Boosts Mac Virtualization Performance'. InformationWeek. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
25. ^'ITT Systems - Information Technology News, Reviews and Product Comparisons'. jkontherun.com.
26. ^Marshall, David (2009-01-06). 'Parallels updates Desktop 4.0 for Mac'. Virtualization Report. InfoWorld. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
27. ^Barylick, Chris (2009-01-05). 'Parallels Desktop 4.0 Build 3810 Released'. The Mac Observer. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
28. ^Ecommerce Times^{[dead link]}
29. ^'A Holiday Basket of Goodies: Parallels Desktop 5 Build 9308 and New Features'. Parallels, Inc. 2009-12-21. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
30. ^'Aero does not work in Parallels 5'. Parallels.
31. ^'Parallels Announces Parallels Desktop® 10 for Mac'. Parallels. Archived from the original on 2014-08-23. Retrieved 2014-08-23.Cite uses deprecated parameter |dead-url= (help)
32. ^'Year-old Parallels and VMware software won't be updated for Windows 10'. Ars Technica.
33. ^'Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac'. Parallels. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
34. ^'Parallels'. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
35. ^'KB Parallels: Known issues with macOS 10.13 High Sierra and Parallels Desktop for Mac'. Parallels. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
36. ^'Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac Launches with 20 Smart and Simple Mac and Windows Tools, macOS Sierra Readiness, and Over 25 Percent Performance Improvements'. Parallels. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
37. ^'Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac Launches and is the First to Bring Windows Apps to the Mac Touch Bar and Windows People Bar to the Mac'. Parallels. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
38. ^'Parallels Desktop 13 brings improved performance & native Touch Bar support to Windows'. 9to5Mac. 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
39. ^'Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac Launches'. August 21, 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
40. ^ ^ab'KB Parallels: Parallels Desktop and Mac OS (Host) Compatibility'. Parallels. Retrieved 2018-03-20.

External links[edit]

• Official website

Parallels Desktop is virtualization software for macOS. It lets you run multiple operating systems like Windows 10, Linux, and macOS inside virtual installations on your Mac.

While it might not be as fast as a local installation, using a VM is the convenient way to run Windows and its software on a Mac. There’s no need for a dedicated Boot Camp partitionHow to Create a Bootable Windows 10 Installer USB on a MacHow to Create a Bootable Windows 10 Installer USB on a MacMicrosoft offers a simple tool to create a bootable USB on Windows, but there is no such tool for Mac users. Fortunately the process is pretty easy, if you know how.Read More and you don’t need to restart your Mac every time you want to switch.

Parallels Desktop can have your Windows 10 installation up and running in under 10 seconds.

Download:Parallels Desktop 13

Ideal for Beginners and Power Users

The best thing about Parallels is that its seamless user experience scales from beginner all the way to a professional level. When you first install it, Parallels doesn’t ask you to configure the VM environment at all. There’s no need to decide what resources to dedicate to the VM, or how much hard drive space to block off for the new Windows installation.

You just have to hit “Next” a couple of times. The installation assistant will even download and install Windows 10 for you (the feature also works with Linux distrosTop 5 Linux Operating Systems You Should Try in a Virtual MachineTop 5 Linux Operating Systems You Should Try in a Virtual MachineFive Linux operating system distributions are particularly suitable for running virtual machines, so let's take a look at them.Read More, like Ubuntu and Elementary OS10 Elementary OS AppCenter Apps That'll Make You More Productive10 Elementary OS AppCenter Apps That'll Make You More ProductiveHaving an app store of its own has really brought Elementary OS to life with a great choice of apps. I use these AppCenter tools to improve my productivity -- perhaps you will too.Read More).

If you’ve ever used a VM app on Mac, you know that this is not a trivial thing.

In under an hour, I went from downloading the Parallels app from their website to booting into a fresh Windows 10 installation. And all the while, I just hit “Next” a couple of times and I was able to continue my work in other apps.

Once the Windows 10 install is up and running, you’re free to go in and mess about. Click on Settings, go to Hardware, and you can change the amount of RAM and GPU Parallels Desktop can use.

Parallels Desktop Features You Should Know About

The app is filled with features that will make your VM experience pain-free.

Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop

Because Windows is virtualized on your Mac, you can just copy and paste content between macOS apps and Windows apps. You can even drag and drop files between the two. And your macOS DesktopHow to Clean Up Your Mac Desktop and Increase ProductivityHow to Clean Up Your Mac Desktop and Increase ProductivityA cluttered desktop can not only decrease productivity but can also cause cognitive stress. Here's how to clean up your Mac desktop for a better work environment.Read More will show up as the Windows Desktop as well.

Run Windows Apps Alongside Mac Apps

Parallels has a special Coherence mode. In which, the Windows environment disappears and the Windows app shows up as an independent app. This means you can put a Mac app next to a Windows app and work in both environments seamlessly.

If you only need to use a couple of Windows apps for work, put Parallels in this mode and you won’t have to interact with Windows OS at all.

Full Screen and Keyboard Shortcuts

Click on the Parallels menu bar icon, go to View and select Enter Full Screen. Windows 10 will take up a whole new Space in macOS and you’re now basically running a Windows OS inside a Mac.

From Preferences, you can change keyboard shortcuts for common Windows actions. You can change the preset to macOS or Linux shortcuts.

Pin Windows Apps in the Dock

Active Windows apps will show up in the DockMake Your Mac Dock Great Again With These 5 ShortcutsMake Your Mac Dock Great Again With These 5 ShortcutsWhy stick with the jumble of icons that came with your Mac's dock when you can swap them for a bunch of super useful shortcuts?Read More and the App Switcher. This makes it really easy to jump between apps across both OS.

External Hard Drives and Simple Backups

If all your friends and coworkers use Windows, sometimes it can be hard to exchange data. They’ll give you an external hard drive that’s formatted in NTFS. macOS just won’t let you copy files to it. And in some situations, you can’t format the drive to macOS friendly formats like FATWrite To Your NTFS Drives Again in OS X El Capitan (For Free)Write To Your NTFS Drives Again in OS X El Capitan (For Free)Some of the most common methods of adding NTFS support broke with the recent release of El Capitan, but you can still write to your Windows drives with a bit of tinkering.Read More.

In times like these, Parallels Desktop can help. Boot up Windows 10 and open the hard drive from Windows 10’s File ExplorerHow to Get the Most Out of the Windows 10 File ExplorerHow to Get the Most Out of the Windows 10 File ExplorerWindows File Explorer is one of the most underrated features of Windows 10. Here we demonstrate how to manage and control the Windows 10 File Explorer from the bottom up and reveal features you never...Read More.

Snapshots in Parallels are a virtual machine equivalent of Time MachineHow to Restore Data From Time Machine BackupsHow to Restore Data From Time Machine BackupsIt's really easy to set up Time Machine, the backup software that comes with every Mac — but how do you get your files back when things go wrong?Read More, but they happen on the device. You’ll see the option in the Parallels dropdown in the menu bar. When you click on it, Parallels will save your virtual machine in the state it was in. You can choose to revert back to a snapshot at a later point.

How To Stream On Youtube For Gaming On Mac

What’s New in Parallels Desktop 13?

macOS High SierraHow to Try macOS High Sierra Right Now Before Everyone ElseHow to Try macOS High Sierra Right Now Before Everyone ElsemacOS High Sierra is now available for beta testing. If you'd like to give it a try before the general release, here's how to get your hands on it now.Read More introduces a new file format: APFSNew macOS, New Filesystem: What Is APFS and How Does It Work?New macOS, New Filesystem: What Is APFS and How Does It Work?iOS already has APFS. Now it's the Mac's turn. But what exactly are we getting into this Fall?Read More. As Parallels Desktop 13 comes with High Sierra support out of the box, you won’t have to worry about your VM’s compatibility. Similarly, when Windows 10’s Fall Creators UpdateWindows 10 Fall Creators Update Release Date ConfirmedWindows 10 Fall Creators Update Release Date ConfirmedThe Windows 10 Fall Creators Update finally has a release date, but what will be included in the next big update? Let's take a look.Read More ships, it will be supported by Parallels Desktop 13.

Version 13 also brings Windows 10’s People Bar to the Mac. You can now interact with the People Bar right from macOS’s Spotlight search and the Dock. The other major new feature in Parallels Desktop 13 is Touch Bar supportHow Useful Is the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro?How Useful Is the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro?Does Apple's thin context-dependent OLED strip improve productivity or is it just a gimmick as some users are making it out to be?Read More. And it’s not just for Windows 10, but also for Microsoft Office apps like Windows, Excel, and more.

Finally, Picture in Picture mode puts your Windows 10 VM into a floating window on top of everything in macOS. This way, you can monitor what’s happening in the Windows 10 installation, while continuing your work in macOS. When you focus on any other application in macOS, the floating window becomes translucent.

Is Parallels Desktop for You?

I’ve been using Parallels Desktop 13 on my MacBook Pro with the default configuration which is 2GB of RAM and 256MB shared graphics. I haven’t faced any issues jumping between macOS and Windows 10. Interacting with Windows apps and browsing the web in Microsoft Edge have all been smooth.

That said if you’re going to be running professional apps, you might want to increase the RAM limit to 4GB.

Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017 Shortcut

Parallels Desktop’s chief competitor is VMware Fusion. Both apps have a healthy competition and it leads to better updates every year. For the past couple of years, Parallels Desktop has taken the clear lead when it comes to user experience and ease of use.

Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017

If you’re in a corporate or IT environment where you need to roll out virtual machines by the hundreds, VMware Fusion has a clear advantage. But for everyone from beginners to independent professionals, Parallels will offer a better, faster experience (especially for Windows 10).

Parallels Desktop 13 costs $80. If you’ve used Parallels 11 or 12, you can upgrade for $50. If you’re a professional or a business user, you should look into their Parallels Desktop Business plan that starts at $100/year. If you’re okay with configuring and managing your own VM, VirtualBox is a good free alternative to Parallels Desktop.

Try Parallels for Free

You can try Parallels Desktop for 14 days before deciding if you want to jump in. That’s enough time to setup your Windows environment and test it in a work environment, before deciding whether or not to take the plunge.

Screen Recorder For Gaming On Mac

Will you be buying Parallels Desktop for Mac? What is your Windows 10 VM setup like? Share with us in the comments below.

Does Parallels Work Well For Gaming On Mac 2017 Holiday

Explore more about: macOS High Sierra, Virtual Machine, Windows 10.