iMacware.com

Parallels Desktop 3.0, the best Virtualization application that allow you to run multiple OS on your Apple hardware without restarting the systems.  You can run non Mac application easily without buying the new systems.  Many OS supported by Parallels, even Windows Vista, the latest Windows from Microsoft can easily run from your Mac.

Features

Intel® VT-x hardware accelerated

• With Intel VT-X hardware accelerated you can run other OS near-native speed and good-solid performance.
  

Support for accelerated graphics (both OpenGL and DirectX)

• Parallels Desktop 3.0 now  support graphics acceleration for both of OpenGL and DirectX.  It means Parallels allow you to run some 3D application and games to run within Parallels
• Render in complex 3D CAD programs such as AutoCAD 2008
• Work with CPU-intensive video and sound editing software such as Sony Vegas
• learn more

• Run Windows programs on the Mac Desktop with Apple Exposé and transparent windows support and drop shadows for open Windows applications
• New! Silently boot Windows into Coherence at startup
• New! Get Windows notifications on the Mac desktop
• learn more

Smart Select

• View and edit a file with any compatible PC or Mac software available on your Intel Mac
• Set file-associations to open a file-type with specific Mac or PC software
• learn more

Parallels Explorer

• Access Windows folders and files without launching Windows
• learn more

Migrate your existing PC to your Mac, including OS, settings, data

Easy transfer between OS, just drag the file, you can easily copy the file

and many more.

All of this features you can get only just for USD$79.99. Its cheap isn't it? Yeah, its better than you buy new Laptop or new PC

System Requirements

Software Requirements:

Primary Operating System     Mac OS® X Tiger 10.4 or higher running on an Intel® Mac. (Mac OS® X Leopard 10.5 Recommend)

Hardware Requirements:

Mac Computer Support for any 32- or 64-bit Intel®-based Mac:

• iMac
• Mac mini
• MacBook
• MacBook Pro
• MacPro Tower
• MacBook Air

Processors Support for any 32- or 64-bit any Intel® Core Duo processor featured in new Intel® Macs:

• Intel® Core Solo
• Intel® Core Duo
• Intel® Core 2 Duo
• Intel® Dual-Core Xeon

Memory:

• Includes full support for Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) Memory Requirements 512 MB minimum available memory (2 GB recommended). Support for any memory configuration (up to 16 GB), without modifying your host system.

Disk Space

• Software Installation – 70 MB of available hard drive space for Parallels Desktop for Mac installation. (Does not include hard drive space for virtual machine.)
• Virtual Machine Installation – Hard drive space allocation for virtual machines is dependent upon the guest operating system. 15 GB of available hard drive space is recommended per virtual machine for Windows and Linux.

Optical Drive

• CD/DVD-ROM drive for installation

• Internet connection is required to receive online Parallels Desktop for Mac product updates

• 16-bit or 32-bit display adapter recommended (32-bit Display recommended)

Learn More

Installing

System Test:

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
• 2 GB RAM
• ATI Graphics Hardware
• Hard Drive for Virtualization Disk
• Mac OSX Leopard 10.5.4
• Windows Vista Home Premium

First on this review, make sure you have the Parallels Desktop 3.0.  You can BUY it or you can download for trial.

After Parallels Desktop 3.0, mount the image than install the Parallels Desktop 3.0 to your Mac System

After finish installing Parallels Desktop 3.0, you can easily running and select Windows Vista for OS that will be install on your Mac.  Cchoose the Windows Express for automatic install, then select enable file sharing if you want to share your Home Mac folder to your Vista.

Next, you can insert DVD installer of Windows Vista or you can use iso image for installing the virtualization.  Also you can customize the Virtualization, by selecting configuration editor from menu bar.  You can manualy change the configuration list,

• security level
• coherence
• sharing folder
• sharing application
• setup video graphics ( you can enable DirectX Shader if you have powerfull video graphics card)
• setup the memory systems and graphics card memory that you will use on Virtualization
• Floppy if theres available
• setting the location, capacity of your hard drive
• CD/DVD-ROM (you can use real optical drive or using the iso image)
• Sharing network
• Sound
• USB Controller

Then, just boot your DVD or iso image and follow the instruction of Vista installer.

Parallels Tools

If you succes installing Vista, it will show you pictures of login name, the done!!! You already succesfull installing your Vista on your Mac.  But wait!!! Its not done yet, you have to install ParallelsTools to complete your Vista installation.  You can install the Parallels Tools by selecting in menu bar.  (If you can't leave the virtual machine for installing Parallels Tools, You can press combination keys of CTRL+ALT to leave your Virtual Machine)

Parallels Tools will install the mouse and keyboard drivers that let you enter and leave the virtual machine without having to use the CTRL + ALT key combination, also as well as install enhanced video drivers for better video performance.

If you had already done installing Parallels Tools, then You had finished to have Vista on your Mac

Parallels Desktop 3.0 Features

After enjoying your new Vista on your Mac, you must be asked, "How to access my file on the other Hard Drive on my new Vista??" Its very easy, you just select Device from the menu bar of Parallels, then choose share folder.  You can add specific folder, hard drive to access it from your Vista.

You want to copy your file from Vista to Mac or Mac to Vista? Just drag the file to destionation.

Conherence mode, thats allow you to run WIndows Applications on your desktop, supporting Apple Exposé and transparent windows support and drop shadows for open Windows applications.

You can browse your Vista drive from your Mac with Parallels Explorer.  With Parallels Explorer, you dont have to start Vista for browsing your files on Vista OS..

Parallels Desktop 3.0 features improved USB and USB 2.0 support. I use LG mobile phone to connect it to Vista, and its works well as a modem or as a flash drive.  USB Bluetooth also works well. USB transfer speeds have been improved. When your Vista is running and you connect any USB device, a dialog box asks you to choose the OS that should control the device.

Conclusion

Parallels Desktop 3.0 is the best solution for running Windows, Linux, or other operating systems alongside OS X. With the featues of  Intel VT-X hardware accelerated, 3D graphics support, Snapshots and Undo Disks, smart select, coherence, virtual appliances, and many other features,  Parallels very fast and  usefull by runing other OS without rebooting the Mac.  But Unfortunately, I still got problem with 3D accelerated, the 3D graphics support still have limitation.  Tested with USB TV Tuner, but I got kernel panic and some games not totally support on Parallels. If the game works with Parallels, you'll got FPS penalty drop on the game because of the game ussually use a lot of resource.  But if you have powerfull Mac Pro, I think it will works well.  So, Parallels still the best Virtualization I've ever tested, very usefull for many people who doesnt want to spent a lot of money for a PC or Laptop, doesn't have to wait for rebooting to change the OS.  With only $79.99, its worth to get more features that Parallels give it to you.

Buy Now!

Credits goes to Parallels Inc. software team specially Uljana Orlova for supporting the review