| | |  | Macintosh | Home » » » » Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version | | | | | | | Description: | | Parallels Desktop 3 for Mac scores big with additions and enhancements that cover everything from enhanced 3D graphics to making sure that you can enjoy full access and control of your Windows applications from wherever you are with Parallels Mobile, our all-new iPhone/iPad mobile app. | | | Features: | |
• Run Windows and Mac OS applications in a single integrated environment,
• Or mount Your Windows File System and access its files and folders directly from Mac OS
• Support for OS X Leopard--Full support for Apple's next generation operating system when it ships
• Open documents in Mac OS or Windows using any available Mac OS or Windows application
• OpenGL 1.5 / DirectX 8.1 Support--Run supported games and 3D applications at native speed in Windows
• Run Windows and Mac OS applications in a single integrated environment, or mount Your Windows File System and access its files and folders directly from Mac OS
• Windows Start Menu Integration--Click the Parallels icon in the Dock to show the Windows Start Menu
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.4 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.4 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.6 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.7 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.4 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.6 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 279 reviews |
| | | System Requirements: | | | Platform:
| Mac OS X Intel | | Media:
| CD-ROM | | Item Quantity:
| 1 |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 279 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
279 of 286 found the following review helpful:
 Very Fast Windows Emulation, Some Games Don't WorkJul 06, 2006
By Jeffrey Heaton
"Jeff Heaton"
This is a very good PC emulator. It runs very fast. It uses Intel virtualization so it is able to run at near native speeds. I have run many of the Microsoft Office products as well as Developer Studio on it, it works great. A few things you should keep in mind:
** You Need a Copy of Windows
You will have to have your own copy of Windows to make use of this program. I thought I was going to use an upgrade CD that came with one of my computers that I no longer use. But Windows Genuine Advantage flagged it as an illegal copy of Windows, I guess it was licensed only for my old computer. Anyway, I bought a new copy of XP(an upgrade) and it worked just fine.
** Special Drivers
Parallels comes with some special drivers that they recommend that you install on whatever operating system you are using. This is not required. You can run the operating systems just as you would install them on any other computer. However installing the Parallels drivers increases performance. One really nice feature is the mouse driver. When the mouse driver is installed it allows you to simply drag the mouse over Parallels and click on things. Otherwise, you must click on the window first and switch your focus to the virtual machine.
** Games
I have run into some problems where the game will install just fine, but it will refuse to run saying that you must put the game's CD-ROM in. I assume this is because the virtual CD-ROM driver used by Parallels is not supporting the CD-ROM down to a low enough level to support the game's copy protection. One game that has this issue is the Sim's 2.
Also the 3d graphics are NOT virtualized. So any sort of 3d game will run as if you have no 3d acceleration hardware. Which is slow. Overall, the best way to run a game is "boot camp".
** Versions of Windows
I have used several versions of Windows on Parallels and it works great. I have tested both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
** Other Operating Systems
I have also used several flavors of Linux. It works very well. It really simulates a virtual computer, and you can install anything on it you like.
** You need RAM
Running this with less than 1gig of RAM can be painful. If you want to run several virtual machines I would suggest up to 2 gigs. However, one gig ran very well.
All in all this is a very good PC emulation and is quite fast. I have uses other emulators, that are just deadly slow. This one is quite usable. If you don't plan to use this for games, you will be very happy with this product. If you do want games its a little more hit and miss. Better to use Boot Camp.
200 of 205 found the following review helpful:
 Bye bye Virtual PC, and good riddance!Aug 14, 2006
By M. Simerson
I have used Parallels on my 20" iMac since well before it was released. I used most of the beta versions as well as each released version. When they offered it for sale, I bought it without hesitation. In short, the software is much better than one would expect for the price. On that basis alone, it should get 5 stars.
One thing I must note about Parallels. Do not expect much if your system is RAM starved (ie, you have less than 768MB). Your poor mac will be paging to disk almost constantly and you'll wonder why your blazing fast computer is so slow. That is because you are beating the tar out of your hard drive. Do yourself a favor, spend $160 for 2GB of RAM and avoid the problem altogether. I did this on my 20" iMac and my MacBook and both scream.
I use Parallels for running three different operating systems, FreeBSD, Linux, and Windows XP. Since I develop software that runs on the first two, I regularly need access to them both so I am often running one of them in the background. I can code, rsync to the virtual server, test, and continue coding. I open SSH sessions to the virtual server just as if it were a real one. For nearly all intents and purposes, running these operating systems under Parallels is every bit as good as running them on a real server.
In fact, since Parallels has come out, the dual 3.0GHz Xeon system that I have tucked away in a rack in our guest bedroom (because the fans are so loud) has not been powered up. In many ways, Parallels is much better than that having a real server.
1. It uses far less power and generates almost no noise pollution (important in home offices) when running on my iMac.
2. More convenient. My dual Xeon is a server, so switching operating systems meant going into the other room, unplugging the hotswap hard drive with FreeBSD and plugging in the one with Windows (or vice versa). With Parallels, simply shut down the one running, select the one you want, and click "Start".
3. Portable. The dual Xeon is anchored to the rack in the closet. My virtual machines can be dropped onto my MacBook drive for portable access. I spent two months away from home this year and that feature was more wonderful than you can imagine.
4. Easy snapshots. I like to test my software on "virgin" boxes. This means reinstalling the OS quite frequently on a "real" server, or as I do on the Xeon, building a FreeBSD jail to test in. While the SATA disks in the iMac cannot keep pace with the Ultra320 SCSI disks in the server, I can generate a new system with a clean install simply by copying a Parallels disk image.
5. Leverages existing computing resources. I already have a really fast desktop, more than fast enough for development work and software testing.
6. Because my virtual machines are so much faster (than Virtual PC on a dual G5) now, I use them much more frequently. Things I would have never have taken the time for such as, "I wonder what this looks like in IE for Windows", I check now. There is value in that for developers. I can save the state of the OS I am running, switch to another, and then switch back.
7. Stability. My systems never crash. Anything that changes that makes me particularly grumpy. I have had only one crash while running a very early beta of Parallels. I stopped using it until the next beta came out and it's been steady as a rock every since.
There are a couple downsides to using Parallels. For example, I could not run Virtual PC 2004 for Windows under XP when XP was running under Parallels (google "simerson vpc 2004 xp" for details).
You need enough RAM for Mac OS X (1GB min on Intel systems) and the operating system you will run. For most people, that will be XP which should have 512MB set aside for it.
I set it up on my grandmothers computer (I switched her from a Sony to an iMac) so she could run her old programs in XP. For those who aren't technically savvy, comprehending the concept of two environments on one computer can be a challenge. Getting data back and forth between the environments can be a challenge.
Parallels is highly recommended.
35 of 36 found the following review helpful:
 Works reasonably well; non-existent company tech supportJan 20, 2007
By Torrey Pines
The software sets up a virtual operating system (OS) environment (Windows XP, in my case) where it almost always (I'll get to that) seems that you are on a PC. The problems I've been having is that the virtual environment does not do well with hardware recognition.
For example, Win XP does not recognize that there is a bluetooth card installed on the MacBook. A bluetooth device will work but when I try to load the software for that device so that I can tweak the way the device operates, the software will say that no bluetooth card is on the computer and will abort its setup. The bluetooth device software is checking the device file of XP and the bluetooth card is not found.
When attaching a flash drive into a USB port, XP does not recognize that the device has been attached. OS X recognizes the device first which may prevent XP in the virtual system from seeing the drive. However, even after I "eject" the flash drive in OS X, XP still cannot recognize the drive.
Last, the console window has increased in size by a factor of three and I see no way to make it the smaller size it used to be. The console window is a window that is about 1/4 the size of the screen; you can see the XP environment well enough to work in that window and in OS X at the same time (usually one will expand the console so that the XP window is the entire screen, but other times you may want to make the window smaller). It's a nice feature, potentially.
I'm sure all these issues are resolvable (maybe). However, if you want to call the makers of this software and speak to tech support, it will cost you $29.99! If you send an e-mail asking the question you will not get a timely response. I sent an e-mail 1.5 weeks ago and have yet to hear back. If you go to their website to try to get your question answered, the site has a list of FAQs but no online technical support, such as a knowledge base where one can look for known issues and how to resolve them.
My sense of this company is that it's a group of folks either working in a small rented space or in someone's basement. One of their requisites for being hired into their company (you can find this on their website) is enjoying drinking beer and shooting pool at the end of the day. Nice work culture, but it would be even nicer if they had some sort of customer service above the level of none.
Three stars for the software, zero stars for the lack of user support.
*** Follow-up: 1/27/07 - Another week has gone by with no response after sending yet another e-mail with my questions.
34 of 35 found the following review helpful:
An invaluable work-in-progressDec 06, 2006
By J. M. White
Parallels has great potential -- and it almost lives up to the hype. When I first bought it, the install from the CD didn't work on my new core 2 duo iMac. But after I downloaded the updated version, it installed fine. Since then, the only problem I've had is I can't print to my HP USB printer. A new update was just released which supposedly fixes the problem, but I haven't installed it yet.
If you're not worried about running video-intensive games, Parallels can handle just about anything you throw at it. I've installed Word, ZoneAlarm, and Time Matters (legal billing software) without a single hiccup.
I noticed some complaints in other reviews about tech support for Parallels. Their staff has always answered my e-mails, though it usually takes a few days. The user forums at the Parallels website, though, are tremendously helpful. A patient and moderately-experienced user can find a solution to just about any problem by searching the forum archives or posting a question.
I have no doubt that in a few months Parallels really will live up to its hype. In the meantime, it's still a tremendously useful tool for Mac users.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
I was astonished that my Mac actually looked like a PCDec 26, 2006
By M and G
(Updated 4-11-2007 and 4-29-2007 to reflect new information on my Parallels crash, as well as the new version that fixes some of the cons I originally posted.)
I just got Parallels today and this review offers you a first impression of what it is like to install and use. First you launch Parallels. The Parallels screen opens, and displays some key preferences that you'll probably want to edit (see tips below). Clicking the play button (like a movie) you launch Windows (XP in my case) which boots on my iMac in about 10 seconds. In the Parallels window, Windows looks just like you are "booting" it yet the Mac is running the whole time! I switch between the Mac and Windows using "command+tab" (that's the "open apple" for you hardcore Mac'ers). Here are some pros and cons as well as some tips.
Pro:
-Install of Parallels went smoothly... the set up was automated, and went quickly with little or no decision-making
-Scary how much my Mac acts like a Windows PC
-Windows install included immediate access to the internet through my Mac account, a huge surprise
-So far SUPERIOR to VirtualPC, which after hours and hours, I never got working... Parallels was so easy.
-All my peripherals seem to work, even my Sony mouse which has a memory stick slot in it (in other words, it's multi-functional/fancy and was supported nicely)
-I use my Mac to safely browse the internet and download programs... I even downloaded office for Windows on my Mac and then used Parallels to retrieve it (I could have used Parallels to get it directly, but then I'd have to browse using Windows and risk viruses)
-Share files very easily between the OSX (Mac) and Windows using a shared folder (I've shared photos and a free yet massive Microsoft Office trial program this way, to test it).
-Automatically maps PC Control key functions over to Mac Command key... handy!
Con:
-Technical support is worse than any other tech group I have had to use... my Parallels was down 3 weeks and they didn't even call or email me once to let me know what the status of my problem is (or that the problem was even received). I finally called them and waited 90 minutes although the system said it would be only 10. Each time I moved ahead in the queue, the quoted wait time got longer! When I got through, they were able to resolve the "black screen" problem quickly (launching XP produced a completely empty black window), apparently it was common. My other problem was the "install tools" wasn't working, which means you can't share a folder between the Mac and XP. In the short term I emailed files to myself as a poor man's method to share files, fortunately I was working with small ones. Turns out that while the cause is still undetermined, I found a Parallels disk image on my drive which when manually clicked, manually launched the installer I needed. Weird.
-To me, the instructions are weak, the manual is not very good and instructions that come with upgrades are terrible... you've been warned
-Seems a little slow at times. I've bumped up the "RAM" allocation to 604 MB (max recommended), but think it may need even more.
-People report slow or incompatible gaming.
Tips (Neutral Commentary):
-I recycled an old copy of XP that was registered once, but no longer in use. When registering, call Microsoft as your option. I left them know that I was "reinstalling the software." I didn't bother to tell them that I was installing to a Mac... I figured that this would generate a pointless and a lengthy discussion to a confused person in India.
-After installing XP, immediately seek out the updates. This might require many "reboots" which in this case aren't reboots at all. The program cycles yet your Mac OS is running the whole time!
-If it's not already obvious, you need a copy of Windows.
-Give it RAM! The default of 256 KB is laughable and will produce frustratingly slow performance.
-This will work alongside Apple's free "Boot Camp" beta so you can have the convenience of Parallels with the computing speed/compatibility offered by Boot Camp (with Boot Camp you must reboot your computer to switch between . Windows and your Mac OS). Just remember that when you call Microsoft to register Windows, your copy of Windows is being "reinstalled on the same computer."
-Have your Windows Virus protection handy to install immediately
-Set aside time to install of Microsoft's updates to maximize security and compatibility. In the first 3 days I installed 124 XP updates (yes, I counted them, all 124 of them) from the Microsoft web site... you'll need to reboot XP many times to do this.
-My extended keys (i.e. the number pad area to the right) is activated using the "clear" key which is in the same position as the "num lock" would be... many functions behave like this automatically as described in the "pro" section above
Bottom line: Excellent, wonderfully handy! Amazing to see Windows XP coexisting with my Mac OS. Pray that you do not need their tech support as I think that it is terribly slow and not very effective except for the more basic issues.
See all 279 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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