Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac
Parallels Desktop 7 is a software package for Intel Macs that allows you to configure and run virtual machines from within Mac OS X, including Lion. Want to play your favorite games, applications, or programs from Windows, DOS, Linux, and other x86 operating systems within your Mac computer? Well, with Parallels Desktop, you can do so and still work on your Mac within Mac OS X as you normally would.*
This version for Mac brings a variety of new features and enhancements, pertaining to Mac OS X Lion. It will work with OS X Lion and supports Lion's Full-Screen Apps, Mission Control, and Resume. It can incorporate Lion's animations when you open a Windows program in Coherence. You can also add Windows programs to the Launchpad and use the Windows folder to access other Windows programs. Plus, if your Mac is running on OS X Lion, you can use Parallels Desktop 7 to create virtual machines running OS X Lion.
Among the variety of other improvements and new features, Parallels Desktop 7 also speeds up 3D graphics rendering and allows you to allot 1GB of video memory for operating graphically-intensive Windows programs. This software supports 7.1 surround sound in Windows 7, XP, and Vista. For energy-efficiency, you can increase your Mac's battery life by operating within a power-saving mode. For extra data security, this version comes with Intel AES-NI encryption and you can implement parental controls in Windows programs. The improved Parallels Mobile iOS app gives you advanced audio support, copy-and-paste functions, and more optimized performance with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Without ever having to reboot, you can run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side.
Note! Mac OS X Tiger v 10.4.x is not supported in this version of Parallels Desktop.
Seamless Solution
- Mac OS 10.7 Lion Integration
-
Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac integrates a number of different features with Mac OS X Lion:
Full-screen support
Use of Launchpad for Windows apps
Mission Control support
Lion as a guest OS
Lion animations support
- More Mac-Like Appearance
-
If you love the look and feel of Mac OS, make Windows invisible but still use its applications. Alternatively, keep the familiar Windows background and Start menu on your Mac. Either way you can run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side-with no compromises in performance -and work the way that's best for you. You will also have the below features at your disposal:
Immediate preferences without OK button
New to Parallels, you get Apple style standard help and documentation
Enhanced user interface has a more polished look-and-feel
- Virtual Experience Improvements
- Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac makes virtual printing fast, easy, and readily available with all Mac OS printers accessible in Windows. You can even seamlessly share your iSight or FaceTime HD camera with Windows applications like Windows Live Messenger.
- Purchase Windows Straight from the Parallels Wizard
- You can purchase, download, and install Windows OS straight from the Parallels Wizard
- Additional Tools
-
Bring all of your virtual machines into Parallels Desktop 7 for a better experience with the below:
·Parallels Wizard: Getting up and running has never been easier. The new Parallels Wizard walks you through a few simple steps and sets everything up quickly and easily. Need Windows? Conveniently purchase and download as you get set up. (United States only)
·Improved migration support over the network
Manageability and Mobility
- Longer Battery Life
- Parallels Desktop 7 operates more efficiently so that your computer's battery life will last longer between recharges
- Mac OS Parental Controls Apply to Windows Programs
- Manage and control your virtual machines as easily as you do your Mac. With Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac, you can automatically apply parental controls that you've set for your Mac on to your Windows applications. Any restrictions set for the Mac OS will also be enforced in the virtual machine
- Advanced Encryption Support for Windows Programs on Your Mac
- The included Intel AES-NI gives you fast virtual machine encryption for improved data security
- Other Parallels Options
-
Parallels Desktop Enterprise:
With Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition you can easily deploy and manage Macs while still providing all of the business applications your organization uses. Parallels makes it easy to meet policy guidelines and still provide the Macs that people in your organization want.
Next Generation Parallels Mobile App:
Access your Windows and Mac apps from any Apple device. With improved Parallels Mobile App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, you get advanced audio support, copy-and-past functionality and enhanced performance optimization. Available in the iTunes App Store.
Enhanced Performance
- Speed
-
With this version of Parallels Desktop, you can operate a bit faster. This version features enhancements for the below:
Improved Virtual Machine boot time/Windows boots faster
Pause & resume Windows faster
Networking throughput faster
Migration of PC faster
Working with files on your Mac faster
- More Powerful Graphics
- You can choose up to 1GB of video memory for your most graphically demanding Windows programs
- No Reboot Needed
- You can run your day-to-day Windows productivity applications, and even the most demanding graphical apps without needing to reboot. Run Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Access, OneNote or other applications not available on the Mac-side-by-side
Immersive Gaming and Graphics
- Intensive Graphical Apps and Games Support
- ·Up to 1GB video memory can be assigned to a virtual machine ·Support for high-quality audio formats up to 192KHz ·More modern games supported
- Surround Sound 7.1
- Immerse yourself in games, movies, and music with Surround Sound 7.1 support for Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows Vista: use any external Surround Sound 7.1 USB or FireWire device simultaneously in your Mac and the virtual machine
- 3D Graphics
- Parallels Desktop 7 gives your Mac a more enhanced Windows 3D graphics experience and offers up the fastest way to run the most graphically intensive Windows programs and cross-platform Windows development tools. And you can use a wide-variety of design programs and games with DirectX 9.0c/9Ex and Shader Model 3 support
| Application | Virtualization |
| Hardware Requirements |
·A Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor ·Minimum 1 GB of memory, 2 GB of memory is recommended ·About 500 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop installation ·About 15 GB of disk space for each virtual machine |
| Software Requirements |
·Mac OS X Lion 10.7 ·Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later ·Mac OS X Leopard v10.5.8 or later Note: Mac OS X Tiger v10.4.x is not supported in this version of Parallels Desktop. To get information about your Mac OS X version, type of processor, and amount of memory, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu. |
| Operating Systems Supported |
32-bit Operating Systems ·Windows 7 ·Windows Vista SP 0, SP 1, SP 2 ·Windows Server 2008 R2, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows Server 2003 R2, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows XP Professional SP3, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows XP Home SP3, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows 2000 Professional SP4 ·Windows 2000 Server SP4 ·Windows NT 4.0 Server SP6 ·Windows NT 4.0 Workstation SP6 ·Windows ME ·Windows 98 SE ·Windows 95 ·Windows 3.11 ·MS-DOS 6.22 ·Red Hat Enterprise 6.x, 5.x, 4.x ·Fedora 15, 14, 13, 12 ·Ubuntu 11.04, 10.10, 10.04, 9.10, 9.04, 8.10 ·CentOS 5.x, 4.x ·Debian 5.0 ·Suse Linux Enterprise Server 11, 10 SP2 ·Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 ·OpenSUSE Linux 11.x ·Mandriva 2010, 2009 ·Solaris 10 ·Open Solaris 2009.06 ·FreeBSD 8.x, 7.x ·OS/2 Warp 4.5, 4 ·eComStation™ 1.2 ·Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (on Lion only) ·Mac OS X Lion Server 10.7 ·Mac OS X Leopard Server 10.5.x ·Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server 10.6.x 64-bit Operating Systems ·Windows 7 ·Windows Vista SP 0, SP 1, SP 2 ·Windows Server 2008 R2, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows Server 2003 R2, SP2, SP1, SP0 ·Windows XP Professional SP2 ·Red Hat Enterprise 6.x, 5.x ·Fedora 15, 14, 13, 12 ·Ubuntu 11.04, 10.10, 10.04, 9.10, 9.04, 8.10 ·CentOS 5.x ·Debian 5.0 ·Suse Linux Enterprise Server 11, 10 SP2 ·Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 ·OpenSUSE Linux 11.x ·Mandriva 2010, 2009 ·Solaris 10 ·Open Solaris 2009.06 ·FreeBSD 8.x,7.x ·Mac OS X Leopard Server 10.5.x ·Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server 10.6.x |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 59 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
94%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to install (48)
- Easy to navigate (31)
- Great value (29)
- Fast (25)
- Good power output (20)
Cons
- Slows down system (7)
- Compatibility issues (3)
Best Uses
- Home use (28)
- Educational purposes (10)
- Multimedia (9)
- Business (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Quality oriented (33), Budget shopper (13)
- Primary use:
- Personal (40), Business (11)
- Computer Platform:
- Mac (53)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great way to transition from Windows
Using this to help with my transition from Windows 7 to OS X Lion. Installed easily and pointed it to my Boot Camp partition. This is a great option for those that still want ...Read complete review
Using this to help with my transition from Windows 7 to OS X Lion. Installed easily and pointed it to my Boot Camp partition. This is a great option for those that still want the ability to launch Windows natively.
Coherence is a great feature and I like that it blends right into the desktop. And if you feel like having a separate desktop space in Lion, full screen mode is an excellent option as well.
I did purchase this via the "Buy Together & Save" program when I purchased my MBP 13.3" and was able to get free as part of the promotion. Even if it wasn't free, I'd still pick up this software to satisfy my needs.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Well....
I got this with my iMac because I have a business which does interactive floor plans and the software I must use to draw floor plans is Windoze-only. So I figured I'd just run it...Read complete review
I got this with my iMac because I have a business which does interactive floor plans and the software I must use to draw floor plans is Windoze-only. So I figured I'd just run it in a virtual machine.
Problem is, there's an issue with Parallels and how it updates the video information from the application I use to draw floor plans (it's not an issue with the application, both companies verified this). It does not display the cursor moving when using the directional keys on the keyboard even though it's actually moving. This is something I must be able to do in order to draw accurate floor plans.
They have submitted a bug report but I don't see it getting fixed any time soon since it's a fairly obscure application.
Other than that, it seems to work fairly well. But that's all I've really tred to use it for.
Reviewed by 59 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Easy To Install
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Allows me to run Windows on my Mac, works effortlessly, highly recommended. its pretty smooth too
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy to use
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Business Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Great!you can use win7 on MAc, without problem.
I know that sounds wired, but I run win7 for work and all the rest is only Mac!
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
- Great Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
This product allows me to run windows product on my MacBook Pro
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Great Value
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
This came free with my iMac and I have to say it works flawlessly. Windows 7 seems to run better than it ever did on any PC. I'm not sure how they do that but it's impressive.
Also, I upgraded my iMac from 4gigs to 12gigs RAM and I dedicated 4gigs to Parallels. You probably shouldn't run it with any less than 4gigs. Do yourself a favor and upgrade your RAM...it's cheap.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
very first use it and like it very much,
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
- Great Value
- Powerful
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Business
- Educational Purposes
- Home Use
- Multimedia
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
To use Windows without restarting computer
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
This is great for someone switching from windows to mac.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Great Value
Cons
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Even though I do nat particularly like to run Windows on my Mac, some programs i need to use for school require Windows. This product is necessary. I use it mainly for school.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Mac and a PC in 1
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
this is useful software for using windows system on mac.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
Cons
- Compatibility Issues
Best Uses
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
I got this with my iMac because I have a business which does interactive floor plans and the software I must use to draw floor plans is Windoze-only. So I figured I'd just run it in a virtual machine.
Problem is, there's an issue with Parallels and how it updates the video information from the application I use to draw floor plans (it's not an issue with the application, both companies verified this). It does not display the cursor moving when using the directional keys on the keyboard even though it's actually moving. This is something I must be able to do in order to draw accurate floor plans.
They have submitted a bug report but I don't see it getting fixed any time soon since it's a fairly obscure application.
Other than that, it seems to work fairly well. But that's all I've really tred to use it for.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Great Value
Cons
- Slows Down System
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Good UI, good integration with lion, but a little slow with 4gb of ram
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Use
- Multimedia
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
It's great to be able to shift from one platform to the other so fast - no need to reboot!
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Great if you still want to use windows programs! Easy set up...was free with iMac purchase. Makes copy of your windows desktop and puts it on your mac.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Great Value
Cons
- Slows Down System
Best Uses
- Business
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Using this to help with my transition from Windows 7 to OS X Lion. Installed easily and pointed it to my Boot Camp partition. This is a great option for those that still want the ability to launch Windows natively.
Coherence is a great feature and I like that it blends right into the desktop. And if you feel like having a separate desktop space in Lion, full screen mode is an excellent option as well.
I did purchase this via the "Buy Together & Save" program when I purchased my MBP 13.3" and was able to get free as part of the promotion. Even if it wasn't free, I'd still pick up this software to satisfy my needs.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Great Value
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Home Use
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
It made my file transfers even easier.
While my Mac does help transfer files, Parallels helped even more. This is my first Mac, and I'm not used to the operating system. I would recommend it to anyone that is used to a PC.
B&H made this necessary software easy to get as part of their package when I bought the Macbook Pro. Thanks B&H!
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
Cons
Best Uses
- Business
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
it does what it is supposed to do.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
- Great Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Business
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
We had kept a pc in house, just for looking at our web site builds. When it died, we decided to use boot camp rather than replace it. Productivity declined rapidly; it was just too slow. With Parallels, we don't have the expense of a PC that isn't being used for much, and we do have relatively quick access to a pc view of the world.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
- Great Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
Great value
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Easy To Navigate
- Fast
- Great Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
- Home Use
- Multimedia
Comments about Parallels Desktop 7 Software for Mac:
this is one of the greatest ideas for mac. since mac doesnt have many windows programs available, this program allows your mac to be your pc. It is nice to know my mac is the ultimate machine.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Displaying reviews 1-20
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Additional Software
- Price: $174.99
What's in the Box
- Quick Install Guide
- User Guide
- Free 90-day Subscription to Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 for Mac (New Parallels Desktop Users Only)
- Free 90-day Subscription to Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 (New Parallels Desktop Users Only)
- Free 90-day subscription to Acronis Online Backup
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