Parallels Desktop for Mac is the top-rated application for Mac users who want to have it all. By running Windows on Mac devices, it can effectively double the functionality of your computer.
With Parallels Desktop 14, Parallels has doubled down on everything that makes the software great. Over 50 new features have been introduced. Graphics and performance have been improved. It runs faster, comes with more add-ons, and supports more software and technologies than previous versions. And for the first time ever, it’s being offered as an annual subscription.
Instead of going through the full list of changes, let’s focus on the biggest and best for students. Here are five reasons to broaden your Mac’s horizons with Parallels Desktop 14.
If you need Windows on your Mac, Parallels Desktop can help you download and install Windows 10. All you need to do is follow our Installation Assistant and click “Install Windows.” Or you can provide your own Microsoft Windows license key, purchase Windows directly from within Parallels Desktop, or transfer an existing Boot Camp partition with Windows already installed. Since the MAC version of MS Office does not include MS Access (there is no MAC version of Access and never has been), we often see questions similar to. How can I run Microsoft Access on a MAC?” in various forums. While it is true that you can’t get Access (and other programs) for MAC, there are still ways to run them on your MAC.
More Software
Two decades spent making Windows work on macOS has made Parallels master of cross-compatibility. With Parallels Desktop 14, they’re introducing compatibility with more software than ever.
Parallels Desktop 14 offers full support for Mojave, the latest version of macOS. You can even use Mojave’s Dark Mode interface while working in Windows. The new application can also run more software than any of its predecessors. With support for over 200,000 titles in total, you’ll have a hard time finding a Windows application that Parallels Desktop 14 can’t handle.
More Hardware
Parallels Desktop 14’s compatibility goes beyond software. It also opens up new ways to use hardware, peripheral devices, and other technologies.
Support for Microsoft Ink lets you use a digital pen to draw or write in Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and more. And if your Mac features a Touch Bar, that bar can be customized to enhance your experience on thousands of Windows applications. That’s right: this Mac-specific hardware feature now works with Windows software.
Lightning Fast
It’s great that Parallels Desktop 14 supports more programs than ever. What’s even better is that it runs them faster than ever, so you can do your work seamlessly without long launch and loading times.
The software launches four times faster than the previous version and requires less disk space, memory, and CPU usage to run. Windows and Windows applications load in less time and operate more smoothly thanks to improved graphic-memory allocation. Even demanding computer-assisted design and data-visualization software starts in a flash and runs like a dream with Parallels Desktop 14.
Smaller and Better
When it comes to software, bigger is not always better. Some virtualization programs hog over 100GB of hard-drive space. Parallels Desktop 14, however, is as lean as it is mean.
The application itself is substantially smaller than previous versions. But the real space savings come from smaller and more effective virtual machines. All told, upgrading to Parallels Desktop 14 from Parallels Desktop 13 could free up as much as 20 GB on your Mac.
If that’s not enough, the Parallels bundle boasts tools to help you free up even more room. The Clean Drive tool identifies useless and duplicate files for you to delete. And the improved Free Up Disk Space Wizard offers tips to free up even more gigs on your hard drive. With all these space-saving features, Parallels Desktop 14 can take a lot of weight off your Mac’s shoulders.
Desktop, Access, and Toolbox Together
A Parallels Desktop 14 subscription gets you much more than just Parallels Desktop. The software comes bundled with two other great titles from Parallels: Parallels Access and Parallels Toolbox.
With Access, you can remotely access your computer from any device with an Internet connection, so your files and applications are always at your fingertips. The Toolbox suite includes dozens of easy-to-use apps for performing day-to-day tasks with just a click or two. This includes taking screenshots, recording videos, uninstalling apps, entering the distraction-free “Presentation Mode,” and more. Of course, this is all in addition to Parallels Desktop itself – the top-rated software for running Windows on a Mac.
One low-cost subscription includes all three of these titles. It’s the perfect investment for anyone who wants to make their computer a Mac of all trades.
Get all the perks of Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac at 50% off through OnTheHub! A one-year subscription is just $39.99 USD for eligible students, faculty, and staff.
Parallels Desktop For Mac
- Pros
Fast performance in testing. Tight integration with guest OSes. Effortless installation. Flexible file and folder tools. Options for opening Mac files in Windows apps. Can install macOS virtual machines directly from the Mac recovery partition.
- Cons
Some Mac-integration features can be confusing or impractical until you turn them off. Only runs on a Mac, so you can't share guest machines with Windows or Linux users.
- Bottom Line
Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration between Macs and guest systems, and supports many other OSes, too.
Parallels Desktop is the fastest and friendliest way to run Windows apps on a Mac for the majority of users who are likely to want to do so. IT pros may prefer VMware Fusion; expert users who want no-cost apps will prefer the open-source VirtualBox. Hardcore gamers may prefer Apple's Boot Camp, which lets users boot directly into Windows, with the added bonus of native graphics card support. For most ordinary Mac users who prefer Windows versions of apps like Microsoft Office or AutoCAD, however, or who use Windows-only apps like CorelDraw or WordPerfect Office, Parallels Desktop is the clear first choice for virtualization software.
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Platforms and Pricing
Parallels Desktop supports all Windows versions since Windows 2000, all Intel-based macOS versions (with some exceptions for licensing reasons), many flavors of Linux, BSD, Solaris, and a few other OSes. VMware Fusion and VirtualBox are even more flexible, and can run historical curiosities like OS/2 and NeXTSTEP. Also, unlike Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox have versions that run on Windows and Linux machines, while Parallels Desktop is Mac-only.
There's one other important difference: Parallels Desktop is a subscription-only product, so you'll have to pay $79.99 per year for the home-and-student version or $99.99 for the Pro Edition. VMware Fusion has a one-time cost (a model some consumers may prefer) of $79.99 for its standard version and $159.99 for its Pro version. VirtualBox is free for personal use and $50 for corporate use, but you get far fewer convenience features out of the box with this open-source product.
Get Started With Parallels
Parallels starts up with a menu for creating a new virtual machine or opening an existing one. This is where Parallels' focus on ordinary end users shines best. Unlike all other virtualization apps, Parallels doesn't expect you to have a Windows or Linux installer disk or disk image ready when you start it up, although it can use that image if you have one. Instead, Parallel's user-helpful menu lets you buy a Windows 10 download directly from Microsoft, or simply download a Windows 10 installer if you already have a license key.
Another set of options lets you install a Parallels system-export utility on your Windows PC, and export it to Parallels via a network (slowly) or an external drive. A scrolling list at the foot of the menu lets you download specific versions of Linux or Android, install a virtual copy of macOS from your Mac's hidden recovery partition, or install Windows from a Boot Camp partition if you have one.
Like VMware and VirtualBox, Parallels supports a Snapshot feature that lets you save a guest system in one or more configurations that you know works well, and then restore a saved configuration after making changes in the system that you don't want to preserve. However, Parallels is unique in supplementing this feature with a Rollback option that automatically discards all changes to a system when you shut it down, so it works like a kiosk system, returning to its pristine condition every time you power it up. This feature can be invaluable in testing, or in environments like schools where users are liable to leave systems a lot messier than they found them. If you used Microsoft's long-abandoned VirtualPC app, you'll remember this feature, and will welcome its return in Parallels.
Parallel's Performance
Compared to VMware, Parallels starts up Windows at top speed in testing. On my vintage 2015 MacBook Pro, Parallels boots Windows 10 to the desktop in 35 seconds, compared to 60 seconds for VMware. VirtualBox matches Parallels' boot speed, but it performs far fewer integration tasks while booting up. For example, VirtualBox doesn't provide printer integration and the ability to open Windows files with Mac apps and vice versa.
One reason for Parallels' bootup speed advantage is that Parallels uses an emulated PC BIOS that supports the Fast Startup option, and the others don't. The speed difference isn't nearly as obvious when running Windows apps after the OS starts up, however. Parallels feels slightly faster than its rivals, but not drastically so. Fast as it is, Parallels won't satisfy hard-core gamers because Parallels, like VMware Fusion, only supports DirectX 10, while VirtualBox only supports DirectX 9. There's nothing that Parallels can do about this limitation, which is the result of the Mac's limited support for OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) features.
By default when Parallels runs a Windows system, any files on your Mac desktop will also appear on your Windows desktop. This may sound convenient, but it's a feature that I always to turn off in Parallels' settings dialog. One reason I turn it off is that it leaves the Windows desktop cluttered. Another is that much of what I keep on my Mac desktop—like folders and apps—simply won't work when I click on them in Parallels' Windows desktop. Parallels tends to go overboard with integration features, turning them on by default whether you want them or not.
Another way Parallels goes overboard with its integration is its tendency to clutter up its dialogs and your Mac system with icons and folders that you probably don't want. For example, by default, it adds a folder full of Windows application to your Mac's dock, and a Parallels menu to Mac's menu bar—though you can turn these off by poking around the options and preferences windows. Some of Parallels' menus include links to a set of Mac-related utilities called the Parallels Toolbox; some of these utilities, like a quick disk-cleaning menu, are convenient, but you probably don't want all of them, and they have nothing to do with virtualization. Another link on Parallels' menus invites you to buy Acronis True Image backup software, which you probably don't need if you use your Mac's built-in backup features.
Parallel Computing
Anyone who wants to run a Windows app on the Mac should choose between our two Editors' Choice apps, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. For IT managers, developers, and for many tech-savvy users, VMware is the best choice. For most home, school, and SOHO users who don't need VMware's unique cross-platform support and legacy features, Parallels Desktop is the fastest, most hassle-free way to run Windows apps on a Mac.
Parallels Desktop (for Mac)
Parallels Desktop For Mac Torrent
Bottom Line: Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration between Macs and guest systems, and supports many other OSes, too.
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