Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 Beta 2 - Upgrade to be free

August 27, 2007 at 9:32 pm · Filed under Hardware, Beta, Applications

On my last stop at the official Parallels Desktop for Mac blog I saw a new post regarding another update to Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0. The latest beta build, 5120, is being called Beta 2 (you guessed it, it’s the second one), and like its predecessor, it is a free download to anyone with a valid 3.0 key. The free doesn’t stop there either. Straight from the blog posting:

With all of the new improvements we’re introducing (Coherence with minimize and Expose support, new Shared Folders and more), this is shaping up to be one of the best updates ever. The best part? It’s COMPLETELY FREE to all Parallels Desktop 3.0 users!  

Great news! And, the Beta 2 build brings more new functionality to the table. Some New Features in Parallels Desktop 3.0 Beta 2 - Build 5120:

• Visually, windows minimized to the dock now have the same transitions and behavior as windows minimized with Mac’s OS X
• You can now share folders much more seamlessly between OS X and Windows running under Parallels Desktop. In fact, you can set them up to mirror each other. Your Documents folder on the Mac is your Documents on the PC. It can be enabled for the Desktop, too! Before you ask-no, there are not two copies of the files being mirrored! Both the Mac and PC will be accessing the same file!

If you’re ready to buy the public release of the 3.0 version (or download the free trial version) as opposed to this beta version, visit the Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 page on their web site. For more details on this Beta 2 build, read the entire post on the Official Parallels Desktop Virtualization blog. There is also a link to download the beta in that article.

Share This

Comments (1)

Windows Vista Support: How to open the box

August 9, 2007 at 9:46 am · Filed under Usability, User Experience

For some unknown reason, Windows Vista is reporting that it cannot authorize my copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, that my Product Key is already in use. I’m not sure what the root of this is. Regardless, here’s a little support site UX humor.

After clicking through a few screens to try to resolve the problem, Vista took me to the “Windows Vista Solution Center.” On this page, there are several links to articles.

Here’s the one that blew me away: Number four of nine under “Installing and upgrading > Before installing or upgrading” : Opening the Windows Vista box.” I think the new Vista and Office boxes are a pain to open and simply not user friendly. Akin to wrestling with arcane CD packaging. Apparently, I wasn’t alone. But, to have a specific article about it? I clicked on it to see what the support site had to say about opening the box. Sure enough, an article on how to open the box.

It’s a three step processed, outlined in the article complete with pictures. The funniest part: At the top of the article, under the heading “Opening the Windows Vista box”, there is a helpful tips section that readys “Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.” It also includes a handy link to “Which edition of Windows Vista am I using?” So lets back up a bit, set the stage, and play the part of some sorry person who can’t open the box (regardless of how good or bad the packaging is).

1. A purchaser of Windows Vista cannot open the Windows Vista box (not good). They go to Microsoft’s support center to get help.
2. The page lets them know that the article which they are about to read applies to all editions of Windows Vista.
3. Directly below that declaration, even though the article applies to all versions of Vista, is a link to determine which edition of Windows Vista they are using.
4. Clicking on that link takes the already confused user to the support article “Find which edition of Windows Vista you are using.”
5. This page declares that the article “Applies to : Ultimate” below the title and again includes the link to find out which version of Windows Vista you are running (which, as we’ve mentioned, is the page we’re already on). Let’s ignore that for now, and find out what version of Windows Vista we’re running.
6. The article instructs: Just “Open Welcome Center by clicking on the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System Maintenance, and then clicking Welcome Center. The edition of Windows Vista you are running is displayed with your computer details near the top of the window.”

That all sounds great, but our theoretical troubled user hasn’t even opened the box yet, never mind install the operating system. At least there is a “Was this helpful?” link at the bottom of the article.

Share This

Comments

Free Parallels Desktop 3.0 beta

August 4, 2007 at 8:18 am · Filed under Hardware, Beta, Applications

I’ve been running Parallels on my Mac Book Pro for quite some time now. I’m very satisfied with the product. And, when it was announced a few days ago that anyone with a valid 3.0 license key (including trial keys) could try a beta version with some upgrades, I couldn’t resist. The installation experience (upgrade) was seamless, and I’ll report back on performance and the new features in a few days. A little about the 3.0 beta build:

Parallels Desktop for Mac (beta, build 5060) features:

• Expose for Coherence windows
• True stacking support for applications running in Coherence mode
• An improved version of the Image tool
• An enhanced version of the Explorer application, allowing browsing of virtual machines which are suspended
• iPhone support for Windows XP and Windows Vista

You can read more about the 3.0 beta on the official Parallels Virtualization blog as well as get the link to the features update information page and download.

Even before my testing started, I did have one thought: Please tell me this is a free upgrade for existing customers. After spending the initial $79, then $49 for an upgrade soon after, I’m not intending to spend more money on a Parallels update. I hope the smart folks over at Parallels aren’t expecting us to either.

Share This

Comments

Vista via Parallels (without Boot Camp unfortunately)

March 30, 2007 at 8:26 am · Filed under Hardware, Applications

Well, I finally had to retreat. I needed to work in Vista, and couldn’t do without having OS X open also, so the MacBook Pro has moved back a half step for now. I decided to create a Parallels VM for Vista, and just run it that way. I didn’t want to waste the disk space on my Boot Camp partition, so I removed it entirely.

In the same boat? It’s easy to do. Here’s what I did:

1. To remove (completely) the Vista Boot Camp partition, go to:
   Applications > Utilities > Boot Camp Assistant
2. Select the “Restore Mac to a single partition” option (Note: this will erradicate the Vista Boot Camp partition entirely. If you have data you need to backup, do it before this step!)
3. The Macintosh will reboot into its only OS now… OS X
4. Launch Parallels
5. If you created any Virtual Machines that didn’t work when trying to convince Parallels to honor the Vista Boot Camp partition, remove them by going to:
   File > Delete… (in the Parallels Desktop menu)
6. Create a new Vista Parallels VM by using the OS X Installation Assistant
   File > New…

That’s it. Hopefully Parallels will support the selection of a Boot Camp partition for Vista soon.

UPDATE: I am now running a newer version of Parallels with the setup I wanted all along (read the post about that Vista Parallels setup—be sure to read the ‘UPDATE’ at the bottom).

Share This

Comments

Boot Camp + Vista + Parallels = ?

March 29, 2007 at 1:36 pm · Filed under Hardware, Applications

Well, unfortunately the super-setup (installing Windows Vista as a Boot Camp option on a Macintosh, and then also specifying it as a Parallels Desktop for Mac VM) isn’t as I had hoped. Here’s the quick version:

• OS X + Windows Vista via Boot Camp 1.2 = No Problem
• OS X + Windows Vista via Parallels (not using a Boot Camp Partition) = No Problem

Here’s where my plan fell apart:

• OS X + Windows Vista via Parallels referencing the Boot Camped Vista Partition = No dice

In fact, I can’t even get Parallels to allow me to select the Boot Comp option during setup–the option is disabled. I tried to ‘trick it’ (I won’t go into details because it doesn’t matter) into setting up the Virtual Machine, but it didn’t pan out.

There is a lot of buzz on the Parallels forums about this. Hopefully it will be worked out soon.

UPDATE: Vista Support for Parallels has arrived!

Share This

Comments