Parallels Desktop for Mac: installation, configuration, main features of the program

One of the key features of Mac computers is the availability of the pre-installed operating system macOS (in the past Mac OS X). The system has its pros and cons, someone admires it, someone hates it, and many choose the Mac only because of it. But what if you need to work with Windows? Someone will be indignant and will oppose such an adventure, but the reality is that from time to time even owners of "apple" computers have to turn to Microsoft products for help.

Introduction

Every user of Apple computers knows that in laptops and desktop "machines" Mac there is a utility for installing Windows parallel to the main system - Boot Camp. This is the most affordable and easy solution, but it is not the most convenient, because to work with Windows via Boot Camp will have to restart the computer all the time. In this case, the systems will not be connected with each other. To avoid unnecessary actions and save time, you can use virtualization tools, such as Parallels Desktop for Mac. Roughly speaking, this is a program for installing the system in the system. Thus, Windows and other operating systems run on the Mac as normal applications.

System requirements

To work with Parallels Desktop for Mac, you will need at least 4 gigabytes of RAM, an Intel Core i3 processor or newer, and an operating system no older than Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10. It will take 850 megabytes to install the program itself and 15 gigabytes for each virtual machine. To work with Parallels Desktop 9 Mac, a computer with two gigabytes of RAM is suitable. Also, Mac OS X Lion 10.8 is required.

How to install Parallels Desktop for Mac?

The process of installing the program itself is no different from installing any other application on the Mac. This process will pass without problems. Next, you need to select the system that will be installed in the virtual machine. Some of these can be downloaded directly from an application, such as Linux or Chrome OS, with open source code. It is not forbidden to extract and install yet another macOS. It may be necessary in the event that a new firmware was released, and in order not to risk, you decided to test it in a virtual machine. With Windows, the situation is somewhat different, it will have to be downloaded independently (the benefit of the 10th version is distributed on the Web for free), but it also gives much more opportunities.

During the installation, the program will prompt you to select the mode in which Windows will work. You can choose to display Windows in the style of the 8th version - on the whole screen, or in the style of the 7th - each application in a separate window. If desired, you can force the program to run Windows applications in native windows for Mac OS X, so that they can be easier to manage without switching to another platform. After that, all Windows-programs will be marked with the Parallels logo, so you can easily distinguish them from the programs installed on the Mac.

A virtual machine can allocate up to 64 gigabytes of virtual memory, connect up to 16 virtual processors, and allocate up to two gigabytes of video memory. Naturally, it is not possible to make a virtual machine run faster than the computer on which it is installed, so you should set these parameters based on the technical characteristics of your computer (it is advisable to stay on the recommended parameters). The amount of memory, graphics settings, network settings and other parameters can be changed after installing and running the virtual machine.

Features of Parallels Desktop 11

The new version of the program has three important functions. The first one is called Coherence - it is a tool for combining the interface of two operating systems with the goal of making the management process both seamless and fast. In this mode, all windows and files work in the same environment. Simply put, you can start the Edge browser without leaving the desktop macOS, and copy the data to Safari from there, and open the file saved on the Macintosh HD with Explorer. If necessary, access to files and the clipboard can be disabled.

The second function is called Travel Mode - this is an option for saving energy. Those who use virtual machines are aware that they require a lot of resources and significantly reduce the battery life of laptops. In Parallels Desktop 11, this problem was solved by "freezing" programs at the time of inactivity.

The third function is access to geolocation data in a virtual machine. This is required by some websites, as well as the voice assistant Cortana.

Cost

Professional software is always worth the money, Parallels Desktop for Mac is no exception. The license key is available on the official Parallels website. The program is available in four versions:

• Trial - free access to all the features of the program for fourteen days.
• Standard - full access to all the features of the program without the ability to update to the next version. The price is 4 000 rubles, one-time payment.
• Professional - access to all the functions of the program and to subsequent updates. The price is 5 000 rubles, annual payment.
• Business - the ability to install the program on several computers within the same company. The price is negotiated for each company and office separately.

Instead of concluding

In general, Parallels Desktop is probably the best utility for virtualization of operating systems. Parallels has competitors such as VirtualBox and VmWare, but they all have critical drawbacks. VirtualBox does not support modern versions of DirectX and consumes too much power, and VmWare runs slowly. Moreover, so far no one, except for Parallels engineers, has been able to achieve full integration of applications from Windows into the Mac. And opportunities like Coherence and do Parallels Desktop do the best program in the classroom, despite the price tag, decently hitting the wallet.

The solution from Parallels is ideal for gamers who want to evaluate modern game projects that are not released for Mac. For developers who create cross-platform applications or applications for Windows. For designers who can not do without Photoshop.