#Parallels windows 7 upgrade for mac os x

Of course, virtual desktop clients for running Mac OS X on iOS are easy to find, and there are good free ones, so the main value of Parallels' enhanced iOS app is the unified virtual desktop. The previous Parallels app for iOS did that just for Windows VMs. The $20 Parallels iOS app from the Apple App Store lets you access both Mac OS X and Windows VMs, as well as the underlying Mac OS X, from an iPad or iPhone. Version 6 can run on Lion as well, but it does not support Lion's new gestures or Mission Control.

#Parallels windows 7 upgrade for mac os x

Parallels 6 Parallels Desktop 7's other enhancements include support for Mac OS X Lion's full-screen mode and Mission Control interface, support for the AES-NI encryption standard for Windows VMs, and easier sharing of printers and the Mac's built-in camera. For most users, I don't think it justifies an upgrade. That's not bad, but keep in mind such synthetic benchmarks tend to overstate what you'd get in real-world performance. Overall, PassMark showed Windows 7 running 9 percent faster in Parallels 7 versus Parallels 6. But note that Parallels Desktop does not support DirectX 10, so some video-oriented games and applications won't run. I did get a 44 percent boost for 3D graphics, so gamers and simulators should see a notable improvement. Although Parallels Desktop 7 promises to run graphics 45 percent faster than Version 6, I saw a mere 8 percent improvement in 2D rendering, based on the PassMark benchmarks. If Mac-on-Mac virtualization - the big new capability in Desktop 7 - is the most important next step, then Parallels should have taken a little more time to make it easier, especially for developers and IT users. And the new Parallels Desktop 7 shows just how hard that question is to answer. It's hard to imagine what more a Windows-on-Mac virtualization application might do given the software's undeniable maturity.