Advantage: Parallels 3.0

Occasionally when working in our Waitsfield retail store, I come across the customer who, although sick of the frustration that they have to deal with while running Windows, must still run proprietary business software that is only made for Microsoft Windows.

There are a few options to accomplish this task. One option is to create a special partition known as a “Boot Camp Partition” that allows you to install Windows and run it just like on a regular PC. This option, though, does not solve the problem of only needing to run one or two Windows applications while at the same time being productive with your stable, streamlined Mac OS X environment.

This is the point where I explain the benefits of purchasing a copy of Parallels Desktop 3.0. With Parallels 3.0, you have the ability to create any number of separate and secure virtual machines each running the operating system of your choice. Parallels utilizes the Intel chip’s hardware virtualization technology, which enables the CPU to act as if it were several distinct CPU’s allowing great performance without ever having to restart!

Your Windows operating system will have no idea that it is running virtually, and it integrates with Mac OS X in many ways while still remaining completely separate and contained. You may run the guest operating system in fullscreen, in a window, or in coherence mode. In coherence mode, Windows applications will appear to be running right in OS X!

Also with the included Parallels Transporter, you can migrate an entire existing PC system to your new Intel-Mac in just a few simple steps.

Remember, though, in order to run Windows at the same time as OS X, you will need to support it will a full standard helping of RAM, so I recommend at least 2GB total. And, at the going rate of 1GB chips, you may already have that covered!