Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac

As Apple continues to make in-roads into the business market, ways of incorporating Cupertino's products into typically Windows-centric IT infrastructures will pique much interest. Virtualization is one way to integrate Apple systems into a Microsoft network. Perhaps no other company can make that integration happen smoother than Parallels. Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac ?running Windows 8 on a Mac Book Air is a beautiful experience for both Mac and Windows users.

Parallels is crisp, well-designed software that delivers desktop virtualization to both beginners and advanced virtualization users. The software is not as robust a performer as VMWare's Fusion 5, our Editors' Choice pick for desktop virtualization software. However, the user experience, wonderful multiple OS integration, and performance that's decent enough for most everyday computer tasks makes Parallels a worthy competitor to VMware and more suited to novices and die-hard Apple fans.

Availability and Install
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac allows you to run other operating systems as virtual machines on Mac hardware. Version 8 is optimized to run Windows 8.

Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is available through Parallels website as a $50 upgrade or $80 for the full version (although it's priced at about $70 on Amazon). Parallels is a bit pricier than VMware Fusion, with Fusion priced at $50. However, those in need of more guidance in setting up a virtual operating system on an Apple computer may be willing to pony up the extra cost.

Once downloaded the actual install is quick and easy. After install, Parallels provides several options for creating a virtual machine: install Windows, install an OS from DVD or image file, migrate Windows from a PC, or use Windows from Boot Camp. Additional options include downloading Chrome, Ubuntu, or the Android OS, installing OS X Lion using the recovery partition, or adding an existing virtual machine.

I wanted to test Windows 8 on a MacBook Air running OS X Lion, so I downloaded and installed Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition. I then mapped a drive from the Mac to a server I have ISO image files saved and installed Windows 8 Enterprise from an ISO.

You cannot install Windows with Parallels without a valid Windows key?entering that key kicks off an install wizard. The wizard asks how you want to integrate Windows programs?an excellent piece of automated configuration which saves you from having to configure after install.

Windows programs integrate well with the Mac environment.? With Windows 8 on the Mac OS in Coherence mode; Windows apps can be placed on the Launchpad and an app will run in its own window on the Mac desktop. Windows can also be integrated by choosing to integrate Windows like a PC. This option keeps Windows desktops and programs in one Window, but lets you drag and drop objects, and perform cut-and-paste between the host OS X desktop and the virtual Windows desktop.

Parallels makes it simple to setup guest operating systems, but it's not a very speedy process. The complete install, from the initial Windows virtual machine creation to the Windows 8 login prompt, took about 20 minutes. There was also a frustrating point during the install process that occurred when Windows 8 prompted me for a license key, but the screen was so small that I had difficulty discerning if I was typing the key correctly. There was no readily apparent way to make the screen larger? although once Windows was installed I could span the Windows 8 desktop to the entire OS X Lion desktop.

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