![]() Fusion appends a Start menu to the right side of the Mac’s top-screen menu bar. Add a second Windows virtual machine, and a second folder is tacked on. It puts a Windows application folder in the Dock, just as Snow Leopard has a folder for Mac apps. Parallels is also more Mac-like in enabling you to launch Windows applications from Mac OS X, even when Parallels isn’t running. Fusion supports Dock icons for Windows apps only in Unity mode. Parallels Desktop goes a little further with this Mac integration, applying these features when the Windows desktop is displayed (single-window mode). Both virtualization programs will also place Windows apps in the Mac’s Application Switcher (Command-Tab or four-finger horizontal swipe on trackpads) and display Windows application windows in Mac OS X’s Expose. Open Windows applications get their own Dock icons as well. All three virtualization products can also run a guest operating system in its own window or in full-screen mode.īecause the Windows taskbar is hidden in Coherence and Unity modes, Parallels and VMware will minimize free-floating Windows windows to the Dock, just like Mac apps. Parallels has two such modes: Coherence and the new Crystal. ![]() The most hardware-intensive mode is one that hides the Windows desktop and taskbar, and displays only the windows running applications and Windows Explorer. When starting Windows 7 in Parallels Desktop, CPU utilization spiked for a second to 130 percent, but mostly stayed below 50 percent. When starting Windows 7 in VMware Fusion, CPU utilization reached above 150 percent, which temporarily stopped the Mac when other Mac applications were open. The CPU utilization, as measured by Activity Monitor, was typically lower with Parallels when Windows 7 Aero was running. This was on a 2.8GHz MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM. Parallels Desktop is also faster when switching to full-screen mode and when launching Windows applications, particularly when in a mode that hides the Windows desktop. VMware Fusion took 33 percent longer to start Windows and four times longer to restore a saved state from a suspended state. The differences are most noticeable when running Windows 7 Aero. ![]() Parallels Desktop 5 goes one step further and supports OpenGL 2.1 in Linux guest operating systems, enabling the Compiz interface to run in a virtual machine.ĭespite similar graphics specs in Windows, Parallels is a little faster and can be more responsive. These graphic hardware acceleration technologies enable support for Aero in Windows 7 and Vista, as well as 3-D gaming. Where Parallels beats VMware Parallels Desktop 5 and VMware Fusion 3 both have new support for DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3, OpenGL 2.1, and the Windows WDDM driver. Parallels can have trouble installing or importing Apple’s server in a virtual machine, and VirtualBox just doesn’t support it. If you want to run Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine, however, VMware Fusion 3 is the clear choice, providing the most trouble-free and solid experience. Both are far more advanced than VirtualBox’s Seamless mode. ![]() Both do a good job of hiding the Windows desktop and integrating Windows applications in the Dock, Expose, and Spaces. On interface and Mac OS X integration issues, the merits of Parallels and VMware are more subjective. Not that VMware Fusion 3 is slow, but it can stumble with graphics-heavy tasks and uses more of the Mac’s processor, leaving less CPU bandwidth for Mac applications. Parallels Desktop 5 provides the best overall performance. Furthermore, these new versions add support for Windows 7 Aero features, such as Aero Peek and Aero Glass. Parallels Desktop 5 and VMware Fusion 3 also automate the installation of guest operating systems and support multiple monitors. VirtualBox has a few unique features and is free, but doesn’t support many Mac OS X features. VMware Fusion 3 is a close second, with Sun’s VirtualBox 3.1 running a distant third. Overall, Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac is the top virtualizer for Mac OS X. They’re faster with better 3-D graphics, are better integrated with Mac OS X, and in two cases, are optimized for running all the features of Windows 7. The latest versions of the Mac virtualization products from Parallels, VMware, and Sun offer significant improvements over previous versions, and all are worth the upgrade. There’s also Mac OS X’s native Boot Camp, but it only supports Windows and doesn’t give you access to Mac OS X without rebooting. ![]() Why choose between Windows 7 and Snow Leopard when you can have both? A Mac with virtualization software is a great platform for running Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, or other Intel-based operating systems, all at the same time. ![]()
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