For those that were waiting: it’s here! Parallels Desktop for Mac v. 3.0 just arrived and by the looks of it, Mac users are chomping at the virtual bit. Marc Orchant just tweeted the following on Twitter: "The Parallels servers are getting slammed. Downloading 3.0 now @ ~ 17K/sec" Can you say sever meltdown?
So what’s the big deal and is it worth it? You betcha…
I’ve been using the prior version of Parallels ever since I got myMacBook Pro; aside from the faster battery drain and higher heat build up on the Mac, it’s simply an amazing piece of software. Youcan try it free for 15 days but I don’t think you’ll need that long todecide if it’s worth the $79. Prior owners can upgrade for $49, so I’lllikely be taking advantage of that deal.
So what’s new in this iteration? Here’s a listing of what you can do with Parallels, both old and new functionality:
- Use Windows and Mac OS X at the same time…without rebooting
- Run Windows programs like native Mac applications with Parallels Coherence
- New! Open Windows files with Mac programs and Mac files in Windows programs with Parallels SmartSelect
- Share files and folders between Windows and Mac OS X
- New! Browse through Windows folders and access files without launching Windows with Parallels Explorer
- New! Run today’s most popular PC games on a Mac with support for 3D graphics
- Achieve maximum performance by leveraging Intel® Virtualization Technology
- New! Protect your Windows with Parallels Snapshots
- Migrate your entire existing PC to your Mac with Parallels Transporter
The big draws in this version in my mind are the Open GL / DirectX 3D support plus the ability to open files from one OS in a native program of another OS. OK….time to join the download queue!

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