Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2 is here!

[Ben @ Parallels]

Parallels Desktop for Mac Release Candidate 2, the final test version of the product before we go "live", is ready for download! Get RC2 Now! (http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/)

You'll notice several changes in RC2, including:

Significantly improved performance
Improved USB performance and broader device support
Improved Host-guest networking
Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly
Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers
Full-screen mode is now customizable
Integration with Virtue is now bug-free
Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping
Guest 32-bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed
Improved Shared folders performance
Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues
Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode)There is another important change in RC2 that I'd like to discuss in more detail. Many users have told us how much they rely on Parallels Compressor, our disk management tool that can compress the size of a Windows virtual machine (VM) by 50% or more, to conserve hard drive space, get VMs to a "burnable" size, and increase VM speed. They have also commented, however, that since Desktop is a Mac product - and Mac products are above all else, easy – that it would be simpler than going through two complete downloads, installs and setups if we could integrate both products, so they got everything they needed in one shot.

We listened. Parallels Desktop RC2 includes Parallels Compressor Server technology (which is compatible with any version of Windows 2000, 2003 or XP)! From within a VM, users can just click "run compressor" under the "VM" tab in the menu bar and without shutting down, decrease their virtual hard disk size by 50% or more. Quick, easy, simple....exactly the way a Mac product should be.

When the final product is available, the all inclusive version of Parallels Desktop will cost only $79.99, a savings of $150 versus buying Parallels Destkop for $49.99 and Parallels Compressor Server for $179.99!

A few important notes on pricing:

The $39.99 pre-order price is still in effect, and will be until the close of the beta program.
Customers who already pre-ordered will receive the new, upgraded version including Compressor at NO ADDITIONAL COST.
As a special extended offer, we'll be offering the new, all inclusive version for $49.99 for 30 days following the general release.Get Parallels Desktop RC2 now! (http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/)

Pre-Order Parallels Destkop for $39.99! (https://www.regnow.com/softsell/nph-softsell.cgi?action=add_to_cart&items=13166-7&quantity=1&__utma=1.141938325.1148303649.1149044982.114908233 3.37&__utmb=1&__utmc=1&__utmz=1.1148303649.1.1.utmccn%3D%28direct%29%7Cut mcsr%3D%28direct%29%7Cutmcmd%3D%28none%29&__utmv=-&__utmk=241556995)

[metaphor]

You guys rock.

[Scott Willsey]

Good show. I need to play dead now so I can get out of this meeting and go try out RC2.

Thanks for the break on the compressor for those who preordered as well. Good stuff. :)

[reddfoxx]

I am unable to mount the posted RC2 diskimage. I get a "not recognized" error from the Mounting Utility.

[Andrew @ Parallels]

I am unable to mount the posted RC2 diskimage. I get a "not recognized" error from the Mounting Utility.
Try to dowload it again please. Probably our web server experiencing multiple downloads after RC2 announcement and it is accidental glitch.

[monoclast]

I am unable to mount the posted RC2 diskimage. I get a "not recognized" error from the Mounting Utility.

Yes I got that too - but only with Safari. Try downloading it with Firefox. ;)

[agengler]

cool, you guys ROCK!!

[scamp]

I downloaded the release five times and still am unable to mount the image...and yes, I am using Firefox....

I guess I'll need to wait a bit! :(

[omero]

You guys rock. Best 39$ ever spent.

An happy parallels customer :D

P.s. any news on the 'Use real partition' option? That's the only gripe I currently have with parallels ^_^

[jmclark]

I've used parallels since the first day it was out and the RC2 is so fast you can't even tell. I did have a slight issue with full screen as I was greeted with a totally black screen once it flipped. Stopped and restarted the guest OS and the next time it worked fine.
As a Mac user since 1983, it is a little strage seeing the XP desktop on my MBP. Thanks guys for making it easy to dance with the devil when we have to!

[Scott Willsey]

I downloaded the release five times and still am unable to mount the image...and yes, I am using Firefox....

I guess I'll need to wait a bit! :(

Same problem here.

[Scott Willsey]

Well, I re-downloaded one more time and it does work now. Strange.

[dweeks]

No good with Safari, Camino, or Firefox. I end up with a partially downloaded .DMG that won't mount.

[CPFarhood]

Parallels Desktop for Mac Release Candidate 2, the final test version of the product before we go "live", is ready for download! Get RC2 Now! (http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/)

You'll notice several changes in RC2, including:

Significantly improved performance
Improved USB performance and broader device support
Improved Host-guest networking
Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly
Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers
Full-screen mode is now customizable
Integration with Virtue is now bug-free
Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping
Guest 32-bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed
Improved Shared folders performance
Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues
Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode)There is another important change in RC2 that I'd like to discuss in more detail. Many users have told us how much they rely on Parallels Compressor, our disk management tool that can compress the size of a Windows virtual machine (VM) by 50% or more, to conserve hard drive space, get VMs to a "burnable" size, and increase VM speed. They have also commented, however, that since Desktop is a Mac product - and Mac products are above all else, easy – that it would be simpler than going through two complete downloads, installs and setups if we could integrate both products, so they got everything they needed in one shot.

We listened. Parallels Desktop RC2 includes Parallels Compressor Server technology (which is compatible with any version of Windows 2000, 2003 or XP)! From within a VM, users can just click "run compressor" under the "VM" tab in the menu bar and without shutting down, decrease their virtual hard disk size by 50% or more. Quick, easy, simple....exactly the way a Mac product should be.

When the final product is available, the all inclusive version of Parallels Desktop will cost only $79.99, a savings of $150 versus buying Parallels Destkop for $49.99 and Parallels Compressor Server for $179.99!

A few important notes on pricing:

The $39.99 pre-order price is still in effect, and will be until the close of the beta program.
Customers who already pre-ordered will receive the new, upgraded version including Compressor at NO ADDITIONAL COST.
As a special extended offer, we'll be offering the new, all inclusive version for $49.99 for 30 days following the general release.Get Parallels Desktop RC2 now! (http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/)

Pre-Order Parallels Destkop for $39.99! (https://www.regnow.com/softsell/nph-softsell.cgi?action=add_to_cart&items=13166-7&quantity=1&__utma=1.141938325.1148303649.1149044982.114908233 3.37&__utmb=1&__utmc=1&__utmz=1.1148303649.1.1.utmccn%3D%28direct%29%7Cut mcsr%3D%28direct%29%7Cutmcmd%3D%28none%29&__utmv=-&__utmk=241556995)

$10 cheaper then VMWare Workstation.... I've been a pretty avid supporter of Parallels, but at that price point I wont be recomending it to anyone without an immediate need before seeing what VMWare brings to the table.

[Edd]

You guys rock. Best 39$ ever spent.

An happy parallels customer :D


I second that emotion.. so happy i preordered... and I wish you the best of luck

( downloading now which is pretty slow for obvious reasons...)

Edd

[mike3k]

Try to dowload it again please. Probably our web server experiencing multiple downloads after RC2 announcement and it is accidental glitch.
This always happens after every release. I usually have to retry several times before I can download it successfully. Thankfully resume download in Safari works. How about adding a few mirrors? This is way too much load for one server to handle.

[n9yty]

$10 cheaper then VMWare Workstation.... I've been a pretty avid supporter of Parallels, but at that price point I wont be recomending it to anyone without an immediate need before seeing what VMWare brings to the table.Pretty unbelievable, from my point of view anyway.... To quibble over $10 on a product that you've been able to test for over a month, and surely it will only get better. And the reward of including the compressor for those who have already pre-ordered was above and beyond, IMNSHO. Yes, you have to buy a license of XP, but that is a given for any solution. What you get here for the money is an incredible value. Eat a home a few meals instead of eathing out and you'll pay for the whole package. :)

[CPFarhood]

Pretty unbelievable, from my point of view anyway.... To quibble over $10 on a product that you've been able to test for over a month, and surely it will only get better. And the reward of including the compressor for those who have already pre-ordered was above and beyond, IMNSHO. Yes, you have to buy a license of XP, but that is a given for any solution. What you get here for the money is an incredible value. Eat a home a few meals instead of eathing out and you'll pay for the whole package. :)
The point being that an OS X version of VMWare Workstation will undoubtedly debut with the more of the useful features (real partition support for example) Parallels is only promising for future versions. I guess the point I was really trying to make is if you want to charge what VMWare does you better be able to compete. At this point if VMWare were to publish it with all the features in the linux version Parallels would be left in the dust.

[Andrew @ Parallels]

CPFarhood,

I didn't get how $79 could be $10 less than $179... Anyway you are able to pre-order it until GA for just $39 and you will be able to buy it for $49 during month after GA. And don't forget our value added tool - Compressor.

[constant]

Significantly improved performance

Improved USB performance and broader device support

Improved Host-guest networking

Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly

Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers

Full-screen mode is now customizable

Guest 32-bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed

Improved Shared folders performance

Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues

We listened.



When will these things be available in the Linux version?
.

[Andrew @ Parallels]

Constant,

We are working on it. It will be available on Windows and Linux very soon after final Mac GA.

[macgebruiker]

I tried 4 downloads (Safari & Firefox) and none were usable. Error message: "not recognized".

[neile1]

I tried 4 downloads (Safari & Firefox) and none were usable. Error message: "not recognized".
same here no luck downloading , it stops after 2-3 Mb and tries to mount with Error message: "not recognized"

[bioengineer]

Try using a download manager. I downloaded my copy with iGetter and it worked fine the first time.

[Quantise]

A good way to do this is if the download stops or slows to a crawl in Safari, click Stop Downloading and then momentarily start it again. The download starts again. You can do this until the RC2 has downloaded.

John

[carlosv]

Just go to terminal and issue the command:


curl -C --retry -O http://download.parallels.com/beta/Parallels-Desktop-1842.7-Mac.dmg


-C is auto-continue
--retry automatically keeps retrying if there are transient errors for 10 minutes
-O writes the file with the same name to the current dir

[hayes_philip]

Check this thread for download problems
http://forum.parallels.com/thread2230-3.html

[skapplin]

I installed RC2 earlier today. It represents a significant improvement over previous versions, and it works like a champ on my MBP. Not a glitch in networking or using the shared folder, no problems with sound, and everything runs snappier including an XP restart after installing VM Tools that took only 3 seconds!

Very impressive. Kudos to the team.

[xray]

if RC2 had Garmin GPS USB support (maybe that's the problem!).

Download took a couple tries but I got it running on my MBP just fine.

Now, all I need is Garmin GPS USB support. I know, I know, it's dicey. Consider it a challenge!

BTW, I paid! Does that give me any extra leverage? ;)

Danka!!!!

X

[Fred Brinkman]

Playing around with RC2 and I'm impressed (again). Logged some problems and as fa as I can see, all of them solved.

You're doing a great job Guys!!

And just don't bother with people complaining about 39 dollars being to expensive. Maybe you cannot please everybody, but you can sure please a lot of us.

[Djoh]

Hot-damn, it's fast. I am soooo glad I paid so many months ago!

By the way, should I have stopped recieving all those "purchase now" emails/messages in PD?

I love how how much you respond to user comments and the general Mac concept of simplicity and interface. I like this product very much, I hope a few more of the (my) suggestions get implemented later on!

[zyprexa]

Integration with Virtue is now bug-free


I'm still not able to switch desktops when I'm in fullscreen mode and trying to switch using Virtue

[david]

You have to go to OS X preferences > universal access > and then make sure that "enable access for assistive devices" is disabled, not checked. Then it works.

[John the Geek]

The point being that an OS X version of VMWare Workstation will undoubtedly debut with the more of the useful features (real partition support for example) Parallels is only promising for future versions. I guess the point I was really trying to make is if you want to charge what VMWare does you better be able to compete. At this point if VMWare were to publish it with all the features in the linux version Parallels would be left in the dust.

You think... that is.

Have they released a beta version? Have you seen it?

How can you guarantee they won't hose Mac users with a limited version?

When will this VMWare product arrive? I need this now, not a year from now.

You seem confident, let us know what you know. So far all we have from VMWare are promises too.

[n9yty]

You have to go to OS X preferences > universal access > and then make sure that "enable access for assistive devices" is disabled, not checked. Then it works.
That is simply not a solution--That must be enabled for other things on the system to work properly. Albeit they are add-ons that require it, not part of the core system, but regardless you can't quite expect peopel to not use a native feature of the OS in order for this product to function properly.

[John the Geek]

That is simply not a solution--That must be enabled for other things on the system to work properly. Albeit they are add-ons that require it, not part of the core system, but regardless you can't quite expect peopel to not use a native feature of the OS in order for this product to function properly.

Well, no. It's off by default. That's native.

What you have is a feature conflict, and you simply have to choose what application feature is more important. Whether you need it checked, or not.

If you need it checked, for a screen reader per say for blind or low-vision users, then maybe a neat screen effect isn't as important and can be overlooked.

Besides, this isn't even a feature of Parallels we're discussing, it's the result of 3-4 different technologies interacting. You can hardly blame Parallels because an Apple feature in getting in the way of a screen effect of another app VirtueDesktops because you might need a screen reader for low vision.

Besides (My wife is legally blind, BTW... ) if low vision is your problem the neat screen effect might be lost on you anyway. Go with what's more important to you.

=)

EDIT: Man my spelling sucks today.

[netsyd]

Nice ... thanks for making what is shaping up to be an excellent product!

[kaufman]

That is simply not a solution--That must be enabled for other things on the system to work properly. Albeit they are add-ons that require it, not part of the core system, but regardless you can't quite expect peopel to not use a native feature of the OS in order for this product to function properly.

I agree its not perfect. Witch needs it, and I would never give that up. All it means for people like us is that we have to do an alt-ctrl to release the mouse cursor, and then you can do the virtue keys. Not perfect, but good enough.

Michael

[kaufman]

I agree its not perfect. Witch needs it, and I would never give that up. All it means for people like us is that we have to do an alt-ctrl to release the mouse cursor, and then you can do the virtue keys. Not perfect, but good enough.

Except that releasing the cursor also leave full screen mode. Very annoying.

Michael

[davert]

Terrific job!

I've noticed that they have a fully working, full-featured version with all the options 95% of people need and then some LONG before the first alpha versions of any other package, and that parallels is treating Mac custoemrs as equals of its long-standing Linux customers. That means something to me. I get tired of being tenth on the list.

Sure, if VMWare ever moves, I'll look at them. But I pre-ordered Parallels a long time ago and never regretted it, and won't regret it even if VMWare comes out with the perfect virtualizer - because really, how much CAN it improve on Parallels? We're talking relatively fine distinctions at this point (other than being able to share a real partition, and frankly I don't think that matters to most people. I don't personally see myself using BootCamp now that Parallels is here.)