Configuration Questions - Hypervisor

I am running Parallels on a MacPro and a MBP. with 4 and 2 cores and 4G of ram.
Question 1: Do I want to toggle the Active Hypervisor? Is there some detailed doc on it?
Question 2: How many cores do I want for Parallels. I toggle between BOTH O/S. so want great performance in BOTH!
Question 3: Can I "ASSUME" that the Optimize power consumption option is ONLY valid when running on battery???

Thanks
Bruce

 

I'd like to know what the deal with the adaptive hypervisor setting is as well.

 

I was told that adaptive hypervisor setting when checked means that when the parallels session is the foremost window, e.g. the active window you are working in, then that parallels session gets a priority boost.

 

Yes, hypervisor performance boost adjusts the VM priority depending on if the VM is the frontmost window. Personally, I turned it back off.

 

I've found that using 2 cores makes my brand new (Fall 2008) MacBook act like molasses... switched back to 1 core (and using Hypervisor) seem fine.

 

Q1: the manual has 2 lines of documentation about it, better read it anyway.
Q2: you don't want cores "for Parallels" but for some of your virtual machines. It really depends on what OS you run in those virtual machines. If you use XP or newer (vista, 2003, 2008), 2 cores in the virtual machine on the MacPro makes sense. On the MBP keep your virtual machines on 1 cpu, you will get much better overall performance.
Q3: It looks like indeed, though can't bring you a definitive answer.