Using Boot Camp--is Parallels worth the trouble?

I've been using Boot Camp successfully for some time, but bought Parallels so I wouldn't have to reboot. Got an old version at Staples . . . didn't work at all. Downloaded a newer version--though I can't tell what it is (3.0, I'm guessing); I can't get Windows XP to install . . . the same Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) I used with Boot Camp. So, I've put in for the free 4.0 upgrade . . . but, with all the time I've spent trying to get it to work, I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. One question might answer that question for me: if I get 4.0 working with my Windows XP, will I be able to use it for Lord of the Rings On-Line? If not, it might still be worth it . . . but I'd really appreciate hearing about that from folks who have (or had) both Boot Camp and Parallels.

 

You don't need to reinstall Windows if you have a Boot Camp partition working already.

 

Okay . . . so there is some way to hook Parallels into my Boot Camp partition? I tried one of the ways indicated in the manual, but I guess it was the wrong way. I'll try again . . . but I could really use some advice on that. I'm not all that confident that I understand what the manual is telling me to do.

 

Got it working and, so far, I'd say Parallels was worth the trouble. Now, my next question: should I stick with what I have or, if I qualify for free upgrade to 4.0, go with it? Seems like I've seen different opinions on whether 4.0 is better or not better.

 

Nope . . . not worth the trouble. Once I tried to get into my on-line game, I discovered what I should have known from the outset . . . and what should be more clear in the Parallels documentation: it does not support high-end Windows stuff. So, I'm back to using Boot Camp; will not request the upgrade to 4.0 (which sounds more and more dicey the more I read). It's too bad, and I'm out $80 . . . but, live and learn, I guess.

 

update was published , which is right now available at http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=31764
The most of problem were fixed.
Please navigate to that link, and download build 3540
In post there are various instructions, how to fix problems.

 

Okay . . . thanks. I'm a little gun-shy right now, but I will give it a try. If successful, will post that.

 

My wife uses Boot Camp to get to AutoCAD under XP on her 4GB iMac. The ability of PD4 to address up to 8GB RAM is enticing. I'm going to try to copy her Boot Camp partition into a PD4 VM, allocate 3GB (the max XP can address) to it, and see how it compares. If it works as anticipated, we'll prolly retire her Boot Camp partition, and regain the utility of Parallels.

 

i would certainly download and get the key for parallels desktop 4 for later use once a few more updates have come out it'll probably be fairly stable. who knows if you wait too long your "free" upgrade won't be available any more.

 

The latest upgrade that Parallels has posted to 4.0 fixed a lot of the problems, since most of them were related to properly installing the parallels tools. I had nothing but trouble since the upgrade and this latest patch fixed a lot of those issues. You should see the volume of negative posts go down.

Parallels, just like any other VM out there will not run any game at any sort of frame rate that won't look like a power point presentation. For something like that use bootcamp. Also your question about reinstalling windows, you won't have to, but you will have to reauthenticate your copy of windows over the phone, when trying to use your boot camp partition with parallels. There is no way around this, because you would also have to reauthenticate if you install parallels without accessing your boot camp partition.

I use parallels to run my VPN software for work, because they want me to pay for the mac driver. I also still use Exact Audio Copy for ripping CD's (haven't found an equivalent on the Mac), tag and rename, and a couple of other utilities. I actually just keep it running all the time in spaces.

 

Thanks . . . I've done that and, tomorrow, will fax all of the stuff for consideration for the free upgrade.

 

Thank you . . . all of this is useful, and especially the comment about slow frame-rate. I was surprised to find that, finally, I can run LOTRO through parallels . . . but, yeah, it's slow. Maybe it will be useful anyway, from time to time. And I am beginning to see other uses for the Parallels interface in general.