New Mac user, hoping I could get a few questions answered. There are some things I was wondering about before I went ahead and purchased Parallels. Firstly, does Parallels allow for any booting of the Windows installed via Boot Camp or are two different instillations necessary? Are there currently any known problems with the accessing of ports, namely the USB? How much is the final version of Parallels going to change from this current beta one? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
Parallels and Boot Camp are quite different. Parallels cannot use a Boot Camp installation nor vice-versa, so two separate installations are required. It's possible a future version of Parallels may be able to use a Boot Camp installation of Windows. Some users have experience problems both with networking and USB, but it isn't clear that this is a problem with Parallels since it works fine for most people. The current version of Paralles is the release version, not a beta.
I was a swicther last year and just installed Parallels on my new MacBook. I used the Beta for a month or so before installing the final release version. With respect to USB devices I've hooked up portable hard drives and camera card connection devices without incident. My networking has been great. Its very transparent. I wireless to my router in the house and switch between XP and OSX continuously. I use the XP side to get to my Tivo and my Wireless Ximeta Backup Drive. It's also been great on the road. Easy wireless. In order to run smoothly though you should have at least 1 GB of memory. Now, if you expect to play games in the XP side that's another issue all together. I've only be able to run the games that came with XP. Anything else there seems to be an issue on the XP side. Lastly, there are some subtle things to be aware of when runing both and hooking up devices. Be sure you know which window (OS) your operating in when hooking up a device (iPod, Card Reader, etc) or inserting a CD or DVD so the right operating system responds. All in all a great investment for me. VG
No, you must install Windows twice if you intend to run both Boot Camp (run either Windows or OS X) and Parallels (run Windows with OS X). Boot Camp is necessary where maximum compatibility or video and audio device driver access is required. In short, if you intend to play games, do heavy 3D work (3DS Max, etc.) or need the full amount of memory in your system, you should use Boot Camp. Otherwise, Parallels is a great choice. Yes. There have been many reported compatibility issues surrounding the virtual USB ports. For the most part, basic printers, mice, and so on, work fine. Various GPS devices and some printers have had problems. I haven't heard of anyone who has tried the Firewire devices (and complained), any built-in cameras will not work (nor in Boot Camp), and I've not heard of anyone who has tried using the Express Port capabilities (in the MacBooks). The final version is shipping now, although a few lingering issues still exist, the product is extremely stable - more than most PC desktops in my experience (20+ years). Bottom Line IMO, if you need to run Windows or Linux desktop applications, there is no better solution than a Intel Mac with Parallels - including buying two separate machines.
Following on from my earlier reply...Just one more thing re: Parallels and CDs etc. I was trying to burn a playlist from iTunes in OSX but received a message saying burn already in process. I had to "suspend" my virtual parallels session and then the burn occurred without incident. That is an example of things you just have to be ready for when attaching devices or in this case, inserting a blank CD. VG
