Suggested improvements to Coherence and using Windows within Parallels

I think Coherence is absolutely amazing and the developers ought to be commended for all their hard work. However, there are still a few improvements that would permit the user to interact with Windows applications almost as if they were native applications, while keeping their network connectivity and file access sand-boxed by Parallels.

1. Suppress the taskbar. Instead, create an applet that replicates the Windows start menu items and runs in Dock. Virtual PC had a similar feature.

2. Optionally, separately show running Windows applications in Dock and Task Switcher

3. Optionally, display all Windows programs as separate windows in Expose

4. Allow drag and drop of Windows programs to the Dock or Applications folder, which creates an alias to Parallels, which either (1) if the Windows application is running, changes focus to that application, or (2) if the Windows application is not running, passes the "run" command to that program. If Parallels itself isn't running, clicking on the alias will also start Parallels and Windows, with a polite splash screen indicating wait time.

5. If a Windows program (as opposed to Parallels, the Windows desktop or the Start Menu applet described above) has focus, map Apple-W and Apple-Q to File > Exit so we can close the Windows program without closing Parallels or Windows.

6. When the Windows taskbar isn't suppressed, make the start menu disappear if no menu item is selected and focus has been lost for x seconds (otherwise, start menu just stays open)

Indirectly related to Coherence but important to integrating Windows and Mac...

7. Add Bonjour printing to the Parallels toolset so that Windows can print to existing Mac printers and create PDF documents.

8. Although I already own Little Snitch, a bundle deal for that program in conjunction with using Parallels in NAT mode would be of great benefit to Windows on Parallels users (Parallels isn't just VM, it's security software, which allows Windows users to block phone-home/spyware).

9. Consider a similar deal for an antivirus program for Windows. Sure, I can separately purchase one but having everything fully integrated with the Parallels toolset install/update is a no-brainer.

 

Great ideas. I especially like 1-5.

 

Another suggestion...

I have a dual monitor setup with my external monitor arranged directly above my MBP display. It would be great if I could configure coherance to span the two monitors so I could effectively drag XP windows to either display and Mac windows to either display.