I suggest you download the release candidate, print out the on-line manuals, and study them carefully. Then download the Bootcamp product from Apple (also beta - not even release candidate status). Study the Bootcamp documentation and make certain you understand the concepts. You will be building a complex multi-way environment with tools that are completely new to you and if you are not versed in the language it will be and remain confusing for you.
You will have a system that can boot up in either OS X or Windows. That is Bootcamp providing the service. When booted into OS X you can also run Windows concurrently, and that is Parallels providing the service.
Parallels will also be using your existing Windows installation, and you need to know that this brings some surprises to Windows. Because Parallels emulates the hardware, Windows will see it has been relocated when it starts in that environment and will require you activate it just as you did when installing it in Bootcamp. Hopefully this is the last time you'll have to do that.
If you use Bootcamp to boot into Windows, Parallels is out of the picture as is OS X.
Once all this is running you need to understand that Windows booted from Bootcamp will have far more capabilities than Windows running in Parallels. That is the nature of virtual machines. In Parallels you will not have access to 3D video, Fireware devices, and some software is just not compatible with virtual environments.
Networking in Parallels is very different than networking when booting from Bootcamp. Don't think that what works in one will be successful in the other environment. It is almost a left brain/right brain activity. Just be aware of the environment you are in and use methods appropriate for that environment.
Done wrong, this process can destroy all your data in OS X and in Windows. Make plenty of backups as you go through this. Put all your downloaded installation software on CD or DVD so you can recover it quickly if it's needed. It does you no good to have it on a hard drive you cannot access.
So what can you expect? Problems, certainly. Some will be show up because this is all very new stuff, and even production code will have bugs. Some will be because you have three vendors providing software, and two of them have not done much to make this a sure thing. Parallels has the burden of integrating everything, and Microsoft and Apple are not on the hook to make any of this easier for you. Some problems will be self-inflicted because you misunderstood something, expected something to be that is not, or did something that even you recognized was a mistake as soon as you hit the Enter key. Just be sure you know whose butt to kick when something has gone kerfluffle.
Success - you really can expect it! Relish it, because it will mean you have created in your home this very complex environment that just a few years ago would have required years of experience and thousands of dollars to achieve. Don't lose sight of the limitations of virtual machines, work within the system capabilities, and you will have the best possible experience with these very fine, integrated products.
But to answer your question, there's no significant reason to wait for a released version as it will be only slightly less buggy than the beta/RC versions.
Last edited: Feb 18, 2007