Why do you use Parallels Desktop for Mac?

Hi! First time here so hope I do not goof. I do not yet have Parallels but am intrigued by the possiblity of using it. Currently, I have a 1-year-old Apple G5. Before that, I was using an Apple Blueberry. On that I created my web site using Microsoft FrontPage for Mac v.1. (See sample here http://members.shaw.ca/frozenorth/rivercrossing.htm) Since updates are no longer available for Mac and my G5 does not support my v.1, I was delighted to learn that there was this software called Parallels available for my G5. Long story short, I have been advised that my G5 does not support Parallels and I have to upgrade to a Mac with Intel.

Before I do that, I need to know if Parallels will support Microsoft FrontPage for Windows because that is available to me.

Thanks for reading.

 

reason for Parallels on Mac

From time to time I must work with or revise Wordperfect documents. Windows is the only option.

I also like Microsoft Streets and Microsoft Project.

As for the other MS Office apps, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are all much more user-friendly in OS X. For this I use Office X.


Greg.

 

I use Parallels for software that unfortunately is ONLY available for windows. Bernina astista, and EQ5.to name just 2. I wish I didn’t have to use XP but I do. The applications work great using Parallels in my mac book pro.

 

While my situation applies to a very small number of people, here it is;

I love to tinker with computers. This worked fine with CP/M, MS-DOS 2.11 and up as well as Windows 286 to Win 2k. I could buy a copy of the OS, break it a few times, or a few hundred times, re-install and go back to playing with my computer.

Win XP broke that. Now I have to buy a copy of XP (I own about 15) then take out my cracked install XP disk in order to play. MS just doesn't believe that you should be allowed to reinstall the same copy of XP a few hundred times, even if it is on the same hardware. Note, one of the old support suggestions was to save your data, reformat the HD and re-install Windows once or twice a year. Windows does work better now days, Still you would be astonished at how much performance gain re-installing Windows can have after a couple of years of operation, especially if you ever install or uninstall any apps.

Now I can install to A virtual Computer, burn the install to a DVD and go back to square one anytime I want. I can also set up a Virtual Machine specifically customized to run ONE Application. Probably the biggest problem with computers in general and in my support experience even more so with Windows is that every Application assumes that it is the only application in the world and destroys other apps and the OS during installation. Admittedly SFC and DLL cache significantly reduce but do not eliminate the problem.

Still I think that the best way to run a Application is in its own custom optimized OS. Virtual Computers allow this.

 

I want to use Parallels so i can access memory map and anquet software.

 

I use it mainly to run Simply Accounting with the Canadian payroll module not available for OS X. I also own a label printer by Sato and it has no OS X support, I have Correl Draw for windows and for the amount I use it I could not justify buying a OS X program of similar capabilities.

Those people that have bought MacBook Pros for style and don't care for OS X why are they wasting their money on Parallels rather than running windows using Bootcamp? I like Parallels because we run mostly in OS X but still need frequent access to windows apps which makes Parallels an easy choice.

Gerhard

 

Autocad Autocad Autocad

Looking forward to 3D acceleration

 

I use Parallels to run Office 2003 and Visual Studio 2003, and also to connect via Active Directory to network drives at work (one thing I have tried and tried to configure on my macbook but to no avail!)

 

I've developed various Access databases for customers.
With Parallel Desktop for Mac I can easily test the databases with various Office versions and/or various Windows version.
The best of both worlds on 1 machine!

 

I am a (web)developer.
I use Parallels to run WinXP for IE6/IE7. Visual Studio.
For syncing with a PPC using ActiveSync.
Also I use it for some chinese streaming programmes which are sadly Windows only

 

Frontpage (Windows version) will work under Windows if you run Windows under Parallels.
So you would need a copy of Windows (XP) and a copy of Frontpage for Windows.
I don't know if you are aware, but Frontpage has been discontinued by MS and replaced by Microsoft Expression Web.

Also...Frontpage isn't a favoured tool for creating websites, but that is another discussion..

Short answer: yes, it will work

 

I use Parallels to run flight-planning software and Microsoft Money.

 

I use MS Access in Windows (for which I have many older databases) and Filemaker Pro in Mac (in which I create newer databases)

I also use Minitab (a statistical program) in Windows, as there is no Mac version yet.

Other than that I am Mac all the way for the reasons we all know - security, simplicity, stability, aesthetics, etc.

 

What for?

I both a few computers and am always curious to try something new.... (MacBook Pro, Powerbook G3, and Dell 4500 desktop)

I use the MacBook for just about everything through OS X. I bought Parallels hoping to use it with Goldmine (contact manager software). But the IT people at work are security freaks so we're not there yet. Other than that, I have used it to run Solidworks (3D CAD software) and various versions of Yahoo messenger.

I use the Mac for some publishing, video editing, MS Office, Powerpoint, web surfing. With the exception of the video editing, which I truly believe is easier on a Mac, I would get along fine with a PC if I had to. Although I will point out that color calibration on a PC seems more troublesome on a PC as well, which has been a major pain at work (where I use XP with Creative Suite 2).

I'll admit that over the years I have probably spent more on software and hardware than I have needed to, but I have a firm belief that the knowledge gained has been instrumental in advancing my career.

Steve

 

I use parallels so that i can have all 3 main operating systems running under 1 hood:

Mac: File System
Linux: Coldfusion 8 enabled Web Server & MySQL
Windows: ASP.NET, SQLSERVER & Folder creation on RAID

I know anyone of the above can do the job on their own by why not let each one do what it does best !!

Also now i no longer require 3 physical servers just one decent Apple one

 

I use Parallels to run a test Steel Belted RADIUS server in Windows XP. I use a bridged Ethernet and run MySQL on my OSX platform and use that as the back-end server containing user credentials. I could also run an LDAP back-end server on the OSX platform or Oracle on Windows, Linux or Solaris VM.

I use JRadiusSimulator as the client on the OSX platform. This allows me to watch packet flow between the 'real' and virtual machines using Wireshark.

SBR is the only application I truly *need* under a VM. It doesn't run in OSX but does run in Windows and RHEL.

With this setup, I can test pretty much any customer setup.

 

Printing! Printing! Printing!

I've had problems trying to print to printers connected to various PCs. I've tried the various recommendations: Samba, advanced print options, etc. all without success. With Parallels, I put the files in a shared folder and documents have no problems printing over the wireless network!

 

I bought my first Mac shortly after they went Intel (I had never been impressed with the speed of OSX running on PowerPCs) and the thing that finally persuaded me to do so was the announcement that they could run Windows natively. This was because I knew I was tied to Windows with some of the applications I commonly run. I have been a Windows user for years (with a 1.5 year interlude of using BeOS) so understand most of the points you're making.
I have tried where I can to stick with OSX applications where I can and have largely succeeded, so this is where I haven't gone the same route as yourself... so here is my 2 cents worth .

I would agree pretty much here, I don't see much difference in stability between the two.

Spyware is a big problem so you're actually admitting pain here.. As a Windows Admin I have had to do some serious stuff in the registry on corporate servers and it can be pretty scary sometimes.

The argument that OSX doesn't have viruses because it isn't targeted sounds valid except it still hasn't had a single serious virus (none I know of anyway, feel free to correct me) since it was released 7-8 years ago. I am more inclined to believe the argument that its security model based on BSD is what has helped it most. Of course it doesn't pay to be lax on these matters.
Most of Windows security weaknesses have been addressed by Vista so I would have liked to have said we are moving to an even field..... but because Vista has pretty high hardware requirements (at least if you want to use its new features) not only because of the eye candy but because of its constant monitoring of DRM (which benefits the customer how?) most customers and corporate offices are going to stick to XP for the foreseeable future.
As for the size of the concern, whilst antivirus software works pretty well mostly, every so often something crops up that causes chaos (again speaking from working in Windows Admin) and I don't think that is going to change soon.

I agree 100% here, the only applications like this I use are supported better on Windows.

Again inclined to agree. Furthermore while I now only buy hardware that provides support for OSX I have found at least a couple of times that driver support (printers especially) is seriously inferior on the Mac.

I am stubborn to some extent in that I have stuck at using OSX where I would have been more comfortable using Windows (but stuck at it because I paid for a Mac!) and really, it has got easier and easier. I have always had Boot Camp and/or Parallels as backup and still use them regularly but only when I have to, though as an application user it is difficult to escape Windows sometimes.
What has happened though is that I have found that I become attached to some of the features of OSX and the preloaded software that came with it and even the little white iPod pretender remote.
Creativity My creativity has definitely taken an up turn with iLife...
Since getting my Mac I have created a Blog using iWeb, created 4-5 holiday DVDs using iDVD (very professional looking) not so impressed with iPhotos (seems restrictive for what I want to do) but anyway you get the idea.
Multimedia The couch potato in me lets me watch videos, listen to music, DVDs and everything works with the little white remote. Nice with my 24" Wide Screen Dell monitor.
Keychain Access Not just useful for your Internet/Application passwords but also online banking etc... really very useful
Dialogue Boxes Windows dialogue boxes are a pet hate of mine and they have become even worse in Vista, I have never understood why you have confirm with your OS numerous times what you have already told it you want to do. In OSX yes, they're there but it is much easier to see why, and for much of what you do in OSX the change is instant.
The OSWhilst I will admit that I didn't at first, I now prefer the whole overall feel of the OS in use.

I know where you are coming from, I still need Windows which why I still use Boot Camp and Parallels. It just seems such a waste of opportunity to me that you use your MBP just as a Windows machine
Take a look at "Mac OS X Panther Timesaving Techniques for Dummies" too. I too had missed some key features of OSX until I read this.

Darn.. what happened to Thursday

 

I use Parallels in our Law Firm in able to run Windows specific software for our practice. We like Macs, I appreciate the 'lack of viruses' and the user ease. It is also much more stable than the Windows environment and 'just works' once it is set up properly.

I disagree with the accusation that OS X is 'not targeted' because 'it has a lower marketshare and thus less impact'... Rather, it would be a very 'satisfying' attack for the hacker. Imagine, being the first to 'pawn' OS X. The public now has a massive awareness of Apple, the iPod sparked it all. Most people don't think much when they hear about another attack on M$, but Apple. That would get the attention of a lot of people, especially since Apple pushes all the adds with 'no virus' messages. Not to mention the 'joy' a hacker might have taking down NASA and Pixar.

Let me write a sort of disclaimer though. I realize that OS X has had viruses developed, in labs, for it. I do not claim it to be the 'holy grail' of computing, nor the 'answer all'. But I do see it is as a much better option than most Windows solutions. I also find it more 'mainstream', so to speak, than Linux, it just works out of the box.

 

Well, I am a new user to Mac, but for obvious reasons. I'm a college student so being able to play is a big thing for me. So here are my reasons for switching and why I use parallels:

1) The mac has a lot better battery life out of all the research I've done, and that's a HUGE thing for me as I am in classes for 3.5 hours at a time, most of the time w/o a plug available.

2) I am an avid PC user, and I have built 5 different computers, not to mention I work on them all the time. Now, I work as a CSR in tech support for an ISP and I have noticed a few things. For one, Mac problems are very few and far between, granted we have a lot smaller percentage of people on macs, but the amount of actual issues is SIGNIFICANTLY lower. I also got a mac so I could personally learn more about it and be more helpful on those issues that do arise. Not to mentiom this is a refreshing change from the ways of windows.

3) Vista has me more than fed up with windows. I have to support it in my job and windows does a horrible job with keeping everything workin like it should, and they have BURIED all of the functions that shouldn't be. For instance it takes twice as long to get to the proper place in windows to create a dialup connection...in a mac...almost no time at all. Not to mention Vista is OUTRAGEOUSLY priced...whereas a MAC OS release is $130.

4) I use parallels MAINLY to screw around with vista and to play some games on XP. The only thing I use it for mainly is Yahoo Messenger as that isn't NEARLY as developed as it should be for Mac OS.

5) It's refreshing to not have to worry about viruses in the mac. No antivirus bs to worry about is a really really nice change.