Does Windows 8 pro work with Parallels Desktop 8?

Does it?
...and does the whole work with my Macbook?

 

http://www.parallels.com/eu/products/desktop/

 

@Specimen
Can I install Windows 8 Pro via internal step by step Microsoft-Online-Update or do I have to I buy Windows-DVDs?

 

Windows 8 works in Parallels 8

I am as we speak downloading Windows 8 after purchasing the Windows 8 "upgrade" from within the Windows 8 preview in Parallels 8.
Parallels 8 comes installed with a link to create the VM with a Free Preview version of Windows 8, which is time limited - 30 days I think. You do have to download it from within Parallels.

Having no existing Windows version to "upgrade" for this Parallels VM, I was at a loss as to how I could buy a full version of Windows 8 after the Preview ran out. But good news; apparently the Preview is an Upgradable version.

Microsoft does NOT sell the Builder (Full Version) of Windows 8 on their site as far as I can tell. You can find it on Newegg.com etc.. It is double the price of the upgrade.

Buying a builder DVD was the route I was going to go, but after chatting with Parallels support she confirmed that the $39.99 ERP upgrade would work. So I went into Parallels, and clicked on the Windows 8 Preview ACTIVATE button, downloaded the $39.99 ERP upgrade tool, it then checked my VM, and led me to purchasing the $39.99 Upgrade.

The only bummer is it apparently is another full download.. I thought it might just be a key I needed to activate it.
Download is taking about 1 hour on a T-1

 

Only the installation of Windows 8 under Parallels also took an hour for me.

 

AFAIK, Windows 8 Preview is not upgradable to the retail version, you need to have a XP, Vista or Windows 7 installation to be able to upgrade to Windows 8.
If this indeed does work than it's likely a bug more than an actual intended feature.

 

Support told me this in Chat and it did in fact work for me. I finished it yesterday and we are running it now.

The process of the upgrade is fairly simple once you know the Upgrade link on Microsoft's site is a valid upgrade to the Preview.

But exactly how to get Windows 8 licensed in Parallels without a previous OS IS NOT well described. Not Parallels fault really as Microsoft does not make it clear that you can even do that. This is the first Windows OS that seems to be targeted only as an upgrade, at this point.

I would think lots of folks would like to be using Parallels with an entirely new OS license. Not everyone wants to give up the use of their PC to use Parallels on the Mac

If it is a bug it's a helpful one.

 

kicked it out again 'cause it was too slowly.
Deleted Parallels 8 totally and reinstalled it again with xp sp3 and office 2010.

After that I've had a very good performance

btw... what are the minimum requirements for Parallels 8 with Windows 8 pro on a Mac?

 

I'm using it on a CORE 2 DUO INtel iMac 10.7.5.with 4 Gig of Ram. Seems to work about average performance. Not a problem yet. We'll see.

 

thx for the info