I just wanted to take a step back and state that having the ability to run XP Pro on my MacBook Pro using Parallels is proving to be a great boon to my professional productivity. I travel on business regularly and in the past I had to forsake my Mac as my travel computer during these trips to assure that I had the Windows tools that many of my clients require. Now I can travel with my MBP and have everything I need with that computer. I have had some issues with network connectivity on the XP side at some wireless hot spots, particularly T-Mobile, due to the way they have their wifi network configured (discussed in another thread), but other public wireless providers (e.g., AT&T) don't pose a limitation. I also have also not yet been able to get my XP VM to work with the Apple USB modem when I find myself having to depend on dial-up (I understand that this should work, but I haven't gotten it to), but in most cases, I can work around that by moving data files around using a shared folder and using networking on the Mac side to get data where I need it to go. Therefore I can now redeploy and dedicate my Windows laptop to another task ... using it for astrophotography with my Meade telescope, where the software is only available for Windows. In my office environment I use a PowerMac Dual 2.0 G5, and had given up on using VirtualPC as it is just way too slow and had too many limitations. (Using VPC on my older 800 MHz/1 GB TiBook was a total non-starter.) So I always had to crank up my Windows laptop to run Windows apps. Now I use my MBP when I need Windows. (Also note that the MBP in most ways is an equal if not better performer than the PowerMac) When the time comes to replace the PowerMac, in a year or so, I will definitely replace it with either the next generation Intel based "MacPro" tower or even an iMac so I can run Parallels on it. Assuming (which is not a stretch) that the performance on an Intel based iMac is at least as good as the MBP the iMac may be the logical next step. The only real drawback for me on the iMac is the limited disk internal disk space. In any case, I just wanted to express the positive effect that then new Intel based Macs and Parallels has had for me personally.
I absolutely agree with this. Although USB is puzzling, and I have a weird issue with not being able to get above 24 bit color, I've been able to work around these issues. Two major break-throughs for me has been my being able to get my Garmin 76CS to work, my Canon scanner to do its thing, and CNN Pipeline to work. My MacBook primary OS and other Macs have had some terrible issues with these. Parallels absolutely has them working. Anyway, I'm looking forward to this product evolving, but as it is now, with my adjusting for disabled or poorly working options by sharing back and forth between the primary OS and the guest, I have about as close to a perfect computer world as I can get.
. ehamburg, The nice people at Parallels would appreciate you posting that in the announcement forum under the cool Parallels stories threads. .
