I'm planning to buy Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac but before doing that I'd like to understand whether a license I'm buying could be transferred to another Mac and if so, how it is done. I found 2 somewhat relevant KB articles.
The first one is called "How to reinstall Parallels Desktop to your new Mac."
http://kb.parallels.com/en/114119
It pretty much says just install it and activate, the previous installation will cease to function. Sounds just fine (although it's not clear how deactivation on the old Mac works) but the article is marked "APPLIES TO: Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac."
The second article is much less reassuring, does marked "APPLIES TO: Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac," and is called "Unable to confirm the product license. You have reached the maximum number of activations."
http://kb.parallels.com/en/115324
That article offers only 1 solution and it is to buy another license. What implies the existing license can't be transferred at all. (At that point VMware Fusion 5 starts looking MUCH more appealing.)
Well, maybe the article is simply incomplete and there is some way to transfer a license but I'd like it to be confirmed before buying. And if there is a way I'd like to understand the details.
1. If it requires an explicit deactivation on the old Mac prior to activation on the new Mac, how the case when the old Mac completely died is handled?
2. If an explicit deactivation IS NOT required, how it is performed at all? The legally deactivated copy must connect to the activation server to learn that it is deactivated and perform the actual deactivation. So:
2a. Either it connects every time it starts or worse yet, periodically while it's running. That means you can't use your perfectly licensed, already activated copy without internet connection. What is quite unacceptable.
2b. Or it checks its activation status only when already connected to Parallels' server for some other reason, i.e. looking for updates. That would be reasonable from the user point of view but effectively allows to run "deactivated" copy forever without updates.
The first one is called "How to reinstall Parallels Desktop to your new Mac."
http://kb.parallels.com/en/114119
It pretty much says just install it and activate, the previous installation will cease to function. Sounds just fine (although it's not clear how deactivation on the old Mac works) but the article is marked "APPLIES TO: Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac."
The second article is much less reassuring, does marked "APPLIES TO: Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac," and is called "Unable to confirm the product license. You have reached the maximum number of activations."
http://kb.parallels.com/en/115324
That article offers only 1 solution and it is to buy another license. What implies the existing license can't be transferred at all. (At that point VMware Fusion 5 starts looking MUCH more appealing.)
Well, maybe the article is simply incomplete and there is some way to transfer a license but I'd like it to be confirmed before buying. And if there is a way I'd like to understand the details.
1. If it requires an explicit deactivation on the old Mac prior to activation on the new Mac, how the case when the old Mac completely died is handled?
2. If an explicit deactivation IS NOT required, how it is performed at all? The legally deactivated copy must connect to the activation server to learn that it is deactivated and perform the actual deactivation. So:
2a. Either it connects every time it starts or worse yet, periodically while it's running. That means you can't use your perfectly licensed, already activated copy without internet connection. What is quite unacceptable.
2b. Or it checks its activation status only when already connected to Parallels' server for some other reason, i.e. looking for updates. That would be reasonable from the user point of view but effectively allows to run "deactivated" copy forever without updates.
