Parallels Desktop question
I read that Parallels does not support USB. Is this true, and if so, what does it mean? Would I still be able to print from Parallels. Also, which is better Parallels or Boot Camp? I'm planning on getting a new iMac but my wife, a teacher, has some programs that run under OS 9 (Classic) but not OS X. Of course the new iMacs don't run Classic anymore so I'll need to run Windows so she can still use the programs. But I'm not sure which direction to take. Having to reboot would be a pain but if I can't print via USB in Parallels I'd be in trouble too. Thanks for the help.
Comments
I've been using Parallels for a month or so on my MacBook Pro. So far so good. I make only light use of windows so I am not very critical. I only run one application (our company product). It runs about 25% faster than the same application processing the same files on an older Dell laptop. This means I now leave the Dell laptop at home and use the MacBook Pro for both my Keynote presentations and for doing live demonstrations of our product.
I have had one problem with Ethernet using Parallels but I think that is because I have set something wrong, not because the programs is limited.
Personally I like Boot Camp better. The support is better and in the rare occasion I do need windows I can restart. (Which takes only 23 seconds on a MacBook) I can live with that.
Added multi interface USB devices support (including Windows Mobile 2005 devices)
Added isochronous USB devices support (including WebCam devices)
Minor USB fixes
I prefer parallels, if you have the ram. Most of the time I use it for something real quick, like exporting a visio file to a concept draw file, or using a network tool. For boot camp, tt isn't even the time it takes to go into windows, it is the fact that you can't do anything else.
Boot Camp --
Save and closed everything you are working on. (this is pain)
Restart, boot into windows. (a minute or more of zero productivity)
Do what you need to do.
Restart, boot into mac. (another minute of zero productivity)
Parallels --
Click an icon, click the play button.
Continue work for 60 seconds while windows loads in the background.
Do what you need to do.
Click shut down. Go back to mac.
Continue working while windows shuts down in the background.
Nothing had to be closed, no waiting or down time.
I usually have several apps open on my mac. None of this I use safari, itunes, and word stuff. I'm talking lots of apps, navicat, remote desktop, flash, dreamweaver, photo shop, usually a shell doing a long process, a couple browsers with lots of tabs in each, etc. It takes a LONG time to save all of that, close, then reopen it all again. It might take 23 seconds to start up to a clean slate, but then you have to reload everything.
Bootcamp is great if you need to use a resource hog of a program (game, packet analyzer, etc.), but you pay the price of lost productivity each time you have to re-boot. Yeah, it just a few minutes (unless you have to reopen 15 apps, then it is alike ten minutes) but that can add up.
Parallels is great if you are a mac user with the occasional need for a windows app.
Or, you can just use both if you can spare the hard drive space.
I'd say Parallels is the easiest route plus you can boot and restart Windows in seconds. Seriously, it's like 8 seconds or something to boot it up.
It also reports of very good things to come. I haven't seen this reported here but apparently full speed 3D gaming is coming by the end of the year:
http://parallelsvirtualization.blogs...are-is-in.html
I'm guessing it's probably through software-based DirectX rather than hardware drivers to maximise compatibility and the other method probably wouldn't work but still, I tried out a fast software renderer in Parallels and it ran pretty well.
You have to ask what software you need to run. If it's just stuff like IE or Word then Parallels is great as you can easily share files between OS X and Windows. If it's for DirectX support or something you know won't work in Parallels the go with Bootcamp. For me, Bootcamp is a last resort option.
Can anyone comment on how Parallels works on the 24inch iMac? As I've said in another thread, I had a real disaster trying to bootcamp mine. Maybe the problem I had didn't have anything to do with bootcamp, but I've read about enough problems with bootcamp on the 24incher with 7600 that I am considering eschewing bootcamp in favor of parallels. So can anyone comment on Parallels + the 24inch iMac.
Since it's CPU bound, the GPU shouldn't affect it and I know it runs fine on a 20" iMac which has the same processor as the 24". You just need to get the latest RC. It seems to be stable, no reported crashes so far.
I was wondering whether to go with bootcamp on my Mini or use Parallels and I just didn't have the drive space to spare so I went with Parallels. DirectX software doesn't work but the majority of the software does. I even got Houdini working to an extent, which is a 3D rendering package.
For things like IE, Office, video encoding etc it's great. It uses two processors too so it's very snappy.