Parallels Desktop 8 updated to support Apple's OS X Mavericks
Popular desktop virtualization client Parallels released an update to their desktop app for Mac on Wednesday, allowing Apple developers to run beta versions of OS X Mavericks in tandem with older versions of the Mac operating system.
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac has been updated to version 8.0.18494, giving developers more flexibility to test their apps in Mavericks, without needing to dedicate an entire machine to a potentially buggy beta build of the operating system. Parallels 8 also allows any user to run a virtualization of other popular operating systems such as Google?s Chrome, Linux and Windows 8.
While Parallels 8 does not support Mavericks as a new, blank virtual machine (VM), users can alter an existing VM to run the developer versions.
To enable this feature, simply update to the latest build of Parallels before opening an existing VM running OS X. Then, take a snapshot of the VM to prevent any data loss and increase the video memory to 128 MB in that bank. Once the Developer Preview of Mavericks is installed it can be run on the same machine as current builds of Snow Lion or other versions of OS X.
Developers running Parallels 8 for Mac have been attempting to run Mavericks as a VM since the first beta build were released during this year?s WWDC, but many were unable to do so. The new update to the software brings what the company calls "experimental" support for developer builds of Mavericks, and should resolve some of the issues developers faced in recent weeks.
The last major update to Parallels Desktop 8 came last November, when the software was given expanded support for Microsoft's latest Windows 8 platform. The update also gave users the ability to use Mountain Lion's Dictation feature in Windows applications.
Parallels Desktop 8 launched last September, boasting 30 percent faster 3D graphics, and a 25 percent faster startup for Windows. The release also added support for Apple's MacBook Pro Retina displays, and is optimized to work with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac has been updated to version 8.0.18494, giving developers more flexibility to test their apps in Mavericks, without needing to dedicate an entire machine to a potentially buggy beta build of the operating system. Parallels 8 also allows any user to run a virtualization of other popular operating systems such as Google?s Chrome, Linux and Windows 8.
While Parallels 8 does not support Mavericks as a new, blank virtual machine (VM), users can alter an existing VM to run the developer versions.
To enable this feature, simply update to the latest build of Parallels before opening an existing VM running OS X. Then, take a snapshot of the VM to prevent any data loss and increase the video memory to 128 MB in that bank. Once the Developer Preview of Mavericks is installed it can be run on the same machine as current builds of Snow Lion or other versions of OS X.
Developers running Parallels 8 for Mac have been attempting to run Mavericks as a VM since the first beta build were released during this year?s WWDC, but many were unable to do so. The new update to the software brings what the company calls "experimental" support for developer builds of Mavericks, and should resolve some of the issues developers faced in recent weeks.
The last major update to Parallels Desktop 8 came last November, when the software was given expanded support for Microsoft's latest Windows 8 platform. The update also gave users the ability to use Mountain Lion's Dictation feature in Windows applications.
Parallels Desktop 8 launched last September, boasting 30 percent faster 3D graphics, and a 25 percent faster startup for Windows. The release also added support for Apple's MacBook Pro Retina displays, and is optimized to work with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
Comments
prior to this update you could run a mavericks vm, although it needed at least 2 cpus and 64GB of vram. and this update has been available since at least monday.
but thanks for the incorrect facts, crack analysis, and brilliant conclusions, appleinsider staff.
SNOW LION? lol I guess there are a couple more cats left
Four or Five years ago I had to use Parallels on my iMac to run XP because some stupid real estate sites would only work with Windows IE. Ugh!
Parallels was always very good with new releases, updates, etc. It sure made it better than have a dedicated windows box.
Thankfully I don't have to do that anymore.
Best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pooch
prior to this update you could run a mavericks vm, although it needed at least 2 cpus and 64GB of vram.
When Apple released Mountain Lion last year I couldn't install OS X as a virtual machine in Parallels 7. I emailed them and they said you have to upgrade to Parallels 8 because OS X VM are not supported anymore.. WTH?!
After little playing around I found that their default setup for OS X VM prevent it from running. I changed the settings to 2 CPU's and more RAM and VRAM and everything worked great. They also still did not solve the problem where Parallels 7 makes shutting down your Mac (with mountain lion) takes at least 60 seconds. They still list this as a known issue (since last year) and promised a fix that never arrived.
I use Parallels and I like the software. It is the best VM I have tried. But their customer care practices are not great.
They hang out with those Sea Leopards I hear.
Wow. On your production machine. Not scared things might get wonky? Or it is your production machine but not a tool for your income?
Jeez! You are so right. Always boot into a an alternative partition or drive for Mavericks or whatever is the beta de jour, never run a beta OS on a production Mac! I am also careful not to load data for tests unless from a cloned drive. Often libraries can't be downgraded once run on a newer version.
I did run a clone of VMware with Windows 7 in 10.9 and is seemed to work fine, I didn't notice anything untoward so far.
Off topic I know and oft' times discussed but of the two I find VMware Fusion by far the better of the two main stream VMs for Mac.
Excellent point! Libraries are a different thing, and even more reason to upgrade a clone of use a spare HDD. I have many laying around because they became to small but great to have as a spare for beta testing.