Parallels announced on Thursday that its virtualization software for Mac OS X, Desktop 3, has gone live and is immediately available.
The release of Parallels Desktop 3, the first major update since June 2006, introduces over 50 new features, enhancements and improvements that make running Windows and Mac software at the same time more seamless.
The first release candidate of version 3 was previously released on June 1st.
New features include:
- SmartSelect lets users use any Mac OS X or Windows app to open any file type.
- Snapshot, a security and backup tool.
- Security Manager, which allows customization of interaction between the two OSes.
- Hardware accelerated 3D graphics.
- Parallels Explorer, view and modify Windows virtual hard drive without launching Windows.
- Boot Camp Support, Windows on a Boot Camp partition can run in Parallels.
A complete synopsis of the new features is available at the Parallels Website.
Parallels Desktop 3 requires Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later and an Intel Mac with at least 512 MB RAM. 1 GB RAM is recommended.
Parallels Desktop 3 is immediately available for online purchase at www.parallels.com/en/buyonline or at retailers including, for example, the Apple retail stores, Fryis Electronics, MicroCenter, CompUSA, Amazon.com, Staples, Office Depot and select Best Buy stores. It is priced at US$79.99. There is a 15-day free trial that is fully functional.
Current Parallels Desktop users can upgrade their existing software to version 3.0 for US$49.99. Users can purchase the upgrade by clicking "Check for Updates" in the Parallels Help menu and following the on-screen prompts. Users can also purchase an upgrade at www.parallels.com/en/buyonline.