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Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac Comes With Sierra Support, Standalone Toolbox App
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Updated yesterday (e-mail link from Parallels) and went for the PRO version, as I got a special offer for 49$/year (reduced from $99), fixed price (won't change after 1st year back to $99).
I'm a developper and $49/year is nothing considering the benefits, stability etc.
I use Parallels for 3 years and I'm good with it - it does the job without micro-management or issues.
While I could upgrade every 2 years, I prefer to be up-to-date as most of their team's effort will go into supporting the latest version.
First impressions:
- everything seems to run smooth, just as before (neutral)
- almost instant suspend of virtual machine (good)
- the new toolbar is kinda useless (bad) I'll probably uninstall it soon
I'm a developper and $49/year is nothing considering the benefits, stability etc.
I use Parallels for 3 years and I'm good with it - it does the job without micro-management or issues.
While I could upgrade every 2 years, I prefer to be up-to-date as most of their team's effort will go into supporting the latest version.
First impressions:
- everything seems to run smooth, just as before (neutral)
- almost instant suspend of virtual machine (good)
- the new toolbar is kinda useless (bad) I'll probably uninstall it soon
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Yes, VMware relocated the GUI development to China. It is possible for good software to be written outside the USA, and even by non-Americans.
You do know that Parallels, for example, was originally developed by a development team in Russia, right? Read more about one of Parallels' founders here: http://www.ksonline.ru/stats/-/id/898/
Tech companies often have huge numbers of technical staff outside the USA in Europe, Asia, etc. Let's look at IBM for example. In Asia, IBM has 74,000 employees just in India, not counting China, Japan, etc.
My point is that just because a staff of American programmers was laid off and the software was given to a development team in Asia doesn't mean the software will automatically turn into a steaming pile of дерьмо.
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My only concern about the future of Fusion is that normally by now there has been a Technical Preview available for the years new release. There is nothing.
I clicked on this story to read the annual "complain about Parallels upgrade tactics" thread, and wasn't disappointed. By the time I got here, there were already too many posts to read, though. 
A few years back there was an especially vocal person or two in Parallel's support forums, and I jumped in and tried to offer up some reasonable recommendations to the company, but they appeared to be deaf to my recommendations. The gist was that I thought they should at least offer a more noticeable upgrade discount to existing users.
After that went nowhere, I later noticed that every so often you could find a very inexpensive upgrade to their *prior* version on some online stores (e.g., Newegg, Amazon...I forget exactly which ones). Contrary to what some are claiming in this thread, Parallels does not make *every* version incompatible with the next Mac OS version. Rather, it seems to consistently be every *other* version. So, when the latest Mac OS version comes out, you should be able to run it with whatever latest version of Parallels that they quickly put out, *or* the prior version of Parallels.
So, using the money-saving tip I just mentioned, you can keep yourself compatible for very cheaply if you are content being one version behind on Parallels.
Or, as at least one other person has mentioned in this thread, you can have the *latest* version of Parallels, but only do the upgrade once every other year. This will keep you more current than me for part of the time, but I believe you'll pay a bit more ($50 every other year, when discounted?) for that upgrade approach, versus my approach which can be $20 or less every year (I think one of the upgrades I got one year included a rebate which made it nearly free).
A few years back there was an especially vocal person or two in Parallel's support forums, and I jumped in and tried to offer up some reasonable recommendations to the company, but they appeared to be deaf to my recommendations. The gist was that I thought they should at least offer a more noticeable upgrade discount to existing users.
After that went nowhere, I later noticed that every so often you could find a very inexpensive upgrade to their *prior* version on some online stores (e.g., Newegg, Amazon...I forget exactly which ones). Contrary to what some are claiming in this thread, Parallels does not make *every* version incompatible with the next Mac OS version. Rather, it seems to consistently be every *other* version. So, when the latest Mac OS version comes out, you should be able to run it with whatever latest version of Parallels that they quickly put out, *or* the prior version of Parallels.
So, using the money-saving tip I just mentioned, you can keep yourself compatible for very cheaply if you are content being one version behind on Parallels.
Or, as at least one other person has mentioned in this thread, you can have the *latest* version of Parallels, but only do the upgrade once every other year. This will keep you more current than me for part of the time, but I believe you'll pay a bit more ($50 every other year, when discounted?) for that upgrade approach, versus my approach which can be $20 or less every year (I think one of the upgrades I got one year included a rebate which made it nearly free).
I was under the impression that it was due to OSX's support of OpenGL. OSX uses a version from 2010, and they wanted to use a newer version. So, it would make sense that Parallels would leverage windows, using the newer OpenGL version.
Those were the bundles for 11:
https://9to5mac.com/2015/11/24/para...-evernote-camtasia-pocket-pdfpen-snagit-more/
https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/15/parallels-power-bundle-mac-1password-free/
Later in May they also sent a 30% off coupon code and another one with 25% off in June.
I'll wait again this time to see what might come and if it's worth for me to upgrade.
https://9to5mac.com/2015/11/24/para...-evernote-camtasia-pocket-pdfpen-snagit-more/
https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/15/parallels-power-bundle-mac-1password-free/
Later in May they also sent a 30% off coupon code and another one with 25% off in June.
I'll wait again this time to see what might come and if it's worth for me to upgrade.
Parallels still seems to be stuck in OpenGL 2.1 mode despite version 12 and three years delay. Fusion 8 is at OpenGL 3.1/3.2, clearly more advanced. AutoDesk apps may need OpenGL 3.x and are not available on OSX. Sadly I am running Parallels, any upgrade will be to Fusion 8 and not Parallels 11 or 12 until they fix this.
$80 for Parallels , $120 for Windows 10. $200 just to run Windows sometime... seems a hefty price to pay.
I think Parallels is worth the $80 if they support you for 4 to 5 years, but on a yearly upgrade basis this is just too much. We need more competition in this segment to fix these prices.
I mean $120 for Win10 but $80 for the software that will make it worth inside OS X? something does not sound right here. At least Win10 is supported for like 10 years.
I think Parallels is worth the $80 if they support you for 4 to 5 years, but on a yearly upgrade basis this is just too much. We need more competition in this segment to fix these prices.
I mean $120 for Win10 but $80 for the software that will make it worth inside OS X? something does not sound right here. At least Win10 is supported for like 10 years.
Parallels still seems to be stuck in OpenGL 2.1 mode despite version 12 and three years delay. Fusion 8 is at OpenGL 3.1/3.2, clearly more advanced. AutoDesk apps may need OpenGL 3.x and are not available on OSX. Sadly I am running Parallels, any upgrade will be to Fusion 8 and not Parallels 11 or 12 until they fix this.
Please get your facts straight.
Parallels is $80 but only for the first time purchase, thereafter, the upgrade is $50 but you only really need to upgrade every two years...so $25 a year is not bad.
Please don't post biased information for whatever your agenda reason is.
Apple use extremely weak GPUs, which are further crippled by Apple's terrible OpenGL driver and lack of Vulkan support.
No updates for oGL, because Apple will replace it with Metal. But it is slooow process, maybe next year it is ready...? With macOS 10.13.
Bootcamps fine if you dont mind the reboot and only need one other OS, but for me VMs come into their own when you need fast/simultaneous access to multiple different OS/software configs
e.g. I carry a half dozen images on macbooks internal SSD for our main access control clients (each with their specific host OS and software suite that they run on their live system)
One of our clients hits a problem - I can fire up their particular VM and be working with exactly same OS (XP W7 or W10) and software that the client has in front of them
Likewise when it comes time for them to need an update to their access control software - I just create a spare copy of their particular VM and simulate the install on that Will let me see if the upgrade from their current version to the new one will go thru cleanly or has nasty surprises.
I can even run the original VM with the original software and the new VM with their updated software simultaneously - lets me F3 back and forwards between the two while stepping thru the common tasks they do in order to see if anything major has changed in their sofware that I need to warn them of.
Once Im happy its going to be a winner I can update their live system to match my new VM (and then either trash the old VM or archive it off onto an external drive for posterity)
Yeah, seriously. Running games in a VM is ridiculous. Why are Windows-only games still a thing anyway? DirectX? Isn't there OpenGL? All the Valve games support Mac, as do many other major games in general.
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The former is possible in VirtualBox and in whatever VMWare software runs on Windows.
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Don't mind paying for the upgrade, cost of a coffee or two a month. Do object to paying for something that doesn't work for me.
Vista VM just goes straight to black screen and stays there using 100% of one CPU. Suggested work-around gives Blue Screen (ahhh... Windows)
Looking at their forums, there is a scatter of similar problems across other guest operating systems
Cue comments about well it must be you 'cos it works for me...
Vista VM just goes straight to black screen and stays there using 100% of one CPU. Suggested work-around gives Blue Screen (ahhh... Windows)
Looking at their forums, there is a scatter of similar problems across other guest operating systems
Cue comments about well it must be you 'cos it works for me...
Their pricing policy is ridiculous. On their website, it's £64.99 for a license. It's also £64.99 for a 1 year subscription. For what it's worth, 1 year is pretty much 1 OS X release, and 1 parallels version.
The crazy thing is - if they offered it as a service for say, £2.99 a month, I think lots more people would go for it. They're kind of shooting themselves in the foot with it.
That said, I use VMWare Fusion now, largely due to the ESXi integration. I also find it far more stable than Parallels, especially when it comes to USB passthrough.
The crazy thing is - if they offered it as a service for say, £2.99 a month, I think lots more people would go for it. They're kind of shooting themselves in the foot with it.
That said, I use VMWare Fusion now, largely due to the ESXi integration. I also find it far more stable than Parallels, especially when it comes to USB passthrough.
If you buy a permanent license for 10 or 11 you can buy the subscription for a more reasonable price.
I'd have to say that Parallels 12 is almost magical.
If you are looking to run intensive 3D software on a Macbook, yes Macbook, not Macbook Pro, that requires a beefy graphics card then your are in for a surprise.
God knows how they did it. But 3D stuff just flies. Amazing.
If you are looking to run intensive 3D software on a Macbook, yes Macbook, not Macbook Pro, that requires a beefy graphics card then your are in for a surprise.
God knows how they did it. But 3D stuff just flies. Amazing.
Because the ones for console development don't work with the Mac version (specifically the ones for Nintendo). It's hard to explain, but that's what I'm dealing with right now. If I can get it to reliably work on the macOS version, then...
... well, I'll have one less reason to use Windows.
Thanks.
http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/
BTW: Parallels always had a Russian CEO and Russian developers.