Download Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 5160

The folks at Parallels have an update prepared of the June 3.0 release of Desktop for Mac. It concerns build 5160, which from this server can be downloaded as a dmg file. Desktop for Mac is Parallels virtualization software for Mac OS X and is capable of running a variety of operating systems on the host computer through a virtual machine, including Windows in particular, but also other OSes such as Linux distributions, OS/2, and Solaris. Desktop for Mac is also able to run a Windows installation that has been put on the Mac via Boot Camp as a virtual machine. With the 3.0 release, it is not only possible to run applications and games that require 3D acceleration, but also Windows programs to run in Mac OS X and vice versa. In addition, Parallels Explorer allows access to files and folders in Windows without having to boot the operating system. Below you can read which changes have been made in the new Desktop for Mac:

Even though we consider this a “minor update” and we’re giving it away for free, there’s a lot of important new stuff inside:

• Coherence is now completely integrated with OS X’s “Expose” feature. This means when Expose is activated, each Parallels Coherence window will appear as a separate Window, displayed with its full contents. Coherence windows also “stack” in any order with Mac applications and offer drop shadows, just like native Mac application windows. You can even minimize Coherence windows to the Mac app dock, just like a normal Mac app window.

NOTE: I love this feature because I’m a Mac junkie, and one of my biggest beefs with Windows is that there’s no Expose equivalent…once you become reliant on Expose, working with alt+tab or out of the taskbar just doesn it cut it. Now, I get to use Expose in Windows the same way I do in OS X. Sweet.

• Mirrored Desktops, Documents and Media: This is a really great tool that ensures that you have instant access to all of your files and folders regardless of which OS X or Windows app you’re using. With Mirrored Desktops & Documents, you can set your Windows Desktop as well as your “My Documents”, “My Pictures”, and “My Music” folders to automatically mirror the Mac OS X desktop and the “Documents”, “Pictures”, “Movies” and “Music” folders located in the Mac home directory. A change in one file structure is automatically reflected in the other, so no more searching for documents or worrying about managing double copies. It’s a huge time and headache saver.
• More Powerful Parallels Explorer: Parallels Explorer, which enables users to view and modify the contents of their virtual machine (VM) hard disk while the VM is off, now gives you the option to automatically mount a VM hard drive to your OS X desktop as a drive that’s readable and writable even if the VM is off. This means you can access files inside their VMs instantly and at any time, even without opening Explorer.
• Superior Performance and Lower Overhead: The best part about this Update? It’s FAST. I mean, really, really fast. Real-world workload performance has been substantially improved, especially in high stress situations like OS startup and shutdown, and Parallels Desktop is much friendlier when it comes to resource usage (particularly CPU utilization). Vista’s faster and smoother too, and you can now also allocate up to 2GB of RAM to an individual virtual machine.

[break]