Users of Intel-based Macs
can now dual-boot Windows (
or other operating systems) and Mac OS X on their machines. That's old news. (Well, a day old.) But, isn't logging out and shutting down Mac OS X and booting into Windows XP a bit of a hassle, just to edit a Word Perfect document or update records in an Access database?
It's Parallels to the rescue with
Parallels Workstation v2.1 for Mac OS X. [ See PDF datasheet
here ] A Russian-developed product, Parallels Workstation is a virtualization tool that enables users to run various operating systems, at full speed, without leaving OS X. According to Parallels spokesman Ben Rudolph:
"We will enable users to run multiple operating systems (like Linux and Windows) simultaneously with Mac OS X. This is not simply a "dual-boot" but instead gives our users the ability to use Windows or any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X, enabling users to enjoy the comfort of their Mac OS X desktop while still being able to use critical applications from other OSes."
See a video of Parallels Workstation in action, installing Firefox, sufing the web, and rebooting
here. A free, 45-day trail of the application can be downloaded from Parallel's website.
Techworld
betokened the release of this product earlier this week.