New arrivals: Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac with OS X Yosemite integration

Parallels boasts that Desktop 10 will be able to launch Office applications up to 50 percent faster and deliver up to 30 percent better battery life.

Upgrade available now (S$58), Full version available from 26 August (S$98).

Starting from today (20 August), current users can upgrade to Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac online.

Parallels today launched Parallels Desktop® 10 for Mac and Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac (Enterprise Edition) – software that enables Windows applications to be run on Macs.

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac and Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac Enterprise Edition has experimental support for many of the features of OS X Yosemite Developer Preview, bringing them to Windows and Windows applications.

Parallels does not provide technical support for it at this time.

Parallels plans to fully support OS X Yosemite in Parallels Desktop 10 when Yosemite becomes commercially available.

New built-in intelligence and support for Apple’s latest operating systems – including OS X Yosemite – greatly improves ease-of-use for both business users and consumers, allowing them to forget about the operating system and focus on the task at hand.

Parallels Desktop 10 will bring many of the announced features of Mac OS X Yosemite to Windows and Windows applications, supporting iCloud Drive, iMessages and SMS text sharing from Windows, and control of virtual machines from Spotlight preview and Finder QuickLook.

Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 on Mavericks.

New ease-of-use improvements include Wizards that guide users through optimizing their experience, improved performance and battery life, and improved usability between operating systems so that people can complete tasks more quickly.

“Millions of Parallels Desktop for Mac customers have come to expect ingenuity, ease of use and speed from Parallels and they will not be disappointed with Parallels Desktop 10,” said Parallels President Jack Zubarev.

Parallels Desktop 10 gets out of the way so customers can think less about the tools being used and more about what’s important.

It also offers the choice and freedom to use whatever operating system fits your needs – including OS X Yosemite, OS X Mavericks, Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Windows 8, Windows 7, Chrome OS, Android and a number of Linux operating systems – all on one computer.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition

Parallels is also updating Parallels Desktop® for Mac Enterprise Edition — which provides Windows applications on Macs in a corporate environment.

Coherence mode.

Now IT managers can support Windows applications for Mac users with a configurable, policy-compliant solution that easily fits into existing IT business processes.

“With Parallels Desktop 10 customers can enjoy new levels of productivity without having to worry about whether the app they need is available on a specific operating system — Parallels creates a world of compatibility at home, work and on the road,” added Zubarev.

New features allow administrators to select and enforce a USB device policy, install OS X guests using a NetBoot image from a server on the corporate network, encrypt OS X virtual machines with the help of the FileVault encryption feature built into OS X, and check the status of licenses and reclaim seats directly.

Built upon the Mac desktop virtualisation solution, it adds centralised administration and management capabilities as well as enhanced security to keep IT in control of virtual machines.

New Features and Improvements

Regardless of whether it’s ease-of-use, increased productivity, or better performance, Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac offers improvements across all fronts:

Mavericks and Windows 8.1 on Mavericks.

Performance and Optimisation:

Users can now open Windows documents up to 48 percent faster
Battery life is extended by up to 30 percent giving people additional work time when they need it most
Virtual machines use up-to 10 percent less Mac memory
New virtual machines with default settings launch Office 2013 applications up to 50 percent faster
Virtual machine only takes as much disk space on the Mac hard drive as it needs. Realtime optimization automatically compacts virtual disk eliminating the need for periodic manual compacts.
Free Disk Space Wizard allows to review and clean up space used by Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines

Migration dialog.

Easy to get started:

Now with one click users can select from a number of choices to optimize their virtual machine based on what their primary usage is: productivity, games, design or development
The new Parallels Control Center is a one-stop-shop for managing Parallels Desktop; it allows users to manage all their virtual machines and configuration settings from a single place
Windows installation has been streamlined, with new ways to configure virtual machines
Regional settings from the Mac are now set by default in Windows virtual machines

New Control Center in Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac.

Seamless integration for best user experience:

Users can share files, text or web pages from Windows using Internet accounts configured on their Mac such as Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr; or send them via email, AirDrop and Messages.
When users install a new Windows application, its icon will automatically be added to the OS X Launchpad
The unread email indicator on Outlook lets users see at a glance the number of unread emails in Outlook, just like with Apple Mail
Users can drag and drop files to the virtual machine icon in the Dock to open in Windows
Users also have the ability to easily restore any setting to its default value by clicking the Restore Defaults button in the Virtual Machine Configuration window
Users can drag and drop files to Mac OS X virtual machines

Configuration presets for existing VM.

Availability and Pricing

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac is available beginning today (20 August), as an upgrade for current Parallels Desktop for Mac users.

General configuration dialog.

The full version will be available to new customers on www.parallels.com/products/desktop starting 26 August.

“Today we are seeing a shift in consumer behavior. Users’ expectations are that they should be able to simply run any application they need regardless of operating system,” said Laura DiDio, ITIC Consulting.

Packaged software will also be available worldwide starting on 26 August in the U.S. (27 August in Singapore).

The standard retail price (SRP) of Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac is S$98 (with GST), and the Student Edition is available for S$58 (with GST).

Upgrades for existing Parallels Desktop 8 or 9 for Mac customers are S$58 (with GST).

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac customers receive a complimentary three-month subscription to the Parallels Access app for up to 5 Macs and PCs and an unlimited number of iOS and Android mobile devices.

Hardware configuration dialog.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition software is available here.

Parallels Mac Management plugin for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) extends your existing SCCM infrastructure to discover, enroll and manage Macs just like you do PCs, through a single pane of glass.

Windows 7 and Windows 8 on Mountain Lion.

From deploying Mac OS X images to managing virtual machines running in Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition, it’s everything you need to be a Mac management expert.

Below are more screenshots to give you a better idea of the look and feel of the Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac. Click to enlarge.