Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac

Easy install, easy to use. Helped me tremendously to use M$ Office PC version on my Mac. It works perfectly.

I began my Parallels experience with version 6, which worked great on my IMac. But each new version sucked more and more resources and was far more brittle. In addition, Parallels never updated - every OS change by either Apple or Microsoft required buying an upgrade to the next version. With this version, it archived all my VMs. They are there, but compressed into an inaccessible shell - when I try to launch, Parallels says "hard disk not found". It also destroyed two successive builds of Windows 10 - the very reason I purchased this "latest and greatest". As this happened over time, I had no opportunity during the limited, 30 day support window to seek help. Further, although the email that invited me to review the product said Parallels "welcomed me to contact them before posting a negative review", the link to the email address to send to was this: "You can email her directly: [e-mail address removed]. So much for customer service. At present, I am afraid to use Parallels, but have to resort to dual-booting as the only way to keep Parallels from corrupting yet another Windows 10 installation. What the prospective buyer should understand is that I am a senior software engineer, with an MS in computer science, and serving in various development capacities from 1995 to 2012, when I retired. I am a Microsoft certified professional, fluent in multiple languages, facile with multiple platforms, including UNIX, LINUX, Windows. For over 20 years my only PCs, besides my laptop and IMac, I have built from components, and maintain multiple-boot workstations and servers. I know what I am doing. It seems Parallels has forgotten what it is they are supposed to do.

I switched to a Mac, mostly because I find Windows frustrating and aggravating. I won't go back. However, I have one program that I can't live without and isn't available in a Mac version. This works okay. I don't like the subscription option, and so I bought the program, even though I realize that in a few years it will probably need to be updated...hence the three-star review.

This review covers two purchases, one in 02/18 and the other on 08/18. The August install was seven days before the release of Parallels 14. Far more stable than alternative virtual machine packages, but has similar challenges of dealing with guest operating system challenges, so you need to stay on supported releases of the guest, which means avoid auto-update of your guests. Shortly after installing I was notified I was eligible for a free upgrade to Parallels 14 for the newer install. The same upgrade for the earlier license was only available from the Parallels site at about the same price as a new license.The upgrade from Parallels 13 to 14 was fast and smooth and without issue. No adjustments needed to be made to MacOS, nor to the Parallels VM or the Windows guest OS. On two different systems, the Windows and Fedora guests updated their tools without a glitch. This is probably the smoothest release upgrade in the history of virtual machines.For an initial install, there are tricks to getting a Windows keyboard to work properly: MacOS Swap Windows(Option) and Alt(Command) Keys, Mission Control ignore F11/F12 so VM gets it, Parallels VM Swap Alt with Alt to get all Alt keys to work on the left side of the keyboard. Once you do these things you won't need to look down at your key labels and you can touch type as if it was a Mac keyboard. If you have a programmable keyboard like I do, you can go to the Parallels menu from within the VM and select DEVICES and put a check next to the keyboard and it's tunneled into the VM so you can talk to it with the keyboard configuration software. Uncheck it again to use on the Mac OS side. I do the same thing with my DYMO LabelWriter.

It's the simplest-to-setup option for running Windows on a Mac. However, the program bogs down the computer significantly and it has a tendency to crash periodically and/or require the user to re-install "tools" to get the program to function properly. Most notably, the "coherence mode" which allows you to view windows programs in the Mac environment is frequently unstable or will not load.Parallels also sends a notice about every 4-6 months or so, selling a new update at $50 each. If you were to keep up with these updates with every new iteration of the Mac OS (not absolutely necessary), it would cost you at least $100 per year.

Wanted this permanent license version 13 as opposed to the newer annual subscription license version 14 and higher for my MacBook Pro 2008 which is now stuck at OS X El Capitan to run Windows 10 Pro. Beware the box comes with the license key only, no software. If you follow the instructions to download Parallels you will be directed to download the latest version 15 which will not install on El Capitan and is the yearly subscription version. I was able to find an unadulterated version 13 package online from a different website. Downloaded and installed without any issues. It even went and fetched the latest patch for version 13 from Parallels. Applied license key and Voila! Purchased Windows 10 Pro from Amazon, downloaded the iso file and installed the vm from Parallels. Applied the Windows license during the installation of Windows. Everything is working although the vm is a bit slow, probably due to my old hardware. Can’t beat the price! Highly recommended.