Parallels^® Desktop 5 for Mac

Get the best of both worlds without rebooting! Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac seamlessly integrates your Windows and Mac documents, files and applications.

Parallels Desktop 5 gives you the best of both worlds. Now it's possible to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X. It's like having two computers in one!

With Parallels' award-winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and your favorite Windows applications at the same time. And you never need to reboot. You can even drag-and-drop files between desktops!

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac is easy to use with its brand new Mac user interface and dozens of new features that make running Windows programs on a Mac completely seamless.

Run Windows, Linux and more side-by-side with Mac OS X. Use thousands of programs - Outlook, Project, Access, Internet Explorer, Quickbooks and more.

Faster

• Run thousands of Windows applications at lightning speed on your Mac.
• New! Get the full Windows 7 experience including AERO for Windows 7 and Vista
• Enhanced! Up to 7 times better graphics performance than previous versions
• Enhanced! Optimized for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Enhanced! Install Windows XP, Vista or 7 in 3 easy steps
• Enhanced! Improved USB device compatibility and speed
• New! Enjoy maximum performance that leverages the latest Intel VT-x2 virtualization technologies
• Enhanced! Reclaim hard disk space automatically with Parallels Compressor

Smarter

• Easily share files between Mac and Windows with full drag-and-drop functionality
• New! Easily copy and paste formatted text and images between Windows and Mac 
• New! You decide how much Windows you want to see on your Mac. Or make it invisible with the new Crystal mode.
• Enhanced! Effortlessly organize multiple windows and even Windows applications with Exposé and Spaces 
• New! Enjoy the Mac feel of multi-touch trackpad gestures (swipe, pinch, rotate) in Windows applications.
• Enhanced! Run Mac OS X and Windows on multiple monitors
• New! Use your Apple Remote to control Windows applications
• Manage virtual machines with our free iPhone app

More Powerful

• Enhanced! Enjoy the latest games and 3D graphic applications with 64-bit, DirectX 9Ex and Shader Model 3 support - even in Windows 7
• New! Secure virtual machines with powerful administrator tools
• Enhanced! Make backup and recovery easier than ever with SmartGuard’s instant "snapshots"
• New! OpenGL 2.1 support for Linux guest OS
• Compute privately and securely in Safe Mode
• $175 in Bonus Software! Includes Parallels Internet Security by Kaspersky to protect your computer from virus and spyware threats

Leading the Way in Powerful Features, It’s No Wonder Parallels is #1

70+ NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES INCLUDING:

• Run Windows up to 3 times faster than Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
• Support for Aero in Windows Vista and 7
• Up to 7 times faster graphics performance than Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
• Use Multi-Touch trackpad gestures to control Windows applications.
• Full support for Mac OS X Server, 8 virtual CPUs and 64-bit Windows
• Optimized for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Smart Copy and Paste easily moves formatted text and images between Windows and Mac applications.
• Improved USB device compatibility and speed
• New user interface is now even easier to use.
• Run games and 3D graphics applications with DirectX 9Ex with Shader Model 3 support and OpenGL 2.1 support.

• Crystal Mode makes Windows UI invisible
• Easily organize multiple windows with Exposé and Spaces.
• Install Windows XP, Vista or 7 in 3 easy steps.
• Intel VT-x2 virtualization technology drives maximum performance
• Parallels Compressor automatically reclaims hard disk space.
• Run Mac OS X and Windows on multiple monitors.
• Use Apple remote to control Windows applications.
• “Sandbox Mode” isolates virtual machine from Mac OS to provide enhanced security.
• Run more than 60 different OSs, including Linux, BSD and more.
• User administer tools to protect and secure virtual machines.
• SmartGuard’s instant “snapshots” make backup and recovery easier than ever.
• Parallels Icon in the Mac Menu bar allows to access Windows Start Menu straight from Mac menu bar.
• Exchanging data through shared folders is now 10 times faster.
• Shared Clipboard for Linux guest OSs – Copy items between Linux guest OS and Mac OS.
• Improved! Shared profiles make Windows Movies and Download folders accessible from both Mac and Windows
• New! OpenGL 2.1 support for Linux

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac actually simulates another computer running inside your Mac. This computer-within-a-computer has its own operating system, its own software suite, and its own "screen."

You might call it a PC simulator or a mock computer. But in the software industry, it has a standard term: a virtual machine. Each time you start up Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac, you're actually turning on a virtual machine running Windows or whichever operating system you specify.

Each virtual machine behaves as though it's running on a PC with these components:

• Intel Pentium processor

• Generic motherboard compatible with Intel i815 chipset

• Up to 8 GB of RAM

• NEW! DirectX 9.0c/9Ex with Shader Model 3 and OpenGL 2.1

• USB 2.0 - Use external hard drives, printers, scanners and web cameras including iSight

• NEW! Up to 8 CPUs

• 64 bit Guest OS support

• CD/DVD drive - Burn CDs and DVDs directly in virtual machines

• Monitor with VESA 3.0 support

• NEW! Multi-touch trackpad support

• Full ACPI support

• A floppy disk drive (mapped to an image file)

• Up to 2TB virtual hard disks

• Up to four IDE disk drives or CD/DVD-ROM drives

• 256 MB of video memory

• Ethernet network card compatible with RTL8029

• Wi-Fi wireless networking card

• Up to four serial (COM) ports

• Up to three bi-directional parallel (LPT) ports

• Support for SCSI devices

• Standard PC keyboard

• PS/2 scroll-wheel mouse

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac lets you run thousands of popular Windows programs, plus many that are not available for the Mac, including ...

Comparison to Boot Camp

Unlike dual-boot solutions like Apple's Boot Camp in which you must completely shut down Mac OS X and endure a full OS startup cycle in order to access important data, Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac gives you the power to run Windows, Linux and other operating systems and Mac OS X simultaneously.

This means you can run popular programs like Outlook, Access or Internet Explorer without having to give up the usability and functionality of your Mac OS X machine. Parallels even gives you the ability to copy and paste data and drag and drop files between Windows and Mac OS X.

And unlike Boot Camp, Parallels does not require a fixed hard disk partition. Instead, Parallels only uses the hard disk space it needs and grows when you need it. Best of all, Parallels makes it simple to share files between Window and Mac OS X.

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac can also be used alongside Boot Camp. Parallels allows you to use your existing Windows XP, Vista or 7 Boot Camp partition in a Parallels virtual machine, without having to reinstall Windows or any applications.

Comaprison to VMware Fusion 2.0

**3D and graphics performance tests conducted with 3D Mark 2006 Professional. Select tests by Crimson Consulting Group, September 2009, using Windows XP on a MacBook Pro with Parallels Desktop 5 release candidate for Mac and VMware Fusion 2.0.5.

Best Selling. Top Rated. Most Trusted.

With more than 2 million users worldwide, the award winning Parallels Desktop for Mac is the #1 Mac System Utility.

Reviews and awards cited may be for previous versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac.