I have recently gotten and installed Parallels with WindowsXP Pro... both legal copies, the two combined cost me $380 USD plus tax & shipping. The computer I am using is merely a week old Mac Pro, dual 2.0ghz intel, 2gb ram, two superdrives, two sata 500 hds, etc etc etc. I got the program, with the intention of using it for occasional gaming, not of new system intensive games (as most of those give me motion sickness, esp 1st person shooters) but rather older titles from the mid 90s that were never ported to mac os (such as Tiberian Sun, the original Red Alert, the original C&C- stuff like that). These old games ran well in windows98 in virrtual PC 4.0 on my PowerBook G3 (400mhz "bronze" keyboard) so there was no doubt in my mind that it shouldn't run ok in my vastly superior (system resource wise) Mac Pro using Parallels. I was hopeful since windows XP installed quickly in Parallels, updated quickly and reliably, and Z Cpu stated the hardware (virtual) was very close to the real Mac Pro hardware (unlike say, VPC which gives you a processor a few generations- as a rule- older than whatever you're using). So I went and installed Tiberian Sun so I could start playing it online with one of my friends... it installed quickly and without incident (in fact it might have been my fastest Tsun install to date...). I go to play the game, and I get no picture I get the sound, the game plays- but it won't display no matter the compatibility settings, the monitor settings, etc. Thinking it might be a fluke due to incompatibilities, I tried updating it to the newest version- to no success. To rule out Parallels as the problem, I dived into my pile of ancient gaming cds. To my horror, not a *single* one worked in windowsXP in parallels! -the entire doom series (windows port) were so laggy- in gameplay, sound, picture that it can not be played -the rest of the C&C series- the old stuff, not the last two titles (I am not trying to play Generals on this VM!) would not work- similar probs as I described for tsun -the descent series would not play, again lag galore... -even the old simcity programs were nightmares (simcity2000, simtower, even simant...). So to me, this begs the question- does Parallels *actually* give you the system resources that are reported by PC utilities running inside your VM?? It boggles the mind that a system that supposedly is so fast, can have such trouble with even the oldest of games. I have a Gateway WindowsXP box next to my computer and I can safely rule widows out as *not* the problem. Just what are we supposed to use parallels for, if it can't actually do anything but the simplist of tasks (i.e. word processing & browsing the net)? Having all the speed in the world for your VM is entirely moot if the program can't actually apply that to something that would require it. My response was; "ok, this isn't too bad- I can go use bootcamp"- only to find an other unadvertised draw back to parallels- when I go to activate XP in my bootcamp partician, I get MS's anti-piracy technology throwing fits... long story short it won't activate and MS wants me to spend $150 for an other XP Pro license. Had I known either this or the gaming situation upon purchase, I would NEVER have even remotely considered buying parallels. I can not afford, after that $380 USD, an other Windows license. Why weren't we warned about this from the retailers or on the main page for parallels? Was the company intentionally misleading the consumers? I sent an email to customer service... did they respond? No, they didn't- not once. Even VPC threw connectix had better customer service than this, even up threw the end when they were about to be bought out by M$. I can't be the only one having these frustrations. Personally, I would like it if Parallels either had a workable crack to get around the XP activation issue, or some short of discount worked out with M$ for getting multiple licenses. What do I think would excuse this kind of intentional misleadings? Refunding my entire $380 USD would be a nice start... but somehow I doubt that will happen if I can't even get customer service to respond to my email. Am I going to make sure all my friends know about these problems if I never hear back from the company? Who wouldn't? I have a duty to ensure my friends, coworkers etc don't get ripped off by a program I was so (apparently falsely) excited to try. I made a good faith purchase here, its not like I went and used a torrent for it like so many others do.
Parallels does not have DirectX video support. Bootcamp should work for you. You will need to call M$ and tell them that you are doing a reinstall on the same computer. No need to get multiple licencses.
But it is not the same computer per the wording of their EOA... there are past threads where people had explained the full situation by M$ only to be told to buy a new license. If I were installing XP on a new VM it would be reinstalling, bootcamp- as far as M$ is concerned, is a different machine,
i read somewhere is these posts... (just couldn't find it for you...) ...that when you call M$, make sure you tell them that you are re-installing on the SAME computer, and they will eventually give you the info you need to continue! get it thru' their thick heads that it is ON THE SAME computer..., it may take some doing, but that is how someone else got past that problem. ) i too have parallels desktop, but will put it aside for now, or even send it in for a refund... as i have read about too many problems for a "support" release... with good reviews (shockingly!) ...guess they never visited this forum!!! good luck and blue skies, ps. installing windows into bootcamp partition first seems like the way to go... (that is, until some new problem occurs! ...and judging by some of these posts, things seem to go well for a few days and then suddenly... (
I phoned the number and just said "I am reinstalling on the same hardware" and it was rectivayed within 10 minutes by the number I got over the phone BTW i got the cheapest legal OEM XP Sp2 cd Pro is too dear for me ! Hugh W
If you are for some reasons are unhappy with Parallels support please have a look at this thread - http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=53826#post53826 and we'll try to deal with this problem promptly. Unfortunately there is not much can be done from our side to deal with Windows re-activation under Bootcamp, especially because these are not our products. As far as I know we've dealt with re-activation when running Bootcamp VM in Parallels during the latest betas and I'm sure our developers are continuing to work on further improvements.
If you got the full version, it is definetly legit. OEM is gray. Give them info on a need-only basis... They are instructed to have users by new licenses whenver possible. I use OEM and just say 'yes, it IS the same computer'. 'Yes, it IS a re-install' and 'No, it is not installed on any other computer'... And sure enough, I get it activated. I've done this a BUNCH of times.
