New Coherence Mode Features (I Wish)

This coherence mode is really incredible.

Of course, being the jacka$$ I am... I always want more

FIrst off, though.. CONGRATS and KUDOS to Parallels for this fine... FINE... revision!

Now...

Some changes "If I could be a Software Wizard" and just "snap my fingers" and the software would be perfect:

#1) Have an option for Parallels to be auto-running all the time as a *service?* without a dock icon (such as Apple's Widget's).

#2) Have an Apple Menu Item or Dock Icon Item which would act as a replication of the Windows Start Bar... (this would reside in the Dock either... immediately to the right of the Mac Face... and you could click on this like you would a Windows XP Start Bar... and everything in the *start bar* in XP would act the same... OR... have it appear by the trash can in the *right* dockling area... where I keep aliases of my Hard Drives... and, just like on the Mac... a Right-Click would *browse the hard disk* just like a click on the Start Menu in Windows.

#3) Have the ability to keep hi-res icons in the Dock of frequently used XP Programs... i.e., Internet Explorer. I could have an icon for Internet Explorer... and... it would be anywhere in the dock I wanted... and in coherence mode... when I clicked on that... it would LAUNCH Windows Internet Explorer in coherence mode... and as the XP and Parallels were already loaded in memory in the background (I've got 2 Gigs)... it would be like I could use Windows programs wihtout Windows getting in the way of it all

I know, I'm just wishing for the moon... but wouldn't that just be

 

How do I get this new coherence mode thing? I have checked in Parallels to see if there's an update - it says I have build 1970 and it's up-to-date. Me is confused.

 

This is a feature introduced in the new 2.5 beta released yesterday - the built in updater only shows final releases.

 

Coherence is awesome. It's almost totally awesome, but not quite:

Coherence would earn the title of 'totally awesome' if it would span multiple monitors. for now, it seems to be 'jailed' on my second monitor.

What do you think guys? Easy? Hard?

 

Additionally to the idea of running Parallels as a "service" and the dock icon thingie, it would be awsome if Parallels could hide the startup process of Windows alltogether (probably with a small progress bar, like starting Classic on PPC Macs).

 

Yup I'd love all of this - probably a lot to ask, but hey I'm sure the guys at Parallels love a challenge. This latest version blew me away with the new features.

 

I Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Parallels Team Is AWESOME!!!!!!

I love this mode so very much!!!! Now I don't have to flip back and forth from Mac and Windows screens and using " Virtue Desktops". I LOVE the idea of having windows semi-integrated with the OSX environment. I think IT ROCKS!!!! I hid my desktop, moved my OSX dock to the left side, choose auto hide and left the "Windows XP" bar to the bottom of the page where it is normally sitting by default. I added the Vista Transformation Pack 6.0 RC1 http://www.windowsxlive.net/?p=295#comments

I set the Parallels reserved memory to 1024 and the host to 768. I tweaked out Windows XP for performance and optimized fragmented files. Ran a battery of other helpful applications to further tweak out Windows XP and WALLA!! AWESOME and I MEAN AWESOME performance!!!!

Both environments are SNAPPY and very usable!!!! I LOVE YOU PARALLELS!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!! Boot Camp is slowly being phased out! I can't wait when USB 2.0 and 3D graphics acceleration is introduced! This will certainly be a KILLER APPLICATION!!!!! Every thing in Parallels build 3036 is GREAT!! I know it's still beta but I have to say this is AWESOME!!! C'mon I even run my PRO AUDIO APPS in Windows too!! NOW THAT RULES!!!!! Everything is VERY usable in a real world working environment! Whoa!

I must admit I came in much earlier complaining about this and that when Parallels was first released and I have to say that I am a VERY proud owner of Parallels products. They sure have worked so very hard to bring us the best in "virtualization" technology. I can't wait till next year when they introduce all the great and awesome features! So many Virtual Machine products out there that offer cool technologies but NO ONE COMES CLOSE to what the Parallels team is doing. WOW!!!

Keep up the awesome work guys!! I sincerely appreciate your efforts!!

Check out my desktop snapshot. Click on the URL to see:

http://editzplanet.com/pics/p.jpg

 

Perhaps some improvements...

The new Coherence mode is great, and it is very classicy (except that the windows all come to the foreground at once if one is clicked).

But perhaps these points might be considered improvements, if perhaps only cosmetical:

1. Make a reference to the over-rumoured "Red Box" somewhere.

2. Make it possible to lauch Mac programs from Windows and Windows programs from Mac.

3. Support VIO windows (Windows command line).

4. Make it an option to automatically move the Dock to the side and auto-hide ff the Dock is at the bottom of the screen when Coherence mode is entered.


But I am impressed already!

 

My Wish List

All of these dream items are for coherence mode:

As mentioned above, a button on the dock that can act as the "start bar" button, so that I don't have to have the start bar. Also, to have all currently running Windows apps also appearing in the dock just as Mac applications do when they are running (as opposed to the start bar in Windows)

The ability to associate file types with Windows applications. For example, double clicking on a Word document brings up Word 2003 on the VM, as opposed to Word.Mac, or a video clip that is WMV to run in the VM (just as examples)

The ability to associate file types in Windows with Mac applications. I have to run Outlook at my office, and I refuse to use the piece of junk that is Entourage. If I receive a PDF, would like to load that with Preview on the Mac, as opposed to Adobe Acrobat Reader in the VM.

Multiple monitor support as mentioned above.

When installing a Windows VM, ability to automatically make your "My Documents" folder to point to your "Documents" folder on the Mac (i am currently doing this by creating a shared folder, then changing the location of "My Documents" to that shared folder). Same for "My Pictures" to Pictures, "My Videos" to Movies, etc.

This isn't coherence mode, but I'll mention it. I connect my Windows Mobile PDA, and want that to attach to my VM. It would be nice if I can associate certain USB devices to always assume they will attach to the VM instead of having to go to "Devices->USB->DEVICE" to make it connect.

I will say this, i LOVE LOVE LOVE coherence mode. It is completely awesome, and even if you guys did nothing to "enhance" it, it would still be great.

 

One more Wish...

forgot to mention in my above wishlist...

Ability to "Option-TAB" between Windows windows and OSX Windows, instead of having to "Option-TAB" to the VM, then ALT-TAB between those windows, then "Option-TAB" back out (which always causes the start menu to start going.

Basically, I'm asking for the moon - seamless integration of the applications running in Windows such that they appear on the dock, option-tab or the Expose' trick, and no more start menu by merging it into the dock. You know, the WORLD and EVERYTHING IN IT.