To Parallels: did I buy useless product?

[Larry__Rymal]

No worries. Its not out yet, but news of its coming is nothing new. Garmin announces Mac OS X support for GPS products ....

Oh myyyyyy! Well, shucks! Durn!

I'll just have to find another major reason to run Windows then. My Garmin honestly was the main reason I needed Windows on my Mac.

 

[James Bond 007]

I have to jump in and say that:

a) Parallels is definitely NOT useless. I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY for development of software for biomedical machinery under WinXP.

b) The Parallels people have proven themselves to address problems at a rapid rate. I think patience will be required to get everything you desire working.

c) I think many people expect too much from Parallels. Frankly I still look at it as an "emulator" since Mac OS X is still the primary OS. By viewing it as an emulator I don't expect EVERYTHING that works in WinXP to work with it. I believe that is a safe view. I hope that Parallels proves me wrong one day with 100% compatibility. Based on that view I think many of you need to be realistic about what you expect from it. Also consider the price? $39... Most of you drop more than that for dinner on a Friday night which is forgotten by Saturday. Parallels keeps on working day after day.

d) I've worked with USB before. People consider USB to be the most wonderful thing ever invented and many manufacturors have hopped on the USB band wagon. There are MANY things I hate about USB:

1) Most compilers do not support USB development directly. You can buy any C++ compiler and start talking over a serial port or a TCP/IP connection within minutes. USB takes extra libraries, drivers and a ton of work at times.

2) USB goes out of its way to be "plug and play". This is one place where the idiot proofing sometimes causes more problems than it's worth. Every time a USB printer is plugged in it goes through an automatic processes to see if it has been installed before. Sometimes just plugging into a different port makes it reinstall the driver and you end up with "printer2" then "printer3" etc.

3) USB is great for connecting something to your desktop. But what if you want to be removed from the device. USB is limited to about 15 feet of cable without active extenders. TCP/IP on the other hand can go wireless and will work around the world. I MUCH prefer TCP/IP devices. More flexible, easier to support and the ways you can interface to them are limitless almost.

So expecting Parallels to have USB 2.0 support working 100% at this stage of the game is unrealistic. I think having USB support at all is a monumental untaking and I congratulate them on the progress thus far.

Come to reality and give them a chance to get things working. But don't ever call it a useless product. The dictionary definition of "useless" is "Without function". Many many of us use Parallels with great success every today.

Agreed, especially the point that "I think many people expect too much from Parallels.". Except the CPU, which is virtualized so that the VM can see it directly, other devices are just emulated, which means that for example, a Windows VM sees a printer as a different one than what Mac OS X does, which may be why the original poster cannot get it working when he chooses the same printer in the Windows VM.

I just saw a thread that suggests using a Postscript printer in Windows. So Windows saw the printer as a PS printer inside Parallels then?

 

[MatthewR]

I already elsewhere stated that it does not work when used as a shared printer. If I select the printer thru "add printers, network, etc" then printing ends up with a BSOD. If I use Bonjour then the print is never printed!

And please don't be sarcastic if you only understand part of the problem! I'm not a child and very likely have lots more computing experience than you!


Could you start reading, p.l.e.a.s.e!!! Nowhere it is said that it is a serial printer! It is a USB printer! I never anywhere said anything about serial. may I suggest that you get your head clear before writing?


You go get lost and get a clue yourself.

Stupid Insulting Moronic Idiot!

I never said anything about a serial printer. Serial first came into the thread via another poster commenting on needing solutions for other USB devices, giving a serial adapter as an example. Then you come out of nowhere saying you can't connect a serial device to an iMac so I merely pointed out that you most certainly can with use of a common adapter.

I started out making a useful suggestion and you got insulting right quick which is why I suggest you go get a clue. I can't fathom why you would possibly think you had more computing experience, but whatever. If you think you know so much, then go have fun, but don't cry for help and then start insulting those who are offering it.

 

[hairyneanderthal]

Keep on dreaming, XP has no problems whatsoever with this printer neither on a real X86, nor using VPC!

No smart remarks on RC2? You really honor your nickname.

you really are an ill-mannered jerk

 

[macgebruiker]

Then you come out of nowhere saying you can't connect a serial device to an iMac so I merely pointed out that you most certainly can with use of a common adapter.t.

Put your money where your mouth is and show me where I said I wanted to connect to a serial device!

 

[macgebruiker]

Problem solved; End of thread

to Kpop:
I would let you know more detailed. This morning I tried several drivers and the "Generic/Postscript" worked perfectly. So thanks for your message!

To others with positive remarks:
Thanks for all the help that eventually did lead to a solution.

To (only) those that it concerns:
If you are angried by some of my remarks, so be it. I did not start calling people names and accusing them of whining and the like. My problem is solved. So go on and start insulting others about whining and the like!

For me this thread ends here!

 

[digilord]

Printing Woes

The first time I used Bonjour I had the same issue. What fixed it was using the Apple Color 1200/PS driver in XP as the driver for the printer instead of the driver that goes with the printer. I use ONE application in XP that has to be able to print and it works great.

DigiLord
"He who says it cannot be done is interrupting the one doing it." - Chinese Proverb

Indeed one of the options I had already tried.

Printing, no BSOD, in 'waiting row' on OSX it says "job printed" but no printed paper (no paper at all!) coming out of the printer.

 

[MeganF1]

1. Parallels could have stated that USB does not work. Do not forget, this is supposed to be a rc! meaning it could have been the final! So people have a right to expect standard stuff like regular printers to be working.

2. Boot Camp is also beta but since I have no use for a product that needs booting, I am not interested in it.

3. Sharing environment is explictly the utmost important function of this type of programm.