Updating Parallels

i'm just wondering if i purchase parallel's mac today and if parallel's came out with a update, do i have purchase the update or it's free, i heard that you might have to pay to get a update on my parallel? did anyone hear anything about 3d acceleration support for parallel mac. so what do you guys think wait or buy now.

 

.
Upgrade to a 2.x version will be free. Upgrade to a 3.x version will be pay for.

The next version is reported to be 3.0, so you will pay. The next version is reported to have 3D, DirectX, full USB pass through support, and will be available "later this year".

Them's the reports as they stand now.
.

 

so do you think i should wait for the 3.0 version of parallel's instead of buying it now. it's kinda sucks that we payed $86 for the program and then we pay for the update on parallel's, why can't thay have one set price that will also include updates for free, theirs alot of ways to run windows on a mac like cider, bootcamp etc... what makes parallel's better?

 

.

That's the $64,000 question.

What, forever? There are very few software companies that don't do this, and if it's a reasonable price for a most useful piece of software, then in my opinion, that's fair enough. I would expect the upgrade price to be reduced.

Can't answer that.
.

 

How much is an update? I'm buying a MacPro 8-Core using Parallels to use Windows Vista Ultimate and before I buy parallel's I want to know all facts before I purchase the program, How do you like it? Is it better than bootcamp?

 

Hello 34 skyline ! Bootcamp and Parallels are two different programs. Bootcamp lets the users to choose between which OS to load while in start up menu of MAC computer. Once chosen , os start loading ... Once loaded it cannot be switched to another OS without rebooting MAC...

Parallels , however , lets users to switch between installed OS and Parallels works together with Bootcamp . It starts windows installed on partition allocated by Bootcamp for windows files. Also Parallels first goal is to provide fine and smooth functionality of its own virtual machine with guest OS installed inside. It has nothing common with Bootcamp in this case...

 

so do you think i should wait for 3.0 version parallel's mac or is it safe to purchase now?

 

34skyline - How can you expect anyone to answer your question. If you want Parallel's now, buy it. If you need the features expected to be introduced in v3.x then wait. Parallel's provides interim updates free and only charges when major product enhancements are introduced. This is the way things work. Technology, by its very nature, changes. You should not expect free support for any technological change forever.

For what it's worth, the current version, build 3188, serves many of us extremely well. It is solid, reliable and fast. We expect the next major release, whenever it comes, to be even better.

 

The current build does pretty much everything I need except 3D. When the 3D support comes out I'll see if it'll be worth paying extra, but I do have high hopes for it.

 

how do you like parallel's, i've seen youtube video of the product but never seen the program work in person, right know i'm using my PS3 for internet and email but that's temporary, i'm getting a mac pro in october when leopard comes out, and there alot of software out there that can run windows and it's kinda hard to choose the right one for me how much are you paying for a update

 

As to when to upgrade, I suggest you buy Parallels when you get the 8 core Mac Pro in October. If you buy Parallels within 90 days of their new version I bet they will have a free upgrade. Ask them first though. This is pretty standard in the industry.

Good luck.



Moderated
Reason: off topic

 

I don't know what happened to my response to you, but it seems to have disappeared, so I'll try again.

I have had Parallel's for just over a year now. I purchased it at a discounted price as I was an early adopter of this technology. I use it for Quicken which is important to me. There is a Mac version of Quicken but it is not as feature laden as the Windows version, so that is what I use. Also, I use Parallel's (with WinXP) for access to our corporate server and to other websites which are enhanced for IE.

I backup Quicken data with a USB memory stick and I have an HP LaserJet 1300 which is used both on the Mac and Windows side without problems.

Upgrades to current users of Parallel's will be available free until v3.0 comes out which will require an upgrade fee. When v3.0 is introduced, users will have to decide if the features it offers are desired and/or necessary. You will not have to upgrade just because a newer version has been released. This is the way it is with all software.

Do I like Parallel's? You bet. Is it perfect? No, but it is very good and it gets better with each update. When you are using it, it feels just like a real Windows machine. Try it, you may like it as much as most users on this forum.

Regards and good luck.

 

I was able to get Parallels from Amazon.com for $65 and free shipping. So that might make things easier to swallow. $80 + Windows license is high. -$15 is slightly nicer. They also offer a free 30 day trial, so you may want to check that out before you assume the opposition is better. Parallels really is a gem. Coherence is really where it's at. If it wasn't for that, then I would probably be elsewhere. 3D support would be just dandy as well, though, with OS X already harboring many resources, I wonder how much of a performance hit games will take.

 

Jeepers!

I couldn't resist responding to this. Now let me get this straight. You're purchasing a machine that at its base price is approximately $4,000 plus Windows Vista Ultimate... which I'll throw in as an OEM purchase, instead of full retail, for around another $200. Now thats $4,200 and you're "concerned" about the possibility of having to spend an extra $39 for an upgrade? An upgrade that, in light of your purchasing desires, amounts to less than 1% of the total package. Am I missing something?