This question keeps getting raised in the midst of posts and each time Parallels ignore users. I can see repeated queries for WHY on earth this is of benefit to anyone and suddenly the official responses go quiet. I have emailed parallels support and they have ignored my emails. This simply isn't good enough. I and others have purchased the product but have less rights than users who have bought in other locations/different ways. At NO TIME was this made clear to anyone, and in earlier builds of the software there was no indication as to why you couldn't activate it with a UK retail key - just endless invalid key messages. I've paid for the product, I should have full access on the same terms as anyone else. Why the hell am I being restricted? If I go out and find a pirate key I can use the latest beta builds without any problems! Your making it more beneficial to be a pirate than to support your software. Sort it out!!!!!
I really don't understand why they have different keys for different countries, but I look at it this way: They have decided to release a beta to a restricted subset of their customer base for testing and feedback. You aren't in that selected subset. Once testing is complete, and they are ready to release and support the next version, you will be able to use it (free). In the meantime, you don't have to suffer with many things not working properly. Who to release a beta to is their decision, and they don't need to justify it any more than you have to justify your choice of what to have for lunch. Complaining about it more than once or twice (and it's been many times) just adds to the noise in the technical forum and helps no one. (OK, maybe you feel better). Stroking users by paying attention to them is good business (IMO) but so is developing a good product, and when there are limited resources, allocation decisions have to be made. I'm pretty happy with the pace of development, and I'm happy to sacrifice the warm fuzzies to get it. YMMV
