Will Parallels survive?

I wonder if Parallels is in a deathspin reading the posts on this forum and my own epxerience. I'm happily using 2.5 and prompted to update to 3.0, vastly shortened is my experience:

* Try to log into Parallels to upgrade - rejects my account (call it "account", not the real name) as invalid, but when not ordering lets me use it...

* OK, do as instructed and go through the ordering process... offers to create me "account-1" as "account" obviously exists...

* Email info@parallels... black hole

* Email desktop@parallels.. auto reply... black hole

* Backup by 2.5, download 3.0, try to install demo... need a number, go through process to get a 15-day number, enter it, its "not valid for this version".

* Try to get another number, same one comes back, use a different email address - black holes...

* Try the website, login using my account (as I'm not offering them money it works, only when I want to pay them something is it rejected - isn't that backwards? ), ask for a 15-day number, emaiul arrives this time saying its a "3.0" number - and yes it works!

* Fire it up, convert the VM I set up just to try this out, and... I've got a huge menu in Windows allowing me to open Mac apps, why? What else? Well nothing really. Maybe its good for gamers, but I've no games.

I *like* Parallels 2.5, not much wrong with it - though I do like VMWare's alternative to Coherence, having Windows apps in their own layers instead of a single one is much better.

But now Parallels won't answer emails, sends out invalid trial numbers, doesn't want my money, and the upgrade fee does seem steep for what it is. I wonder if they are overwhelmed and in a deathspin, sad

For now, roll back to 2.5 and give VMWare some money as a safety net.

 

v. 3.0 with MacBook, OS X 10.4.10 and WinXP Pro is surviving very nicely on my machine.

I have no interest in a roll-back nor another competing product.

If I changed it would be to revert to BootCamp. But re-boot is a pain.

Phil

 

Sounds like it's time to sell out to apple.

 

I don't see how. It has been the single most buggy and difficlut to use piece of software I've seen in years.

The Team has lost there way. There is a focus on Vista. Why? Is there any software that anyone uses that requires Vista?

V3.0 for me has been a step backwards. I can no longer use the one device and one software program I need becuase USB is broken again with the "device is in use" error.

I've thrown $120 at Parallels solution, just a little more and I could have a whole used Windows laptop and be done.

I'm very frustrated.

 

Your Issues

I've had nothing but success with it. I love it, and works great on three other computers in our office.

Go buy a Dell. Good luck with that.

 

I too have had nothing but good luck with Parallels. A few crashes here and there but in general XP runs ok. I won't say it's as fast as it used to be but still runs ok for my purposes.

As far as Parallels making it... I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell. It sure seems like they just cannot (or do not want) to get the support side of things together.

I made numerous suggestions that they do what Borland did years ago enlisting key knowledgeable forum members, arming them with documents, procedures and bug list and letting them take the first stab at common Parallels problems.

It seems that they just don't listen or perhaps they really don't care.

I believe there are a few Parallels people that really believe in their product. But usually it is corporate management that makes these decisions.

Will Parallels make it? Probably... they were the first gamein town with this stuff. But VMWare make take a very large share of their market. If they were really smart they would try to keep the customers really happy to prevent any migration to VMWare but again that is usually a Corporate decision.

I like Parallels... I hope it ocntinues to work for me... I hope that Corp finally realizes that customers are what make the product.

M

 

long live Parallels !! Hurrah !!!

Parallels has worked like a dream for me

two computers for the price of one
best of both worlds

standard good housekeeping is essential
20% free on Macintosh HD
and 30% free on C drive

I can't live without a firewire drive or two or three

data always in shared folders and backed up weekly off site if possible

WinXP needs registry repair every week on a VM as well as on a PC - defrag - virus scans - firewall
boring good hosue keeping

my MacBook Pro runs hot so I keep it on an aluminium plate as an extra heat sink

I will buy the next upgrade too in twelve months time
the price is very fair

Hugh W

 

My personal experience with parallels, and other people I know of, is extremely excellent.
Everything is ok since the very beginning, now v 3.0 (latest update) is even faster about switching to full screen.
I have always used Parallels with mac mini generation hardware and I never had a crash, never!

I wouldn't say this for many other applications (in every OS).
Great work!
Sandro

 

Like it or lump it, XP will soon be hard to buy

I wont try and second-guess your personal experience, but for many mac users it is also the single most complex and technical piece of software they have ever tried to use. Virtualization software has previously been the domain of developers and server admins. Even the old VirtualPC had the advantage of, effectively, being "pre-installed" with Windows & emulation is, in some ways, more straightforward than Parallels-style virtualization.

Sometime in the very near future, it will become difficult or impossible to lay your hands on a legal copy of XP. Probably, retail boxes (which don't have a huge market anyway) will become like hen's teeth long before MS officially discontinues XP. Like it or loath it, unless you are covered by a corporate site license, new customers will soon face a choice between Vista or the miserable guilt-ridden life of a software pirate - and since people in the latter category probably won't pay for Parallels either they are unlikely to receive support .

As for VMware - well, lets wait and see what happens when they actually release a product.

Until then, the nearest functionally comparable product to Parallels VMWare workstation which is several times the price of Parallels.

All I know is that when thousands of Mac users, accustomed to things "just working", suddenly start trying to install and use Windows under virtualization then the poor souls on the helpdesk - whoever they work for - have my deepest sympathy.

 

Good point!

Also, bearing in mind that getting my Windows smartphone to sync with my Windows PC is a nightmare, I sometimes wonder what kind of miracle people are expecting Parallels to pull off!

 

Strange.

I have had no problem at all syncing my Windows Mobile phone with Parallels for the last 5-6 versions/builds.

RObin

 

I use sony Ericsson phones which the Mac OS mounts as an external hard disk
and I browse the phone file system
as if on the Mac

Hugh W

 

I think you missed the point - its my real, hardware-based Sony laptop that is a pain to sync the phone with via USB, and a complete joke (involving virtual serial ports and stuff) via Bluetooth. However, its over a year since I re-installed Windows on it so the ash trays are full. The point being that USB devices and such don't always work seamlessly for everyone on a "normal" windows PC.

PS - there's a handy (non-free but reasonably priced) OSX utility called "The Missing Sync" that seems to make a decent job of syncing WM5 (amongst others) mobiles/pdas with iCal, Address Book etc.