Parallels Desktop for Mac update released

New feature displays applications on the virtual machine as if they were running natively on the Mac host

Virtualisation specialist Parallels has released an update to its software for the Mac that enables applications running in a Windows virtual machine to appear as if they are on the host desktop instead. The update also introduces a tool to create a virtual machine from an existing physical one.

Parallels Desktop for Mac already enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows inside a virtual machine, but Release Candidate 3, available immediately, adds a feature called Coherence that displays applications on the virtual machine as if they were running natively on the Mac host system. This enables applications such as Outlook to be launched directly from the OS X application dock, according to Parallels.

“When we introduced Parallels Desktop, we blurred the line between the Mac and Windows worlds. With the introduction of Coherence, we completely blow that line away,” said Parallels director of communications Benjamin Rudolph.

This version of Parallels Desktop enables users to drag and drop files from the Windows virtual machine straight to the Mac OS X desktop, and vice versa.

The other major update is a tool called Transporter that enables users to convert an existing PC with settings, applications, files and profiles, into a Parallels virtual machine running on a Mac. This feature will aid those switching from PC to Mac by enabling them to continue to use their current environment without having to re-install everything from scratch.

Transporter can also convert VMware and Microsoft Virtual PC images into Parallels virtual machines.

Other enhancements include the ability to convert Windows running in a Boot Camp dual-boot configuration into a virtual machine, or vice-versa. Virtual machines also now get USB 2.0 support and the ability to burn CDs and DVDs using the host machine's drive.