Parallels Explorer is the file manager that lets you access content on the Windows Volume without having to boot up the operating system.
One of the most noteworthy is its compatibility with DirectX and OpenGL, which lets you run most of the games and applications that use 3D graphics, among them: Half Life 2, FarCry, Soldier of Fortune 2, Autodesk 3ds Max, etc.Īnother interesting feature of Parallels Desktop for Mac is being able to open any Mac file on Windows and vice versa thanks to the 'Smart Select' option that also lets you associate a file type to an application regardless of what operating system it belongs to. Parallels goes above and beyond by implementing an ample range of virtualization features that are absent from the competition. Sitemap Page was generated in 0.Being able to run Windows as if it were native to Mac has made virtualization less important, even more so when free alternatives such as VirtualBox are available.
Mac users have long suffered from poor native support for games, and Parallels Desktop for Mac 12 aims to solve this problem by allowing the Windows 10 Xbox app so you can stream titles to your Mac.
I suspect Facebook and YouTube's parent company Google may ask Parallels to remove this tool, but I hope that doesn't happen. While current freeware solutions for that activity are available on websites, they often come with annoying popups and automatically downloaded bloatware. I'm happy to see the Parallels Toolbox offer easy video ripping from sites such as YouTube and Facebook.
Not only is that an usability upgrade from macOS's complicated keyboard shortcuts for screenshots, but it's adding in screen video capability, which Apple's desktop platform has long gone without. Privacy minded folks can also quickly encrypt and password protect files from the Toolbox, something that neither PCs nor Macs make easy to do.Īnother Toolbox feature that many will find useful is simplified screenshots and recording, which you can activate via buttons.
Accessible from the menu bar, Toolbox provides easy access to features including distraction-free modes for working and presentations that hide your desktop files and set your Mac to stay awake. The Parallels Toolbox is a set of tools that can turn any regular user into a power user.
As with previous versions, users still have to bring their own licensed copy of Windows (currently $119 for Windows 10 Home). Available to upgraders today for $49.99, this version adds 20 new tools to the Parallels Toolbox, support for macOS Sierra (due out this fall), more efficient backups and increased gaming capabilities. Today (August 18) Parallels announced Parallels Desktop for Mac 12 ($79.99), the latest version of its virtualization software that brings Windows to Apple computer users.