Parallels Desktop 6 first impressions

From an interface perspective, Parallels doesn't feel that much different. From a performance perspective, though, changes are sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic.

I have several Virtual Machines that I use on a regular basis. I have a Black MacBook 2Ghz Core 2 Duo machine with 3 GB of RAM and a 500 GB 7200 rpm hard drive. It is missing advanced graphics processing, so I can't say much about improvements in graphics performance.

The first thing I noticed when starting my Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit machine was how long it took to update Parallels tools. A very long wait looking at a black screen, and then finally a few restarts and updates to get things going, then success. It took about a half hour to go through all of the updates.

One of the things I find interesting is that the emulated hardware drivers have changed. I assume that there are performance and compatibility benefits, but I am not sure. I do know that Windows installed drivers for the newly detected hardware before Parallels tools installed.

I next wanted to install Kaspersky 2011, which comes "free" with Parallels Desktop. In Parallels 5, security was provided by Parallels Internet Security, which was a rebranded Kaspersky. This time around, it seems that we get the 3 month trial for free, and if we want to upgrade to a full subscription, then we can do this through a Parallels branded portal. This feels like a bait and switch to me. I did install the Kaspersky 2011 for Macintosh that is available now from Parallels' File menu, and it, too, offers the 3 month trial with offer to upgrade. I believe that if the marketing says "free," it should be clear that it's not a trial or limited time offer.

Operationally, Parallels feels a lot snappier than previous versions. I have commented on earlier version upgrades and also on dot releases that have been very, very welcome. This version seems to be one of them.

Starting Windows takes about 20% less time for me. Very obvious is a change in how the spinning ring cursors display. In Parallels 5, the Windows cursors would stutter. With Parallels 6, the stuttering is almost gone. I never knew the source of the stuttering, but the folks at Parallels have managed to smooth it out. Applications launch much, much faster and do not pause as long when displaying windows and menus. Another benefit is that my fans on the MacBook don't immediately max out when I start Windows. 

I find the reduced fans to be the most telling indicator of how well the folks at Parallels have optimized the virtual machine code to pass as much as possible on to the Mac without having to do the heavy lifting. Perhaps that's the new drivers I noticed when upgrading the VM? I don't know, but it's welcome!

All in all, I find this to be a buyworthy upgrade. Hopefully, there will be a better path to virus protection that doesn't make me buy a subscription to my "free" virus protection. I have a Norton subscription already with at least a year remaining; I'd rather transfer that than buy a new Kaspersky.