Monday, March 05, 2007

Windows on OSX - Parallels Coherence - slick slick..

Parallels came out with an update late Feb that makes using the occasional windows app even more smooth within an OS X environment:

Basically you start the Parallels virtual machine and let it run in background (give it 256MB RAM or the like). When you need a windows app you click the dock window to access the XP start-menu. Every windows app will be displayed as an OSX window and you can access running windows apps in the dock just like OSX apps.. This is very slick. **

I have used it briefly and works well - I mainly used it for winword/powerpoint (coz Word4Mac still does not have a native intel app) and IE to test some websites for UI.

Screenshots/video here

** For most seamless experience configure Parallels+Windows this way:
a) Start and then use View->Coherence
b) View->Customize -> uncheck windows task bar. This way you have no task-bar and just the windows apps. If you for whatever reason temporary need task-bar just check this back.
c) IN Windoze turn OFF screensaver.
d) In Windoze setup a network drive (like X:) that access your OSX home folder (FileExplorer->MapNetWorkdDrive and enter \\\ and enter your password). PS This require your OSX has turned on Windows Sharing (Apple->SystemPref->Sharing->Windows Sharing checked)
Now whenever you work in windows simply use the X: drive and docs will be shared amongst both systems.

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