The last sentence is what aided us the most in our decision: “But if you’re without a virtualization program and are asking me to make a pick, I say go with Parallels Desktop 7. The Parallels’ team has finally put their days of buggy releases behind them; now it’s VMware’s turn to do the same.”

Although we believe that ars technica is an honorable tech review site, we thought it biased to make our decision solely on their word. So, we also looked at a few other notable publications. eWeek.com says right at the beginning of their article that “A superior mobile client and mass deployment support make Parallels Desktop 7 a winner for Mac-based virtualization.”

While trolling YouTube, we found that Best New Products rated Parallels Desktop 7 the #1 Best New Release in Utilities Software.

After looking at a few more comparisons, we decided that’s enough comparing for us. We’re going with Parallels Desktop 7. How about you?

From one glimpse at Twitter, it’s obvious that the claims of Parallels Desktop 7 being super fast are extremely true. It looks like Parallels might be the way to go when buying virtualization software.

We tracked down this YouTube video that talks about some of Parallels new features. Check it out…

]]> http://switchtomac.com/blog/general/parallels-desktop-7/feed/ 0 http://switchtomac.com/blog/switching/looking-to-run-windows-on-a-mac/ http://switchtomac.com/blog/switching/looking-to-run-windows-on-a-mac/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:37:36 +0000 Alex http://switchtomac.com/blog/?p=3276 Check out Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac. If you just made the switch to Apple (or are thinking about it) it’s an absolute life-saver and allows you to run Windows on your Mac without having to reboot!

Think Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac is the top Mac application for running Windows? Show your support by quickly voting in the About.com Readers’ Choice Awards!

]]> http://switchtomac.com/blog/switching/looking-to-run-windows-on-a-mac/feed/ 0 http://switchtomac.com/blog/switching/avatar-viral-video-ipad-giveaway/ http://switchtomac.com/blog/switching/avatar-viral-video-ipad-giveaway/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:39:02 +0000 Alex http://switchtomac.com/blog/?p=2987

Thanks for watching the Parallels Avatar viral video. Turns out it’s very expensive to make a 3D movie, so we’re spending the extra money on an Apple iPad giveaway!

To enter, tweet out the Avatar video with the following message:

Watch the @ParallelsMac Avatar/Eminem spoof http://ow.ly/3lyNN #parallels

Thanks for watching! Check out our other viral video spoof, and the Parallels Desktop for Mac page.

Parallels iPad contest is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be chosen December 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.

Whether you’re shopping for a student, tech professional or Mac-loving gamer, or anyone who wants to run Windows programs on the Mac they love, giving Parallels is the best gift for them – and at a new LOWER PRICE for the holidays! $10 off the purchase and/or upgrade of Parallels Desktop for Mac 6!

Want to learn more about Parallels and what some of the most prestigious online magazines and tech reviewers have to say about us? Check out some of our most recent reviews below. For a full list, you can visit our Awards & Reviews page.

Paralels: Eases the Pain of Switching or Upgrading Your PC – Good Housekeeping

5/5 Star Editors Choice Rating – MacWorld

5/6 Overall Rating  – PCPro

If you still have questions about what switching can do for you, check out the video below!

You can thank us later–just remember to hurry, the offer ends soon! Click here to visit the Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac product page.

“It’s a situation I’m sure many of you find yourselves in – time to switch or upgrade your computer.  It’s a scary and daunting task that can be made infinitely easier by using one of a series of products from Parallels.”

Check out the Good Housekeeping article that explains just how easy it is to switch from a PC to a Mac (or upgrade, if you’re a die-hard PC user).

Also, check out the many other tech articles written by Rachel Rothman

(image via flickr)

If you spread the word, you will have a chance to win a copy of Parallels Desktop 5, with a free upgrade to the next version of the software when it comes out. If you retweet the following, you will be entered to win a copy of Parallels: RT: @ParallelsMac 20 more Mac tips from @ChrisPirillo. RT to win a copy of Parallels Desktop 5. http://ow.ly/2APeR. It’s an exciting contest, and we’re rooting for you. Good luck.

Thanks again to @ChrisPirillo for compiling these tips. Stay tuned next week when we will reveal the last 20 tips to make you a well-rounded, optimized computer-using machine.

61. The near-universal “Undo” keyboard shortcut is Command+Z in any given app.
62. Select a file, folder (or combination thereof) and press Command+Delete to move the object(s) to Trash.
63. Looking for a Mac alternative to your favorite Windows software? Check http://alternativeto.net regularly.
64. Click the clock in the Menu Bar to open “Date & Time Preferences,” where you can modify settings. You can even have your Mac announce the time!
65. Do you have several windows open in any particular app (like Finder)? Close them all at once by pressing Option +Command+W.
66. Mac OS X’s “Time Machine” is an excellent feature for backing up all your data. You can !nd it in your System Preferences and all you need is an external hard drive.
67. To remove an icon from your Dock, simply click, hold, and drag it off. Note that open apps will not be removed until you quit them.
68. There’s more than one way to view objects in the Finder. Press Command+1, Command+2, Command+3, or Command+4 to try them all.
69. If you purchase another Mac, or replace the one you have, use Mac OS X’s “Migration Assistant” to transfer all of your data seamlessly between the two.
70. Don’t get stuck staring at the same wallpaper. Right-click the desktop, Change Desktop Background, and set it to “Change picture.”
71. If iPhoto doesn’t impress you, consider using Google’s Picasa: http://picasa.google.com (free).
72. Can’t stand the translucent Menu Bar? Right-click the desktop, select “Change Desktop Background,” then toggle the “Translucent menu bar” option.
73. Wish you had a definitive list of Keyboard shortcuts for Mac OS X? http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1343 is what you’re looking for.
74. Missing your “Paint” application? Try using the Web-based app on http://www.sumopaint.com (for free) instead.
75. Are you having problems playing certain video formats that “used to work?” Try installing Perian from http://perian.org (free).
76. Select an object (file or folder) and press Command+I to view and edit its properties. Detailed information galore!
77. To change the default application for a file type, right-click a file while pressing Option, hovering over “Always Open With,” then selecting an app in the submenu.
78. You can drag & drop object icons into the Finder sidebar for quicker access. It’s recommended to do this for all your favorite folders.
79. Looking to install a VNC client for remote desktop viewing? It’s already built into Mac OS X. Instructions can be found in Mac Help.
80. In the Finder, press Command+Shift+G — this will allow you to jump directly to a folder if you know its path. The Tab key autocompletes.

*Contest exclusive to U.S. residents. Ends 11:59 p.m. PDT on 9/8/2010. Cheers.

Last week we invited you to enter our Switch to Mac contest featuring Chris Pirillo’s video of him helping Uncle John switch to a Mac using Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac.  After compiling your Twitter retweets and comments, we have randomly selected two winners: congratulations to Debora Corrin and David Walker, @DNWphoto!  David is our retweet winner and Debora is our comment winner for sharing why she wants to switch to Mac:

“I want to switch my Windows laptop to Mac because there IS NO easier OS than Mac, but, there ARE still some Windows based apps that I LOVE and want to keep!”

Thank you to all our participants.  Be sure to keep checking in with us @ParallelsMac on Twitter and Parallels on Facebook.