Head-to-Head: Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion Volume Number: 25 (2009) Issue Number: 04 Column Tag: Virtualization Head-to-Head: Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion (cont.) How do VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac stack up? By Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher 4 Conclusion Both VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac are excellent products, and both allow you to run Windows XP and Vista quite well. In the end, your decision as to which product you should take into account what's most important to you: speed, footprint, graphics capabilities, features, user interface, OS you want to run, and more all come into play. While the Vista 'penalty' that we saw in prior tests is now mostly gone (presumably because both Vista SP1 made improvements as well as both of these virtualization products), we would advise that you stick with Windows XP given how much better it runs overall (not to mention how much less annoying it is).
When it comes to whether you should use multiple processors or 64-bit virtual machines that depends on your use. If you have a real need for either, and can articulate a reason for it, than use them. They do work well. That said, if you don't have a specific need, then don't bother, it's not worth it; just stick with Windows XP on a single virtual processor. Many people have the feeling of 'more is better,' but clearly when it comes to RAM in the virtual machine, that is not necessarily the case. More RAM means longer virtual machine launch times, suspends and resumes.
For most users, 1GB of virtual machine RAM will work best. Use more than that only if you really know you need it.
And, here's how things look in general terms for each of the test suites that we ran: Figure 19: Chart: Performance Winner in Each Test Suite In the majority of overall averages of our tests, Parallels Desktop is the clear winner running 14-20% faster than VMware Fusion. The one exception is for those that need to run Windows XP, 32-bit on 2 virtual processors, VMware Fusion runs about 10% faster than Parallels Desktop. And, while both products these days have very little CPU footprint, Parallels Desktop had a surprisingly small RAM footprint, which was actually typically lower than the amount of RAM configured for the virtual machine.
Presumably, once Windows actually needed more of the allocated RAM, the actual footprint on the Mac would increase. Finally, for gamers, experiences will differ with each game.
In our tests, MacBook users will have a better experience with Parallels Desktop, presumably because of the lower end graphics capabilities of the hardware. Beyond that, you should look at each game and what the feedback from users from both the Parallels and VMware communities. One thing is clear, given the track record, expect Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion to both keep getting better and better. Did you find this article useful? Appendix A: Benchmarking Methodology Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to outline the basic parameters for how MacTech Magazine performed benchmarking tests on VMware Fusion, and Parallels Desktop for the purpose of evaluating the performance of virtual machines running Windows XP and Vista. Consistency Since the tests involve both multiple machines and multiple pieces of software, the focus was on creating as much consistency across the tests as possible.
MacTech accomplished this in several ways. First, each set of tests were performed by a single MacTech staff member so as to eliminate any of the natural inconsistencies that often occur across individuals. All of the tests were performed on the same version of the Mac operating system across the different hardware. At the time of the tests, this was Mac OS X 10.5.5 and included the most up-to-date versions of Apple patches as prescribed through 'Software Update' in Mac OS X. All of the tests were done on 'virgin' systems, i.e., freshly wiped hard disks, with fresh Mac OS X, Virtualization, Windows and Microsoft Office installations, with no third party software installed beyond the standard Mac OS X.
All of the tests were performed with the most up to date set of required patches for Microsoft Windows and Office as prescribed by Microsoft's automatic updates, including XP SP3 and Vista SP1. Avoiding Interactions While the tests covered a variety of applications, all tests (where appropriate) were performed with only that single application open. In other words, to the extent possible, no other applications will be running. (Obviously excluding background and OS tasks that are part of a standard install of either OSes or Microsoft Office.) To avoid issues with a noisy network, the test machines were installed on what was considered a 'quiet' network with minimal traffic.
MacTech monitored the use of the network to make sure that the machine does have network access, but is not impacted by the network. Measurements, Testing and Outliers For timed tests with results under 60 seconds, tests were measured to within 1/100th of a second. For those over 60 seconds, tests were measured to within a second. Most tests were performed at least three times per test and per machine configuration, and often 5+ times depending on the test. Outliers indicating a testing anomaly were retested as appropriate. In most cases, the tester used successive tests, not 'Adam' or 'first' tests to better emulate typical daily use. Those tests that could be impacted by the size of the window were tested with the same window size, and screen resolution under all scenarios.
Some tests were eliminated because the machines simply performed too fast to get an accurate measurement. For example, sending or sorting emails always performed faster on the machine than the tester could measure. Appendix B: Testing Results In keeping the results fully open, MacTech is making available the test data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. In these results, all data is normalized to compare with the baseline PC running Windows XP. The results are therefore best thought of in terms of percentages.
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To download the spreadsheet of these results, they are available on the MacTech ftp site at. About the author. Neil is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of MacTech Magazine. Neil has been in the Mac industry since 1985, has developed software, written documentation, and been heading up the magazine since 1992. When Neil does a benchmark article, he likes to test the features that people will use in real-life scenario and then write about that experience from the user point of view. Drop him a line at 4. MacTech is a registered trademark of Xplain Corporation.
Xplain, 'The journal of Apple technology', Apple Expo, Explain It, MacDev, MacDev-1, THINK Reference, NetProfessional, Apple Expo, MacTech Central, MacTech Domains, MacNews, MacForge, and the MacTutorMan are trademarks or service marks of Xplain Corporation. Sprocket is a registered trademark of eSprocket Corporation. Other trademarks and copyrights appearing in this printing or software remain the property of their respective holders. Not responsible for typographical errors.
A regular cycle of annual upgrades has established as the leading virtualisation tool for Mac users who need to run Windows apps and software tools that aren't normally available on the Mac. Those upgrades also tend to coincide with new versions of macOS itself, so with now in the final stages of beta testing it's time for version 14 of Parallels Desktop to make its debut. Last year's upgrade to largely focused on catching up with recent developments in Mac hardware, such as the Touch Bar on Apple's latest MacBook Pro laptops. In contrast, v14 is more forward-looking, allowing you to create Windows virtual machines (VMs) that support new technologies, such as Intel's high-performance instruction set, which is used in the current Xeon-based, as well as the next generation of chips. The developers have also improved OpenGL support for Windows VMs in order to enhance performance for a number of graphics-intensive apps, such as the range of data analysis tools, which haven't run well within the virtual machine environment in the past. A Disk Space Wizard helps to reduce the footprint of your VMs. Image: Cliff Joseph/ZDNet There have been performance improvements in other areas too, with Parallels claiming that Coherence mode, which hides the Windows desktop so that Windows apps simply appear on the Mac desktop alongside native Mac apps, provides 17 percent higher frame rates when running graphics software.
Launch and suspend times for virtual machines are also improved, along with performance of the Windows 'virtual disk'. And, for developers who may need to run multiple virtual machines with different operating systems, there's a Disk Space Wizard that helps to reduce the overall size of each virtual machine file. Windows apps with Touch Bar support on MacBook Pros now include QuickBooks (above) and Microsoft's Visual Studio. Image: Cliff Joseph/ZDNet Parallels always likes to support Apple's latest eye-candy features, so Windows virtual machines in Parallels Desktop 14 will be able to use the new Quick Look markup features that are due to arrive with macOS Mojave. The Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro laptops will now work with additional Windows apps, including QuickBooks and Microsoft Visual Studio, displaying menu commands from those apps directly on the Touch Bar. And, on the Windows side of the fence, Windows 10 virtual machines will now allow you to use a pressure-sensitive stylus or trackpad with Windows Ink. SEE: (free PDF) Parallels also informed us that it should be possible to accelerate graphics performance on a Windows VM using an external GPU (eGPU), such as the that Apple is currently.
We've not yet had the opportunity to test the Blackmagic eGPU, but this raises the possibility of a 'best of both worlds' scenario where a single Mac runs native macOS on one display, alongside an eGPU-accelerated Windows VM on a second, external display. Pricing & options As always, Parallels Desktop offers three annual subscription plans.
The standard version of Parallels Desktop, designed for individuals in education or smaller businesses, costs £58.32 (ex. VAT; £69.99 inc. VAT, or $79.99). There's also a Pro version for developers, costing £66.66 (ex. VAT; £79.99 inc. VAT, or $99.99), which supports development tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio and Vagrant.
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And, at the same price, the Business Edition provides administration tools for IT managers who need to deploy and manage multiple VMs to users across their organization. Parallels has also introduced a new 'perpetual license' option, for the same price as the Pro and Business editions. This allows you to use the current version of Parallels Desktop for as long as you like without requiring an annual subscription - although you no longer receive the automatic upgrades that are included with an annual subscription. Windows 10 and Windows 7 running as VMs on macOS Mojave. Image: Cliff Joseph/ZDNet RECENT AND RELATED CONTENT The latest version of Parallels' Mac-based virtualisation software is now optimised for macOS High Sierra and Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. (CNET) The new version is a lot faster too, the company says.
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People are buying new Macs at the rate of around 4 to 5 million every quarter, but it seems that many users still can't make a total break from Windows. Here's a look at how you can run Windows 10 on your Mac alongside the macOS operating system. Read more reviews. Thermal receipt printer prp-080ii driver for mac. Related Topics. By registering you become a member of the CBS Interactive family of sites and you have read and agree to the,.
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