Brief Hands-On Report--Parallels Desktop for Mac 3 Build 5060 Beta is Out

A beta version of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3 as Build 5060 is available for download from this Parallels Web page. If you have a version of Desktop for Mac 3, "Check for Updates" under the Help menu will say that your software is up to date.

This beta includes the following new feature updates:

• Major enhancements to the look and feel of Windows programs in Coherence
  
• Coherence support for Exposé and Transparent Windows
  
• Support for overlapping several Windows and Mac windows in Coherence
  
• Ability to silently boot into Coherence mode
  
• Linux PC and virtual machine migration to your Mac using Transporter
  
• Ability to change your VM’s disk format using the updated Image Tool
  
• iPhone support in Windows. iTunes in Windows can connect to your iPhone

We support our readers by living on the bleeding edge so we downloaded and installed the beta Build 5060 after uninstalling Build 4560. We have learned that we have fewer problems if we first uninstall the older version.

No problems were encountered installing Build 5060 or the new Parallels Tools in our Windows XP and Vista Ultimate virtual machines. No problems running either virtual machine surfaced. We also installed iTunes 7.3.2 and Safari 3.0.3 via Apple's Software Update. [Bill Fox]