Hands-On Report--Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 Build 5600

Parallels released Build 5600 for Desktop for Mac 3.0, the software that runs other operating systems in a window on a Mac. It is a free update for registered owners and available for download via MacUpdate or from this Parallels Web page. In either case, you need to enter your registration email address and password or set up a registration account to get the update.

According to Parallels, Build 5600 has:

• Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 with the Boot Camp support - added
  
• Microsoft Windows XP SP3 with the Boot Camp support - added
  
• Kernel panic on Mac Book Air - fixed
  
• Accidental Mac OS X high CPU usage and bad responsiveness ("IPI stat: rescheduled X CPUs out of Y" issue) - fixed
  
• Kernel panic when switching on CPUs using CPUPalette - fixed
  
• SmartSelect: ability to use user-defined Shared Folders instead of using All
• Mac disks or Home folder - added
  
• Shared Folders improvement:
  
  • Improved transfer speed for SmartSelect
    
  • Inability to copy folders with a custom icon - fixed
    
  • Sharing support for removable drives - added
    
• Accidental inability to mount Windows disk on the Mac desktop - fixed
  
• Incorrect installation of MacFUSE - fixed

I could not get the new Build 5600 via Check for Updates in Build 5584. It returned a message saying my application was up to date. To download Build 5600, the Parallels Web page required that I set up a registration account, something that I had already done some time ago but for some reason my email address and password were rejected. This meant that I had to hunt for my product key in the original email from Parallels when I upgraded to version 3.0. I used the same email address and password as before in setting up the new account.

I updated Build 5584 to Build 5600 by installing it over the old Build. This had caused problems in the past but the Uninstaller could not find Build 5584 to uninstall it so I had no choice. Fortunately, all went well and after starting Parallels the version was indeed Build 5600.

Then I went about updating my Windows XP SP2 and Vista Ultimate virtual machines with the latest Parallels Tools included with Build 5600. Following that I updated XP to SP3 and Vista to SP1, both service packs having been released recently. All went well and after brief use of each, no problems were encountered.

Except for fast 3D games like Call of Duty 4 and Polycom PVX video conferencing, Parallels Desktop for Mac works as well as my Boot Camp 2.1 installation of Windows XP and I don't have to boot into a Windows partition--very convenient. [Bill Fox]