Parallels gets update but how long will Windows-on-Mac software be needed?
A new version of Parallels Desktop software, which allows Mac owners to virtually run Windows on their computers, will be released Tuesday, according to the company.
Clearly, the company sees a demand for this sort of software, noting that "millions of people (are) moving to the Mac from Windows" and have a need to launch the Windows OS to run some apps. For those running business apps, the need for this type of software is even greater.
But for how long?
Increasingly, the tide is shifting toward the cloud, where browser-based computing is gaining popularity, and mobile, where apps center around iOS, Android and Blackberry platforms. That creates greater opportunities for the overall virtualization ecosystem - but not necessarily this type of software.
Of course, the need for it won't go away overnight. Businesses have been slow to adopt the cloud or are taking baby steps into it and the ability to run both Mac and Windows simultaneously, without rebooting, is big.
There's a review of the product available at CNET. The software will be sold online and in retail outlets and are priced between $40 and $80, depending on the version. More details are available at the Parallels home page.
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