Parallels is a wonderful company full of bright ideas. I say that with confidence because I interviewed the company last year at TechEd 2014, and then was happy to award Parallels for winning the Best of TechEd in the Systems Management category. The company representatives weren't flashy or over the top, just real people with smart solutions and technology that was clearly forward thinking. I've talked with the company since then and they continue to innovate.
Yesterday, I was notified through embargo that Parallels was to announce a new Desktop 10 for Mac. Today, the company has made the announcement public.
While there are many, many new features for Desktop 10 for Mac, the one capability Parallels is most happy to tout is that it has experimental support for Windows 10 Technical Preview. This new capability gives developers and power users the ability to quickly and safely try out Windows 10 on their Mac PCs. Users can simply download Windows 10 Technical Preview directly from within Parallels Desktop, and create a virtual machine in which to run everything Windows 10 has to offer.
There are many individuals interested to see what the Windows 10 buzz is all about, yet are imprisoned by systems that can't run it. Parallels gives them the ability to now participate, to see if the new Start Menu, Photos, Map apps, Windows Store beta and Cortana are a worthy enough to consider upgrading from OSX when Windows 10 becomes publicly available.
Microsoft should be paying Parallels to do this.
Obviously, Parallels has a product to sell. Desktop 10 for Mac is $79.99 for a new license and $49.99 for the upgrade. Additionally, the company offers a 14 day free evaluation for the price of your email address. You can sign-up to test it here: Desktop 10 for Mac evaluation
Full Press Release
Parallels Announces That Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac Now Provides Experimental Support for Windows 10 Technical Preview and Office Preview for Windows 10
New update to industry-leading software for running Windows on Mac gives developers and power users the ability to try out the latest Windows operating system quickly and safely
Renton, WA, USA – February 11, 2015 – Parallels announced today that Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac (parallels.com/desktop) provides experimental support for Windows 10 Technical Preview and Office Preview for Windows 10 which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Now users who wish to try the newest OS from Microsoft safely and easily can do so without the inconvenience of deleting an existing OS or the uncertainty of installing a new and nonfinal version of Windows 10 directly on their machines. The Parallels Wizard makes it simple to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview directly from within Parallels Desktop, creating a virtual machine to try out everything Windows 10 has to offer, including such features as the new Start menu, Photos, Maps app, Cortana and Windows Store beta which offers Office Preview for Windows 10.
“Parallels Desktop enjoys very strong support among software developers and IT pros. We are happy to deliver all the tools they need to quickly and safely test or run the latest OS and applications, now including the Windows 10 Technical Preview,” said Parallels president Jack Zubarev.
Early adopters who want to try out Microsoft’s latest OS and offer feedback have the option to do so in Parallels Desktop without having to erase their existing OS. Mac users can download a free two-week trial of Parallels Desktop and use the Parallels Wizard to install and try the free Windows 10 Technical Preview today.
Parallels focuses on giving its customers choice. With Parallels Desktop, users have the freedom to choose whichever operating systems best fit their needs—including OS X Yosemite, OS X Mavericks, OS X Mountain Lion, Windows 8, Windows 7, Chrome OS, Android and a number of Linux operating systems—all on one computer.
The latest release of Parallels Desktop for Mac (10.1.4, build 28883) is required for this experience with the Windows 10 Technical Preview (build 9926).
Availability and Pricing
Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac is available at parallels.com/desktop. The standard retail price (SRP) of Parallels Desktop 10 is $79.99, and the Student Edition is available for $39.99. Upgrades for existing Parallels Desktop 8 or 9 customers are $49.99. Parallels Desktop 10 customers receive a complimentary three-month subscription to the Parallels Access app (parallels.com/access) for up to five Macs and PCs and an unlimited number of iOS and Android mobile devices.
Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition is available via parallels.com/business.
About Parallels
Parallels is a global leader in hosting and cloud services enablement and cross-platform solutions. Parallels began operations in 2000 and is a fast-growing company with more than 900 employees in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Visit parallels.com for more information.
Stay connected with Parallels and our online communities: Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/parallelsdesktop, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/parallelsmac, and visit our blog at blogs.parallels.com/consumertech.
