Parallels has formally announced Desktop 6 for Mac and will go on sale September 14th. Parallels claims over 80 new features and enhancements in the virtualization software. The focus is on improved speed by way of a switch to a completely 64-bit engine. Windows apps should on average run about 41 percent faster per claims.
3D rendering improvements should allow games to run around 40 percent faster. The utility now also supports 5.1-channel surround sound, and applying Mac-based parental controls to Windows titles. VMs can be encrypted, and Mac shortcuts can be applied to Windows apps.
Pricing
Desktop 6 will cost $80 new, or $50 as an upgrade. A student edition is expected to cost just $40. There is a Switch to Mac Edition is being priced at $100 which includes a USB transfer cable. The switch version is intended to migrate files, programs and settings from a Windows machine to a new Mac. Newly incorporated in the switch version included the ability to pull bookmarks from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.
