As people, we all have personal preferences and biases. It determines for example, the types of cars we drive, the music we listen to and the food we consume. Personal bias may even dictate who our significant other is.
Some prefer blondes, others, brunettes. And while in many cases we attempt to justify our biases with some sort of factual argument, for the most part, they are nothing more than stereotypes that we have acquired through our lives.
Computer technology is not immune to bias. In particular, the two industry giants, Apple and Microsoft, are known for their large groups of loyal, and often biased, supporters. Who doesn’t recall the “I’m a Mac/ I’m a PC” ads that ran several years ago? Both sides make valid points why their operating system is better and both sides deserve merit. It’s really a matter of personal preference really.
But what about when you need both? In a today’s modern society our businesses and economies are all driven by computer technology. However, not every company uses the same operating systems. To further complicate matters, businesses often fail to update their computers to the most recent versions of their respective operating systems. That means Company A could be attempting to conduct business via their Windows 7 app with Company B who uses MacOS 10 Sierra. It’s a virtual (pun intended) nightmare!
One longtime solution to this problem was running multiple operating systems off of one computer, or dual booting. While this alleviated some issues it meant that only one system could be running at the same time. So developers sought to create a program that would run an operating system ‘virtually’ inside of another operating system.
Enter Parallels. Parallels is the premier program on the market for running a virtual operating system on an Apple computer. The intent behind this software is to allow the user to run a Macintosh and still have access to programs and applications native to a different system. Simply install the Parallels program on your Apple and you can now run a virtual version of Windows.
Parallels offers an impressive set of tools to the user. It features compatibility with a bevy of different operating systems. Linux, Ubuntu, and of course, Windows are all supported, as well a number of other lesser known systems. Not only does it support these systems, but it also offers support for legacy versions of these systems, as well as the accompanying applications of each. Meaning that Parallels will run the now defunct Internet Explorer as well as it will run Firefox or Edge. An extremely useful option for developers wanting to quickly test their products across multiple platforms.
The functionality here is quite frankly, astonishing. And the performance is unmatched by competitor programs. Running an operating system within another operating system will naturally require a significant amount of power from a computer. But the Parallels program is capable of running recent video games with only a minimal drop in performance. For people who develop programs for a living Parallels is truly a godsend. Instead of needing to boot up various operating systems to test a product, an individual can seamlessly switch between systems on the fly, saving lots of time and effort.
Parallels releases a new version annually, with Parallels Desktop 12 being the latest iteration. It is offered in several different packages to meet the different demands of either at-home users or businesses. The baseline package retails at $79.99 for a license or $99.99 for the professional and business editions. However, parallels promo codes reduce the cost by 15%. Search online for a parallel desktop coupon to take advantages of the available discounts.
So if you need a program that will enable you to run multiple platforms on your Apple computer, as well as offer support for legacy applications that don’t function on newer computers, look no further than Parallels Desktop 12.
