The next version of the popular Parallels Desktop virtualization software for the Mac is reportedly set to ship the first week of September. Parallels Desktop 9, which allows users to run Microsoft Windows applications side-by-side with OS X apps, will include a number of new features, including optimization for Apple’s upcoming OS X 10.9 Mavericks.
Parallels Desktop 9, which is currently available to select testers in beta form, is also said to feature copy and paste support for Mac OS X virtual machines. The new software also has an improved “Coherence View,” which makes Windows applications appear as if they are running natively on the Mac.
The new Parallels Desktop 9 is also reported to include improvements in creating and customizing key commands, and an improved interface will make it easier to install Windows on a Mac without a DVD SuperDrive. Many of Apple’s newest Mac’s do not include the legacy DVD drive.
Version 9 of Parallels Desktop for Mac is scheduled for release the first week of September, (Thursday September 5th is the date, as posted by online sellers Amazon in Germany, and MacMall in the U.S., both since removed), and customers that purchase Parallels Desktop 8 between now and October 31st will receive a free upgrade to Parallels Desktop 9 with a dated proof of purchase.
MacTrast recently reviewed Parallels Desktop 8, giving it a score of 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
