Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2 (Build 1922)

A new build of Parallels Desktop has been released. You can download it here (Parallels.com). This Build 1922. Note: This is an official release, however beta builds before now have been released that contain some of the fixes/changes mentioned below.

From Parallels Press Release:

We’re proud to announce that we launched testing for the Update Release Candidate 2 (RC2) of Parallels Desktop for Mac that gives Apple users the ability to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system and their critical applications at the same time as Mac OS X.

The Update RC2 includes the great improvement on support for the recently released quad-processor Mac Pro towers and 64-bit iMacs.

Now you need:
- No RAM limitations
- No hardware reconfigurations while using Windows and it’s critical applications on new 64-bit Mac Pro towers and iMacs.
- Other improvements & fixes that make Parallels Desktop even easier to use:
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CrossOver Mac 6.0 Beta 2

CodeWeavers has announced the second beta of CrossOver Mac 6.0 (beta 2). This includes several fixes, including Microsoft producters (fixes for Internet Explorer being one of the more significant changes).

You can download it here.

Announcement at crossover.codewavers.com:

Hi Folks,

I am happy to announce that we have put up a new version of our public beta of CrossOver Mac as well as an equivalent public beta of CrossOver Linux.

For Mac users, this release includes fixes to Internet Explorer, fixes for many cases where programs would crash when run (e.g. Microsoft Office 2000 and similar older applications), fixes for Outlook 2003, and a range of other improvements.

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Parallels Desktop – Internal Build 1910 (Mac Pro/iMac Core 2 Duo)

There is a new build of Parallels Desktop out for Mac Pro/iMac Core 2 Duo owners.

From the Parallels Forums:

We are continuing our efforts to deliver a Parallels Desktop for Mac version that fully supports Mac Pro and iMac Core 2 Duo.

There’s an updated internal build that is available for early testing which can be downloaded from here (see thread).
Please don’t forget to backup any sensitive data on your Mac before proceeding to evaluation.

This version introduces a number of important fixes:
* VM crash on restart on huge memory MacPros in VT-x mode.
* Several VMs simultaneous work.
* Win98 guest 100% CPU usage
* WinNT not being able to start fix
* Several other fixes

We’re still extremely interested in your feedback about this build and any issues you might face.

Universal Binary of DOSBox, Performance on Intel Macs

Just a quick note about DOSBox (a DOS emulator for Mac OS X). According to a thread at VOGONS (official forums for DOSBox), they are working on making DOSBox perform much better on Intel-based Macs (it’s not too shabby as it is, but there are a few issues still remaining). It sounds like they could be making a Universal Binary version available in the near future.

Intel Developer Forum: Apple Has Two “Featured Sessions”

InfoWorld is running an article about Intel’s finally, truly, endorsing Apple, as well as what Apple has done for Intel (among other things, helping to create a market for Intel’s Core Duo CPUs). How is Intel doing this? By giving Apple two “feature sessions” at next week’s Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

Excerpts from the article:

Intel has put two Apple sessions at the top of its Featured Sessions list for the upcoming Intel Developer Forum. That isn’t Apple doing Intel a favor by filling a couple of empty slots in the schedule. Intel is touching a toe to that third rail for component manufacturers: Endorsement. And while people at Intel and Apple are scrambling right now to get their denials in a row, I want to drain this issue of its intrigue while at the same time highlighting its importance and pointing out that at least a little endorsement is overdue. After all, among first tier OEMs in the U.S., Apple is the only one remaining that buys CPUs exclusively from Intel. That deserves more than a cupcake. Intel should greet Steve Jobs’ visits to the Intel campus by scattering rose petals before him.

Steve Jobs has been lionizing Intel for over a year. He and Apple’s PR and Marketing have been making public mockery of Apple’s PowerPC systems as they’re replaced by x86, even though some of those PowerPC boxes were fewer than six months old at the time of their replacement. Apple redesigned Macs’ packaging and on-line collateral to play up Intel’s logo and technology. Although the story has never been told, Jobs (certainly not single-handedly) brought Apple to the brink of meltdown to ship Intel Macs way ahead of schedule, seizing the opportunity presented by Core Duo, a CPU that Intel had relegated to the low-volume embedded market. Apple created a broad market among Intel notebook OEMs for Core Duo.

With this trial balloon with sessions at IDF, Intel is playing favorites, just a little, with its poster OEM. For me, that passes the sniff test and looks like good business. Intel is giving Apple some fraction of its due and is creditably being completely open about it.

Full Article

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