User`s guide

Introduction 8
About Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop
®
is a virtualization solution that enables you to create virtual machines on
Macintosh computers with Intel
®
processors (1.66 GHz and faster). You can install a Windows,
Linux, Mac OS X, or another operating system in each of your virtual machines and work with
them and their applications side by side with your Mac OS X applications.
Built on Parallels’ award-winning hypervisor-based virtualization technology, Parallels Desktop
enables you to:
create powerful and easy to use virtual machines
use 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems inside your virtual machines
use Windows and Linux applications side by side with your Mac OS X applications, without
need to restart your Mac
coherently work with the files and applications of your Mac and virtual machine
create Parallels virtual machines from physical computers and third-party virtual machines
To enhance your experience of running more than one operating system on your Macintosh
computer, Parallels Desktop for Mac includes several utilities: Parallels Transporter
®
(p. 263),
Parallels Mounter (p. 267)
®
, and Parallels Image Tool (p. 268)
®
.