Parallels Desktop for Mac Release Candidate 2 for Mac is not simply a “dual-boot” solution; rather, it provides the ability to use Windows, Linux and any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X, enabling users to enjoy the comfort of their Mac OS X desktop while still being able to use critical applications from other OSes.

Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2 for Mac offers users a number of important features, including:

• Broad OS Support: Use any version of Windows (3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, 2003), any Linux distribution, FreeBSD, Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, or MS-DOS in secure virtual machines running alongside Mac OS X.
• Performance: Driven by full support for dual-core processors and Intel Virtualization Technology (included in almost every new Intel-powered Mac), virtual machines created using Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2 for Mac offer near-native performance and rock-solid stability.
• Ease of Use: Download the program and install it with a single click. Build a virtual machine in seconds using helpful wizards. Configure virtual machines using a simple web-inspired interface.
• Works on any Intel-powered Mac: Any Intel Powered Macintosh running OS X 10.4.4 or higher is compatible with Parallels Desktop.

New Features and Major Improvements:
• Parallels Compressor Server technology is now built-in
• Significantly improved performance
• Improved USB performance and broader device support
• Improved Host-guest networking
• Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly
• Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers
• Fullscreen mode is now customizable
• Integration with Virtue is now bug-free
• Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping
• Guest 32bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed
• Improved Shared folders performance
• Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues
• Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode)

More info and download link here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Schlitz" for the heads up.]

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