PD Tweaker is an Application Enhancer (APE) plugin that addresses a few shortcomings in Parallels Desktop 1.0 for Intel-based Macs. Parallels Desktop for Mac gives Apple users the ability to run Windows alongside Mac OS X in a secure, isolated virtual machine.
PD Tweaker has two major features which can be enabled separately:
• Optimizes caching for HDD and SAV files: A much better caching strategy for these files is actually no caching at all. Caching large files is actually harmful to your Mac’s overall performance. HDD files do not need caching because the client OS will already have a cache layer. SAV files are streamed in and out and don’t need to reside in the disk cache.
• Always writes HDD and SAV files all the way to disk: Your data is precious. Especially data like a HDD file that took you hours to install and configure. Shouldn’t you treat it that way?
Developer Drew Thaler says, “I’m sure that eventually they will incorporate these features into a future version of Parallels Desktop. But in the meantime, I just really needed to run Parallels without paging up a storm. I fully expect PD Tweaker to be obsolete very soon, but I just thought I would share. Who knows, maybe it’ll light a fire under them to fix it sooner.”
More info and download link (Unsanity’s Application Enhancer 2.0 or later also required) here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “MacMania” for the heads up.]
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Would someone summarize the rumors/known virtualization features for Leopard?
I expect we will know much more in August, but if anyone has info now, that would be helpful.
Nothing is known, its all pure speculation.
Drew Thaler: Don’t know anything about the functions you describe, and I don’t know if your software actually works, but I love your attitude of sharing with the community. Kudos.
Drew is cool – used to work with him at U of M in Ann Arbor… I suspect that this APE works pretty well….
APE framework violates protected memory and injects it’s code in parts of the operating system and applications. It’s modules, that anyone can build, will then have access to Mac OS X itself, under any guise you can think of.
I would avoid installing “haxies” if one values the security and stability of one’s machine.
At the very least un-install them before any OS or application update.
This “hack” for Parallels is obviously another attempt at many taken by UnSanity to get this APE framework installed on your machine, where it will reside until a malicious module comes along to take advantage of it.
In Apple you should trust with root, the rest can go to hell.
Static Mesh: Amen to that, brotha.
MW: wrong. APE is wrong.
I’ve been using Ape for years without a problem. However, I am aware that a problem may arise in the future through exploits or what have you. That’s ok, I backup every nite, so I don’t worry all that much.
Just don’t run Winblows unless you absolutely, positively have to.