Fall is around the corner, which means a new version of OS X is almost here. That also means a new version of Parallels — the software that lets you run Windows on a Mac — is almost here, too, and this time there's a big emphasis on speed.

Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Yosemite Pro
Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Yosemite Download

With Parallels Desktop 10 installed on your Mac, you won't just be able to run Windows on a 'virtual machine' within your Mac, you'll be able to do it significantly faster then previous generations. Windows documents open 48% faster, and Office 2013 apps launch 50% faster, the company claims. At the same time, battery life is extended up to 30%, and the Windows 'machine' uses 10% less memory.

The new version also further erases the line between OS X and Windows with a few new tricks: Windows apps are automatically added to the Mac's Launchpad, and you can even use the Windows 8.1 Start screen as the Launchpad. Parallels enables sharing from Windows apps to any of the user's Internet accounts on the Mac side. Even the Mac's little red balloon notifiers get Windows-friendly, appearing on the Microsoft Outlook icon.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition; Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition; Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise; Parallels Mac Management for SCCM; Parallels Desktop for Mac; Parallels Toolbox for Mac & Windows; Parallels Access. Parallels Desktop is available for Mac, and the easiest and best way to run Windows, Linux, or even Mac OS on your Mac. And this version brings with it a fleet of new features, including the ability to add Direct X 11, Mac OS Catalina innovations, more Mac integration points, new visualized hardware, as well as significant performance. The reason I changed once again to Parallels is because of Windows 10 support. I just installed a OS X Yosemite VM in Fusion and besides it being pretty bad performing too, it is still faster and definitely more stable than Parallels. Whilst my OS X Parallels VM is crashing with every second move, I haven't crashed the Fusion OS X VM. Parallels Desktop® for Mac is the fastest, easiest, and most powerful application for running Windows® on a Mac®—without rebooting. Brought to you by the world-class developers of the #1-rated Mac virtualization software. Note: It is not recommended that existing Parallels Desktop® for Mac users move to Parallels Desktop App Store Edition. On August 19, Parallels released Desktop 11 for Mac. It fully supports Windows 10, including Cortana access in OS X, and is ready for OS X El Capitan. One focus of this release, as always, is.

As with previous versions of Parallels, all your Windows apps appear in your Mac's launcher, just with the red Parallels icon to show they're not native to the Mac.

Of course, Parallels Desktop 10 supports OS X Yosemite (scheduled for release 'in the fall,' according to Apple), and brings some of its features to Windows apps, including the ability to save to iCloud Drive, and share via iMessage.

The software supports older versions of OS X back to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. You can create more than one virtual machine, letting you run multiple versions of Windows and even Android on the same hardware — very handy for developers.

Parallels Desktop 10 will be available Aug. 26 for $79.99, but if you have the previous version, upgrading costs $49.99. The Student Edition is $39.99. Big, obvious caveat: if you don't already have Windows, you have to buy a Windows license, too, and that costs $119. At least this edition makes that easy for developers who can download 90-day trials of Windows virtual machines. There's also an enterprise edition that throws in a few extra features for device management.

Love running Windows on your Mac so much that you want to bring it to your iPad, too? Parallels also offers a way to access computers (real and virtual) from your tablet via an app called Parallels Access.

Correction: This article originally stated Parallels Desktop 10 allows you to buy a Windows license while creating a virtual machine. In fact, it only facilitates the download of a 90-day trial version.

Parallels has a long history of smashing together competing operating systems to help platform-blending organizations move easily between OSes and get things done. The company will do it again with the newest Windows operating system (or service) Windows 10 and OS X Yosemite (yes, Yosemite), but this time with a twist.

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac brings Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant to the OS X desktop. Obviously, the OS-virtualizing software is also bringing a bunch of other stuff in version 11 (is there any sadness that there will never be a Windows 11?).

Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Yosemite Pro

See also: Apple OS X El Capitan preview: Better Spaces, transit maps and more

If you haven’t used Parallels software before, it performs the neat trick of putting a fully virtualized version of, now, Windows 10 on a Mac OS X Yosemite system (El Capitan support is in the “experimental” phase). This allows you to run a licensed version of the OS on a Mac and access all the apps that would normally run only in Windows. Bootcamp, by contrast, allows you to run Windows on a Mac, but in a completely separate environment.

Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac Yosemite Download

It goes further, though, by blending Windows 10 elements into OS X in ways that make them seem almost like part of your Mac. For example, Cortana can pop up from the OS X dock when you say “Hey, Cortana.” You can use it in all the ways you normally use Cortana (news, weather, Web search) and to launch Mac apps. It also adds the new Windows Notification center to the Mac desktop — it sweeps in from the side of the screen, just like on Windows 10.

Parallels Desktop 11 also brings Mac features to the virtualized Windows system, like Quick Look, which you access via the space bar. And if your MacBook has a Force Touch-supporting touchpad, you can use that to quickly access word definitions in Microsoft Word for Windows.

You can also see all files on your Mac in Windows and, according to company representatives, transferring files between the OSes is easy. If you print a Windows file, you’ll have access to the full Mac print dialog box.

The company also promises that this will be the fastest Parallels ever with 50% faster boot and shut down times and a 20% speed bump for task management.

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac, which is available Wednesday, will support new licensed Windows 10 installations and migrations from existing machines (which will basically ghost the whole system onto your Mac). Standalone Parallels Desktop 11 for the Mac costs $79.99. Upgrade pricing for those using versions 9 or 11 is $49.99. A Pro edition, which adds, for instance, integration with developer tools and cloud storage access, is $49.99 a year.