My First Experience with Parallels is a Poor One
Posted September 29th, 2006 @ 02:47pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Crash! Boom! Bang! Safe to say, it didn't put a happy fun flavor in my mouth. Why? Because after getting a trial key at this page - the default "download" page - and downloading the software listed, I kernel panicked twice.
After noticing the build number was "1848," I went back and got the "update RC2" by first clicking the red, non-underlined text and then clicking the "Download" button at the bottom of that page.
I suppose the distinction is that "RC2" is just a release candidate, but if previous versions are going to kernel panic my computer, I don't quite consider it so much a "candidate" as "don't download anything but this."
I'll try RC2, now. One more kernel panic, though, and I'm done for the day with Parallels.
Donate Life
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 3:12pm #
Apparently, they needed to put out a new version of Parallels because it couldn't work with the CPU. Considering how Parallels uses special virtualization support in the CPU, and how it's never run on a Xeon/Mac OS X combination before the Mac Pro was released, I think a kernel panic is an understandable issue.
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 3:13pm #
And after reading more closely, I also agree that the link should say "Mac Pro users, don't get anything but this" in very large type.
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 5:50pm #
The non-beta release is NOT compatible with Mac Pro (or Leopard, for that matter), but current betas are. All versions run very nicely on my MacBook Pro with no crashes.
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 5:51pm #
I use Parallels on my MBP and my core duo mini - it works great on those. The Mac Pro support is new and is probably about where the MBP/mini support was a few months ago. Parallels rocks - once it's stable on your system, I'm sure you'll agree.
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 6:00pm #
It seems to be running pretty smoothly now. I even did the VT-x trick (though my Mac froze the first time shortly after waking from sleep). The only remaining hurdle is the cost: $50 for Windows XP and now $80. All to check a few websites in IE and Firefox for Windows. 😛
Posted 29 Sep 2006 at 7:03pm #
I just tried it out on my new Core 2 iMac, kernel panics out the wazoo - I think might try Boot Camp.