I travel frequently for business and the idea of carrying my 8-10lb company issued laptop to ensure access to my Outlook Personal Folders was not an appealing option. So, I moved to a 2lb MacBook Air. Problem was that Outlook for Mac utilizes a different personal folder format than Outlook for Windows. With Parallels, problem solved! I was able to install Windows on my MacBook Air along with Outlook for Windows. I use Dropbox to store my Personal Folders to keep them fully in sync with my office computer. With coherence, I am able to use Outlook in Windows and open Excel and Word documents in Office for MAC without any issue. It's the best of both worlds, and seamlessly integrated! AWESOME!

webertim

I'm an architect working in an almost exclusive Windows office. I chose to buy and use my own MacBook Pro to avoid the problem I was having with the company furnished Windows-based laptop. After experiencing an embarrassing moment in front of a major client when I couldn't get the Windows machine to work with a projector, I went out and purchased the Mac. I got home, connected everything and it worked perfectly; then turned in my company laptop the next day and never looked back. The CEO said he would buy me the best lap top on the market and I replied, "I already have the best lap top!" The only problem was that I still needed to work in the Windows world to use some of our Windows-only software. Parallels has made it possible for me to coexist and perform my work seamlessly. I'm currently running Parallels 8 and Windows 7 professional without any problems. In fact my setup has worked so well that the anti-Apple stance of the company has softened and the Director of Design is now using a Retina display MacBook Pro and Parallels to run all his architectural design tools. Without Parallels I'd still be struggling with the world of Windows, truly a dark place I want to avoid. Thanks for a great program!

bob.petersen

As an embedded software and applications engineer I often find myself working on tedious and detailed projects. Combine this with an at-work environment consisting of nothing but interruptions and it's no wonder my productivity is low. Frustrating as it is, our office has the mentality that if you aren't there you aren't working. Our development platform is Windows based and I own a 27", i7, iMac. This baby runs Windows 7 under Parallels better than my work PC (Pentium). So when I get extremely agitated at work and start falling behind schedule I insist that my product manager let me work at home. I'm just amazed at how much work I get done, even in Windows. Parallels makes running Windows as Mac-like as possible. Too bad you can't get the quirks out of the OS but I understand you're not re-writing windows but merely offering an environment for Windows code. I was a long time user of Virtual PC, then VMware, then discovered Parallels for the PC and the Mac and have never looked back. I like the "race" between VMware and Parallels - makes for great product. I recommend Parallels to everyone wishing to virtualize; whether they have a Mac or PC. So thank you for my sanity and for making a product that fits seamlessly into the Mac. "It just works!"

jgarnero

I have been using Parallels since version 4. This application has been a lifesaver many times in the past whenever I needed to use Windows on my Mac. I recently needed to do a tutorial and I had to use Windows to use an application. I seamlessly took screenshots with my Mac and switched to Windows to use the apps. Parallels has also helped my wife ease into using a Mac since she was coming from using Windows. I can't thank the programmers at Parallels for making this software better with each version.

josue64

My story is about personally transitioning from a PC environment to that of a MAC with the aid of Parallels Desktop. I am a Professor Emeritus in agriculture from the University of Florida and thus a senior citizen. Prior to 2 years ago I strictly used Windows software and PC computers. In 2010, I purchased an iMac desktop computer as well as Parallels Desktop software to allow me to utilize a lot of Windows software in a virtual window. I had been advised by my son-in-law that Mac computers were superior in many ways to PC's. Parallels Desktop allowed me to jump into the Mac "abyss" without losing very much sleep. Since that time I have become more comfortable with my iMAC to the point that I am currently using Windows Office for Mac. I am certainly not a computer "geek" but am still learning useful things about Parallels and Mac. I very much like photography and am very impressed with iPhoto features on my iMac. One day in the future I may actually go totally to the Mac world but not for now. Parallels Desktop has changed the way I do computing.

rsm

Once upon a time there was a an old reliable HP work horse of a computer sitting under my desk keeping my feet warm in the winter but hot in the summer. There was also a nice picture tube that let me see inside with its own keyboard and mouse which were essential for probing its innards. All of these items occupied valuable space on the surface of my desk. Now thanks to Parallels, the foot warmer is gone and much space on my desk has been liberated. I did not choose Parallels over any of its competitors, (are there any?), I was ordered to install it by someone who cares about me. Now everyone is living happily ever after except the HP of course. All of the PC applications that I need are performing better than they ever did and the PC is invisible.

donald.reid

I am a huge fan of Mac, but there are a few programs in Windows that I would not live without, such as Quicken. That is why Parallels has been the perfect solution for me. Windows and Mac software work side by side, smoothly, you even cannot tell if you are in one or other base. I upgraded to Windows 8 at the very first day... everything was perfect. Parallels is the meaning of the expression "user friendly".

luizwbh