Parallels Desktop 7
A month and a half after the initial release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion from Apple, Parallels Inc. has released version 7 of their virtualization software, Parallels Desktop. Touting over 90 new features, the update includes such Lion-specific capabilities as support for Windows applications in Launchpad and Mission Control, as well as full-screen support for Windows applications. The update also includes a new look and feel, improved virtual printing, support for iSight and FaceTime cameras in both Mac OS X virtual sessions and Windows sessions, support for 7.1 surround sound and a new 5.1 sound driver, faster network access,
improved graphics performance, better power management (meaning improved battery life for laptop users), and access to virtual Windows and Mac OS X sessions from the newly released Parallels Mobile app. ($79.99 new, $49.99 upgrade, $39.99 student edition, free update for purchases after 1 August 2011, 275 MB)
For all the upgrades to Parallels, doing the math, $79 plus 6 x $49, I could have bought a windows laptop!
Be advised that the Parallels 7 seems to be having a conflict with Lion, where, once installed, your Mac will take longer to start up and even reboot after which you will have to enter your password again (possibly only when using FileVault 2)
(there is a thread on the Parallels Forums, titled "Problems with Parallels 7")
Besides this, Parallels 7 seems to be working great under Lion and feels a bit faster then the previous version. And as I don't reboot my Mac that often, the issue is only a minor inconvenience.
I have to agree with Glenn. These updates are pricey, and don't always come with any significant new features. I can't for the life of me see why I need to upgrade from v6 to v7. Can anyone else? Launchpad for Windows - for $50? I don't even use it for Lion...