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Parallels Desktop works better than ever (pictures)

With the latest version of Parallels desktop, you can switch between operating systems and even use system services from your Mac in a Windows environment.

Jason Parker
Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
Jason Parker
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1 of 7 Photo by Josh Miller/CNET

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac

Whether you need to run different operating systems at work or at home, Parallels Desktop makes it easier than ever to seamlessly switch between them.

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2 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Swipe between operating systems

Once you're up and running, you can run Windows in full-screen, allowing you to three-finger swipe between operating systems.

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3 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Desktop control

Use the Parallels Desktop Control Manager to manage your installed operating systems. You can also click the gear icon to configure your system to your liking.

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4 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Optimize your install

While setting up, you can configure your installation depending on what you're going to use it for.

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5 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Choosing Mac sources

In this Documents window from Windows 8.1, you can see how Parallels adds places to save via your Mac. Over in the left column, you have options for Dropbox, iCloud, or Photo Stream so you can save files to those locations.

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6 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Using Mac specific services

While working from Windows 8.1, you can right-click a file in your Documents folder, and you'll see Mac-specific options in the contextual menu.

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7 of 7 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Drag and drop to a virtual computer

When running in what Parallels calls Coherence mode, you can drag and drop a file that was sitting on your Mac desktop directly into an email you're composing in the Windows environment.

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