Parallels 9 and Fusion 6 run neck and neck in virtualization contest
In my head-to-head review of VMware Fusion 5 and Parallels Desktop 8 last year, I said that “the two programs have evolved into near twins of each other.” Both were highly capable virtualization programs that shared many similar or identical features—and this year’s release of Fusion 6 and Parallels 9 does little to change that phenomenon.
To evaluate this year’s versions, I installed both programs on my mid-2011 Core i7 iMac and my late-2010 Core i7 MacBook Pro, both running OS X 10.8.5. My iMac, which is my main work machine, powers three displays and has 16GB of RAM; the MacBook Pro has 4GB of RAM and a 750GB solid-state drive in lieu of a hard drive.
Installation
In the past, I’ve chided VMware for making it difficult to download and use the trial version of Fusion. With Fusion 6, however, downloading the trial is a simple two-click operation—and you don’t need an account to install or use the trial version. Downloading Parallels takes a few more clicks, and you can’t use the trial version unless you create an account with Parallels.
Both programs use their own in-app installers that put the required bits where they need to go when you run the program. The only thing users see is an app that asks for their admin password the first time they use it. Most users will find this approach a welcome change of pace from the usual complexity of a stand-alone installation program; power users, however, may dislike being kept in the dark about what’s really going on.
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