Parallels Supports AMD Technology

Parallels announced it is beginning public beta testing for Parallels Workstation 2.2 for Windows and Linux, which delivers faster performance, better OS stability and stronger virtual machine isolation than previous versions. This comes just two weeks after launching beta testing for a new, improved version of Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Parallels Workstation enables users to simultaneously run any version of Windows, any Linux distribution, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OS/2, eComStation or DOS, in a stable, secure virtual machine on any computer running Windows 2000, XP or 2003, or any version of Linux. No re-booting or partitioning is required, and users never need to shut down or leave their home desktop to access a virtual machine.

Parallels Workstation 2.2 beta offers a number of key improvements:

* A new, more user-friendly look and feel.
* Support for AMD Secure Virtual Machine Technology (SVM) for better virtual machine performance and stability.
* Better USB support, including support for USB devices that run Windows Mobile 2005.
* Better networking, including automatic bridging to the available network via the default adapter, WiFi support in Linux, and the ability to change network and bridge type "on the fly."
* An easy-to-set-up, easy-to-use shared folders utility that lets users quickly share files and folders between operating systems and programs.
* Broader guest OS support, including stronger support for Sun Solaris and full support for NetBSD.
* Improved full-screen mode in which guest OSes are automatically re-sized to the native screen resolution for a perfect full-screen fit.
* Better video support, including support for dynamic primary OS video modes, custom video modes, and 32 bpp video modes.
* Full Unicode support lets users name files in any language.
* Better sound playback and recording in virtual machines.
* An improved Parallels Tools package makes using Parallels Workstation even more comfortable and convenient, and a more powerful Parallels Image tool helps users quickly create .iso images and re-size virtual hard drives.

A complete list of new features and upgrades is available at http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/update_beta/