Parallels Desktop 10 is out with OS X Yosemite support, better battery life, and more

parallels 10

Parallels this morning announced the launch of Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, the highly anticipated update for its popular virtual environment software. The new version is available now as an upgrade for existing users, and will launch on August 26th for new customers.

For those unfamiliar with it, Parallels Desktop makes it extremely easy to install and run alternate operating systems on your Mac such as Windows or Linux. And today’s update adds in [experimental] support for OS X Yosemite, better battery life, and other improvements…

Here’s a rundown of some of the more notable changes:

  • Mac OS X Yosemite integration, iPhone calling integration, iCloud Drive and iPhoto Library support
  • Users can now open Windows documents up to 48 percent faster
  • Battery life is extended by up to 30 percent giving people additional work time when they need it most
  • Virtual machines use up to 10 percent less Mac memory
  • New virtual machines with default settings launch Office 2013 applications up to 50 percent faster
  • Now with one click users can select from a number of choices to optimize their virtual machine based on what their primary usage is: productivity, games, design or development
  • The new Parallels Control Center is a one-stop-shop for managing Parallels Desktop; it allows users to manage all their virtual machines and configuration settings from a single place
  • Users can share files, text or web pages from Windows using Internet accounts configured on their Mac such as Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr; or send them via email, AirDrop and Messages.
  • When users install a new Windows application, its icon will automatically be added to the OS X Launchpad

And here’s a promotional clip showing the update in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsHc7OYtwOY

If you’re interested, Desktop Parallels 8 and 9 users can find today’s upgrade here for $49.99 (again, new users will have to wait until the 26th). You’ll also get a free 3-month subscription to Parallels Access, which allows you connect to your computer using your iOS device.