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What are the benefits of virtualization? This was a question asked over on Lockergnome Q&A recently, and I thought the answers may just benefit several of you out there. Now, we know that many of you already use virtual machines. Why not leave a GOOD comment on the video, explaining to those who don’t why it is they might want to look into doing so? See how that works? We all help each other! Remember – YOU were a n00b at one time, too!

Virtualization isn’t emulation: it’s using the computer hardware to run an operating system within an operating system. You can run umpteen dozen operating systems at the same time – all doing something different if you so choose. I run Windows 7 in a virtual machine on my Mac so that I can quickly and easily do anything I might need to do within Windows.

In my mind, the largest benefit to a virtual machine is when you’re trying something new. Take a snapshot of your current VM… try out whatever it is you have your eye on. If it doesn’t work – no big deal! Just revert your VM to the snapshot and you’re good to go. That’s a beautiful thing, in my mind. You can instantly go right back to where you started without having to back everything up, reinstall your operating system and adding your programs/documents back.

Which VM software do you recommend – and why? Keep in mind that I have coupons for Parallels, VMWare and even more!

Why Do You Need a Virtual Machine?

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On the heels of Parallels 6 being launched, the team behind the software today announced their new offering in itunes: the Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac Mobile App. The app will allow users of Parallels 6 or Parallels 6 Switch to Mac to use their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to access and use Windows applications running on a Mac. This can be done from any network at any time.

If you have a copy of Parallels 6.0 or higher and have registered for an account, you can download the app for absolutely nothing. Load it up on your Apple mobile device of choice and access your virtual machine remotely. As you can imagine, you can pinch and zoom your way through each screen to get to where you need to be!

You can adjust various controls to optimize the visualizations as need be. Suspend, pause or shut down your virutal machine at home from your iPhone while you’re on the go. All of the normal functionality you have come to expect from Parallels are found in this new app.

This is pretty impressive, if you ask me. You know how often you end up needing something from your machine at home while you’re on the road or at the office. Parallels is now helping make it a snap for you to grab your files and go. It doesn’t get much better than that.

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A New Parallels Mac Download – for Your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Parallels 6 is being released on September 14th to much fanfare and blowing of Vevuzelas. Wait… I’m still hearing echoes of those in my head. Real Networks was a sponsor during Gnomedex a few weeks ago, and they were kind enough to give one of those lovely little noisemakers to each conference attendee. The Parallels team was also on hand, giving away one heck of a lot of software to every person in Bell Harbor.

This new version has more than 80 new and improved features, including a speed increase over the last version of about 40%! Some of the new features you will be salivating over include:

• A 64-bit engine to take advantage of the Mac’s power.
• 5.1 surround sound which lets you immerse yourself completely in games, music, videos and movies.
• Capability to extend Mac OS X Parental Controls to your Windows applications.
• Use your OS X keyboard shortcuts to make all Windows programs work the way YOU want them to.
• Choose how much Mac and Windows you want with simple profiles each time you set up a new virtual machine.

Some of the enhancements and improvements are significant, as well:

• Find your Windows programs faster with Spotlight integration.
• This version allows you to launch Windows 2.5 times faster than any other solution.
• Enhanced 3D graphics are better by far than older versions.
• Enjoy better control by managing Windows through Spaces and Expose.
• There is much-improved network, hard drive and Transporter performance.

Are you looking forward to upgrading your version of Parallels?

Parallels 6

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Not long ago, one of our community members received a Macbook from me as a gift. UncleJohn has been a member of our corner of the world for many years, and has been helping me convert and process my videos for a long time. He does this on his own time, as a volunteer, simply because he loves what we do. When his old Windows machine died, I had to help him out. Once our friends at SwitchToMac heard this story, they knew they wanted to help. They sent him everything he needed to make THE switch to Mac – and UncleJohn couldn’t be happier.

Using Parallels, the transfer was as smooth and easy as you could ever hope for. UncleJohn didn’t have to learn anything new, he didn’t have to attempt to read a long manual in order to figure things out… he just did what needed to be done.

SwitchToMac is also going to be posting a new batch of tips from my latest eBook (full of Mac user tips for everyone from beginners to experts!) on their site every Monday. SwitchToMac visitors who re-tweet the link to the latest tips story or post your own tip on their Facebook page will be entered to win one of two Magic Trackpads at the end of this promotion!!

To enter the Twitter contest, simply send the following tweet:

Watch @ChrisPirillo switch Uncle John to Mac & RT for chance to win @ParallelsMac #SwitchtoMac www.lgno.me/ac49KW

Parallels Coupons:

• Parallels - Download Free Parallels Desktop for Mac Trial (Posted on 7/16/07)

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Parallels Makes the Switch to Mac a Simple Process

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Some people have trouble gaming inside of VMWare. It tends to throttle their CPU. However, in the newest version of VMWare Fusion one of the toggles have been removed. You can change quite a bit of settings to optimize your virtual machine explicitly for gaming purposes.

It’s going to hit your CPU no matter what. You’re running software. Make sure that you’ve allocated the most RAM that you can to the VM. Maxing out your CPU won’t kill anything, no. I run my live stream on the Mac Mini every day. It’s run for the past three years, even though the Mac Mini’s CPU is throttled almost constantly.

Yes, the games are going to throttle your CPU. It could happen with XP outright, let alone when it’s running inside of the virtual machine. That will have more overhead.

In terms of mitigating that, it’s not really possible honestly. The latest version of VMWare will take care of most of it for you. Play around in your settings. Check your hard-disk buffering status. Optimize what you can – wherever you can.

It’s not going to kill your computer, no. You’re safe to keep on gaming.

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VMWare CPU Usage in XP

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VMWare Fusion 3.0 is finally here, and is the best way to run Windows on your Mac. Using a Mac doesn’t mean abandoning your Windows applications and devices. Ditch your PC and safely run your favorite Windows programs alongside Mac applications, while continuing to use your Windows-only devices on your Mac. Instantly launch your favorite Windows applications directly from your Dock or the Apple menu bar at any time. Easily switch between apps and minimize them to your Dock, just like you would with Mac apps!

This video was recorded by Kevin during Macworld 2010.

Would you like to cover conferences, trade shows, and events in exchange for promotion in our YouTube channel and social media networks? Email me to facilitate the process!

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Do You Use VMWare Fusion?

Being sick has its advantages – ones I never knew about! I have had some sort of crazy virus for several days now. I admit to spending one entire day sleeping it off as best I could. I stayed out of my office for the most part, and knocked myself out with the medicines the doctor gave me. Since that day, I’ve spent as much time as possible doing nothing other than sitting in my office. Since that happens to be where I work… I’ve actually accomplished quite a lot! I haven’t felt like going anywhere really, or “doing” anything much.

I’ve managed to catch up on some reading I felt I was behind on. I have come up with some ideas for upcoming projects. And, I’ve even managed to croak out some geeky new videos for the YouTube channel. I’m ahead of myself on those, which is kind of cool. Usually, the things I record are uploaded immediately the next day. Now I have a bit of a “buffer”, in case there’s a day I am too busy with other things to record.

As backwards as it seems, being sick has made me more productive. What helps boost your “get things done” levels? Also – what do you spend the most time doing when you’re sick? Do you curl up in front of the tv, or read a book? Do you spend all of your time sleeping? Or, are you like me and plant yourself in front of the computer monitors?

• There still isn’t a Chrome operating system. Did you see that one coming?
• Can you buy credit card numbers off of Craigslist?
• What do you think is the hottest gadget of the season?
• Diskeeper 2010 has a revolutionary new feature.
• Do modern GUIs contribute to clueless users?
• When it comes to netbook reliability, where do you feel each manufacturer falls?
• What are your thoughts on Cryogenics?
• WindowBlinds has been updated to work with Windows 7!
• Scientists are pushing light beyond its known limits.
• Can you upgrade your motherboard without having to reinstall Windows?
• Why is AT&T on the defensive?
• Do you recommend buying refurbished gadgets and gizmos?
• If you’re in the market for a new PC, why not consider buying one directly from Microsoft?

Don’t forget to check out all of the hot new apps we have for you in our downloads center. Today you’ll find several things for Windows, as well as mobile devices!

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What Drives Your Productivity?

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There have been numerous screencasts submitted over the past couple of weeks. Several of them are very, VERY good! I always knew that our community was full of talented individuals. It’s not too late for you to get involved, and have your screencast featured on this channel! Bwana has been hanging out with us for years, and is even a moderator in my chat room – when he has time! He’s gained quite a following of his own, and rightfully so. He does excellent work, and I’m always more than happy to have him do reviews for us. Today, he sent a screencast to me to give you all an overview of Parallels on the Mac.

When you first launch the software, you’ll only see the first two options: you’ll have to choose between a new Windows installation or to import a virtual machine. Since Bwana had already created a Windows image, he had a third option to use an existing VM.

The New Windows Installation option allows you to set up a virtual machine within Parallels to run inside of Mac OS X. There are several video tutorials online that show you how to set up and use a virtual machine. For the purposes of this video, Bwana chose to set up a new virtual machine in order to show you how it’s done.

Parallels is so easy to use that you can literally install Windows with just three clicks of your mouse. Run Windows programs like native Mac applications side-by-side using Coherence technologies. Gain instant access to your files, folders and data across both operating systems with SmartX technologies. And… you can remotely control your virtual machine using the iPhone application when you’re away from home!

Thanks to Bwana for sending a screencast in to us… and to all of you who are working hard and continuing to send in excellent material. I promise you – we’ll get them all up on our channels!

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Parallels Review

I noticed a thread today on Geeks that is talking about how discussions always end up turning negative in some way. This got me to thinking about conversations I have all over the web – on Geeks, over at Lockergnome, here in my blog, and even on sites like Twitter. It seems no matter what you’re trying to talk about, someone is going to be negative in some way. The people in this particular thread are right – it truly is annoying.

I’m not talking about differing opinions. Those are great, and I welcome them. Hopefully, you like hearing them as well. Having different viewpoints on things allows us to stretch our minds in directions they may not have otherwise gone. It can make us look at things in a whole new way, from a completely different perspective.

The negativity I’m referring to is exactly as it sounds – negativity, for no reason other than to be rude/demeaning. You’ll be having a conversation that’s going along nicely, and some person pops their nose in and starts going off on a tangent about something that may or may not relate to your discussion. They may even be completely rude about it, or directly “attack” someone involved in the thread/post. I really hate that. What’s the point of it? Why must Internet trolls even exist? Can’t we just like shoot them out of a cannon or something?

Seriously, though, why does it seem so difficult these days to have a completely intelligent conversation with others without the fear of someone taking it down a road it should never go? What are your thoughts? Are you seeing more and more of this lately, and how do you get past it to continue your discussion? What else are you reading and/or participating in online that has your mind stretching?

• Harvest Moon: Animal Parade for the Wii has marched straight to retail.
• Identity Theft from the inside can be the most dangerous of all.
• Blockbuster is planning to rent movies on SD cards?! Maybe we should stick with Netflix.
• What flavor of Linux do you recommend for someone completely new to the operating system?
• Your Nokia phone charging cord could possibly be a shock hazard.
• Why don’t our cars tell us when our batteries are going bad or getting low?!
• Parallels reups on VMWare
• So many Apps – so few ever used.
• Could YouTube be a crime-fighting tool?
• Topsy is fast becoming the new currency of the Web.
• Nearly 60% of US doctors report that their patients are having difficulties paying their bills.

We have several excellent new Apps and Programs available today in our downloads center for Windows Mobile operating systems, as well as for OS X!

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Can Online Discussions Always Be Positive?

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Josh called in last week during live calls to talk with me about Windows 7. His general opinion at first was just that Windows 7 is a “great operating system”. I had to chuckle at that, because I of course agree. As we talked more, we got into a bit of a discussion about how much better Windows 7 runs on our Macs inside of Boot Camp. In my opinion, anyway, Vista never did run well on any type of virtual machine. It just plain stunk.

In a virtual machine environment, such as with VMWare Fusion, Windows 7 just – works. It runs clean, and it runs fast. When I used to try and run Vista in the same environment, with the same hardware and same configuration… it never worked. It was buggy. It would crash. It was slow. Things wouldn’t – work!

Don’t forget that I have an awesome Windows 7 eBook available for only $7.00! It’s filled with 70 excellent tips and tricks, to help you make the transition to Windows 7 even easier.

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Virtual Machines Love Windows 7

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Yes, it’s possible to have Linux and Windows installed on the same PC – and why wouldn’t you have both? You can install Linux using a live CD or even a USB drive. You could also use something like VMWare Fusion, as well.

Of course, you don’t need a coupon to run any flavor of Linux, as it is open source software. That is the biggest draw for many of you out there who use it. However, today I wanted to show you a new option I ran across that I think you will like. If you’ve never used Linux before, you may want to think about running Linux on top of Windows.

Using Portable Ubuntu allows you to do just that. It is an Ubuntu system running as a Windows application. For those of you who are hard-core Linux users, Portable Ubuntu is handy when you need to work from a Windows-based machine.

Portable Ubuntu allows you to run Ubuntu as if you’re using Ubuntu itself – but you’re actually using Windows. You’ll find the package manager, the bar that runs across the top of the screen, and more. You can even browse the Ubuntu file structure from right within Windows.

This is absolutely without a doubt the easiest way to use Linux from within Windows!

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How to Run Linux on Windows (Ubuntu)

Parallels is a worldwide leader in automation and virtualization software that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses, and service providers. Parallels allows you to run another operating system (such as Vista, XP or Linux) inside of a virtual machine from within Mac OS X.

Parallels Coupons:

• Parallels - Download Free Parallels Desktop for Mac Trial (Posted on 7/16/07)

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Parallels Coupon

Parallels Coupons:

• Parallels - Download Free Parallels Desktop for Mac Trial (Posted on 7/16/07)

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I’ve done videos in the past about Parallels. The new version has been released, and man does it ever rock. Let’s take a look at some of the new features inside of Parallels.

• Install Windows in 3 clicks or bring your existing Windows system to your Mac with integrated Easy Setup tools.
• Run Windows programs like native Mac applications side-by-side with Coherence technologies.
• Have instant access to your files, folders and data across both OSs with SmartX technologies.
• Automatically optimize performance for Windows programs or Mac applications on demand with Parallels Adaptive Hypervisor.
• New GUI and VM directory with an easy-to-use interface with quick access to all your virtual machines.
• The iPhone application lets you remotely control your virtual machines via your iPhone.

These things are literally only the tip of the iceburg. If you are on Mac OS X and need or want to run Windows inside of your Mac, you seriously need to check out what’s new with Parallels.

Parallels 6 Download and Coupon!

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Apparently, Virtual Machines are a hot topic! I’ve had a few calls lately asking about them, the differences, and my recommendations. This caller is buying a Macbook Pro, and is wondering what he should use as far as running Windows programs. He has a copy of Photoshop, and wonders what program he needs on the Macbook in order to use Photoshop to its peak performance. He’s also curious as to whether he should use Rosetta.

What exactly is Rosetta? You’ll never see it, you’ll never configure it, you’ll never have to think about it. It’s built into Mac OS X to ensure that most of your existing applications live a long and fruitful life. Here are all the instructions you’ll need: double-click the application icon. Behind the scenes, Rosetta dynamically translates most of your PowerPC-based applications to work with your Intel-based Mac. There’s no emulation. No second-class status. It looks and feels just like it did before. On a Mac, you’d expect nothing less.

If you want, you could always use Photoshop inside a Virtual Machine, using something such as Parallels or VMware. Or, you could use Boot Camp, which is included with OS X Leopard. Boot Camp supports the most popular 32-bit releases of Windows XP and Windows Vista. When you use either operating system on your Mac, your Windows applications will run at native speed. This is exactly what the caller is looking for! Windows applications have full access to multiple processors and multiple cores, accelerated 3D graphics, and high-speed connections like USB, FireWire, Wi-Fi, and Gigabit Ethernet.

FirstRSS ERROR: "http://shop.tagjag.com/products/photoshop" NOT FOUND!

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Boot Camp vs VMware or Parallels

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I was involved in a conversation on the 888-PIRILLO line the other night, when the talk turned to using Parallels. The caller has been using Parallels, but has been having a lot of troubles with the CD drive not wanting to mount. It has been SO long since I’ve used Parallels. I asked if it’s happening on all builds, or just one Virtual Machine. My first suggestion, of course, is to try a second VM. If it doesn’t connect there, there may be an incompatibility with that drive and Parallels.

You might also try downloading a trial of VMware. They not only are one of our sponsors, they have an excellent product. Parallels has gotten a lot better lately. Some people swear by it, and some swear by VMware. I think either one is a fantastic product. I give more attention to VMware for a couple of reasons. One is that it can support two processors, instead of just one. The second reason is that it has been around as long as I can remember, much longer than Parallels. To me, longevity shows that a company knows what they are doing.

You can find Parallels Coupons and VMWare Coupons at Coupons.Lockergnome.com.

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Parallels or VMware