Parallels updates Desktop 4.0 for Mac

The latest update enhances Desktop 4.0 for Mac

Parallels has released a revised version of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac, adding a handful of new features such as improved DirectX support for gamers and experimental support for coming versions of Windows and Mac OS X.

Launched in November 2008, Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac uses virtualisation to enable users of Intel-based Apple computers to run Windows applications seamlessly alongside their OS X software.

The Build 3810 update adds several enhancements based on early feedback from users, according to a spokesman for the firm.

Among these is DirectX 9.0 with Shaders Model 2 support, providing a better experience for users running PC games. Parallels has also added support for Intel's SSE4 instructions.

Among other improvements, Windows now automatically starts in the background whenever a Windows application is opened on the Mac desktop, while users can drag Windows files directly to Mac applications in the OS X Dock.

Parallels also claims to have made Desktop 4.0 for Mac more efficient, needing less CPU power to run and therefore extending the battery life when running on a MacBook.

The update adds experimental support for the forthcoming Snow Leopard version of OS X as the host platform, and also for Windows 7 running inside a virtual machine.