

The update also allows users to enjoy the stunning Retina display resolution, available in some 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, in Windows and Windows applications, such as to see crisper fonts and more vivid photos and images. Now, a few weeks after Microsoft Windows 8's formal release, it has a free update that supports Windows 8 touchscreen tablet gestures and adds a live tile to the Windows 8 interface for easy access to shared Mac applications. In August, Parallels launched a major release of its Parallels Desktop for Mac product, version 8, which added formal support for Windows 8 (Version 7 allowed use of Windows 8 with a simple workaround). If you're the owner of a Mac sporting at least an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and haven't tried Parallels or other virtualization packages, you might want to expand your world to include the ability to use OS X Mountain Lion features in Windows applications and run Windows and Mac applications side by side. For the latter group, Parallels, VMware, and Oracle all offer virtualization software that does the trick. Then there are those who want more, such as the capability of working seamlessly with either environment free of the need to reboot. For some users who want to experience Microsoft Windows applications on their Mac hardware, this option has been enough. Apple has offered the Boot Camp feature for many years to let Mac users work with either the Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows operating system on the same computer.
