Parallels announced on Tuesday the release of a major update and refresh of their Desktop for Mac virtualization platform - the product that lets Intel-based Macs run Windows, Linux and other operating systems within virtual machines that run inside Mac OS X. According to Parallels, all registered users of Parallels Desktop for Mac can get the update absolutely free. Current users simply need to ensure that the Parallels announced on Tuesday the release of a major update and refresh of their Desktop for Mac virtualization platform – the product that lets Intel-based Macs run Windows, Linux and other operating systems within virtual machines that run inside Mac OS X.According to Parallels, all registered users of Parallels Desktop for Mac can get the update absolutely free. Current users simply need to ensure that the “auto-update” feature is turned on, and they will get the latest build (3186) automatically. Trying to stay ahead of the competition coming from VMware, the latest release offers a number of new features: Coherence – Allows the user to run Windows applications on their Mac OS X desktop, just as if they were running native Mac applications. Windows applications can even be loaded directly from the Mac application dock. Plug and Play USB 2.0 Support – By upgrading USB support from 1.1 to 2.0, users can now access popular USB devices like external hard drives, printers, and scanners, and use them at full native speed, simply by plugging the device into their Macs. iSight cameras built-in to MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs are also fully supported in virtual machines. There is no complicated setup required to make USB devices work. Full-feature virtual CD/DVD drive – Now you can burn CDs and DVDs directly inside virtual machines, as well as play any copy-protected CD or DVD just like you would on a real PC. Support for Boot Camp partitions – You can run your entire Boot Camp installation directly in a Parallels virtual machine. And you can switch between loading Windows in Parallels Desktop or Boot Camp as often as you need to. True “Drag and Drop” – Easily share files between Windows and OS X by dragging documents and folders from one desktop to another. Compatible with Windows Vista – Build a new virtual machine that runs Windows Vista, or upgrade your existing Windows XP virtual machine to Windows Vista, without losing any data or having to reinstall any applications. Parallels Transporter – Migrate your old PC to a new Mac using Transporter. It will move the entire contents of your Windows PC (OS, applications, files, and settings) to a Parallels virtual machine running on your Mac. For more features, visit their Web site. The product is on sale and can be purchased directly from Parallels for $79.99. The company also offers a free 15-day trial. Software Development