VMware Workstation vs. Parallels Desktop

When it comes to virtualization on a Windows computer you mainly have two options, VMware Workstation and Parallels Desktop. Both offer similar solutions, the ability to run multiple operating systems on one machine. Both are easy to install and can be downloaded directly from their respective websites.

There are some major differences though that would persuade a recommendation of one over the other.

VMware Workstation

VMware Workstation is a straightforward and easy to use program. Upon opening it you’re greeted with the main window that asks if you want to create a new virtual machine, a team of virtual machines for a LAN, or start up one of your current operating systems (Figure 1.1). The sidebar on the left is a helpful tool in viewing your installed virtual PC’s at a glance, with quick access to Suspend, Shut Down and Resume.

I installed Windows 7 Ultimate as a virtual machine and it went through without a hitch. Once inside the virtual machine you’re able to view in full-screen, fit in the current window, or run in unity (meaning you can run all the applications without the virtual desktop open).

A nice feature in Workstation is the toolbar at the top of the virtual machine when running in full-screen. It allows you quick access to shut down, suspend, etc., as well as view and tools, something lacking in Parallels desktop.

Overall the virtual machine in Workstation ran fast with little to no lag. The virtual machine also used my actual laptop’s Internet connection without any setting adjustments. VMware also has the added benefit of creating virtual machine teams which are advantageous to small businesses and helpful in virtual network training. The Workstation experience is user-friendly and affords many benefits.

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop downloaded quickly from their website (a 117MB file as opposed to VMware’s 550MB). After this rapid download and installation process I was fully expecting to install a virtual machine with minimal hassle. This was not the case.

I attempted to install the same version of Windows 7 Ultimate into Parallels. The set up process was fairly simple until it came time to begin the Windows 7 installation. I was given the following error message, “Unable to Start Windows 7.” This somehow did not affect the installation of Windows 7 through VMware Workstation. After much chagrin, I found the setting (pressing F12 during the startup process) and enabled hardware assisted virtualization. Once enabled, the rest of the installation went through and I was up and running.

The Parallels user interface is very similar to that of VMware Workstation. Toolbar on top, sidebar with installed virtual machines, and any current virtual machine running on the right (Figure 1.2).

You can run the virtual machine in full-screen, single window or unity just as in Workstation. What I instantly noticed was the unintuitive control of the cursor. In VMware you can click on the virtual machine and use the cursor as normal. When you need the cursor to manipulate things on your physical computer, just move the cursor out of the window and click. Parallels locks your cursor into the virtual machine and requires the key command “CTRL + ALT” to release it.

Also, in full-screen mode, there is no toolbar at the top, so exiting the virtual machine requires you to press “CTRL+ALT+ENTER” (Figure 1.3). There is a small command prompt at the bottom left of the Parallels UI that warns you of this, but disappears in fullscreen mode. If you don’t know these commands and you enter full-screen mode, it can be quite frustrating.

Internet connectivity was also a hassle within Parallels. It would not recognize the internet connection from my physical computer and I had to change a setting in the virtual machine to act as a separate computer on the network. Not a huge inconvenience, but it can be confusing at first.

Generally, Parallels will allow you to run whatever platform you need, but lacks certain features like Teams, tabbed browsing of machines, and there were a number of annoyances during the installation process and in the virtual UI.

VMware Workstation costs $189 while Parallels can be bought for $79. While Parallels may seem like the good value here, the various hassles and lack of features make it a hard sell. If you need to run multiple operating systems and will be utilizing all the features a virtualization tool has to offer, VMware is in my opinion the solid choice and worth the money.