back to article Did Parallels ship pre-release version 4 code?

Parallels has admitted shipping two versions of its Parallels Desktop v4.0 (PD4) software with a 22-day difference between them, leading to accusations it has shipped pre-release software into the channel. On the launch day, November 11, boxed software buyers received PD4 build 3047, dated October 16 2008, whereas customers …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Auto update people!

    Isn't this normal industrial practice? It's like people buying a Wii/PS3/PSP/360 etc and expecting that the latest firmware has already been applied.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    A title is required.

    Ellis said: "The product was fully tested both internally and externally in an extensive beta testing programme"

    and it was tested, and found to be full of bugs...

  3. GrantK
    Black Helicopters

    A total non story?

    Software improves and you can download a new version - whatever next?

  4. Duncan Hothersall

    Hmm

    This theory is predicated on the idea that those complaining of problems had not done the automatic update; yet lots of posts on the forums say they have updated, and problems persist. I think this story is a red herring.

  5. Ray
    Jobs Halo

    i wasn't happy...

    i guess you might say that both products were ready, in the sense that neither of them worked. i know, coz i tried 'em and as a result am still running version 3. time machine ftw.

  6. Dan Wilkinson
    Heart

    Snoooooze

    My copy of Parrallels 3 was way out of date when I bought the boxed copy. I updated it. Then it was up to date. Whodathunkit?

    Stupis heart icon, as I've never seen it used.

  7. Ian Bradshaw
    Thumb Down

    Not surprising?

    It's hardly surprising that a boxed version is older than a web delivery version ... burn the CD, make the box, ship it somewhere, ship it somewhere else ... or just upload a new exe to a website for instant delivery ... and in any case ... who buys anything in a box in 2008? and who's not connected to the internet for an auto-update thats going to be using this?

    If your daft enough to buy a boxed version of something, you're going to have to update it ... when was the last time you got a copy of XP / Vista or Office with all the latest patches on it? erm ... sometime never I guess ...

    As long as there not charging for updates / patches ... who cares.

  8. Nick Palmer
    Stop

    @AC "Auto update people! "

    No, it isn't. If the build numbers are to be believed, what went into the boxes was a build compiled between the first and second release candidates, i.e. before a build that preceded the release version, not an earlier release version.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Doesn't surprise me

    It also explains why my version of Parallel 4.0 is stable. I downloaded build 3522.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    But...

    this doesn't really explain why it runs like a dog. Or were they planning to do some major optimisations between RC and GA product.

  11. Chris

    It's SOFTWARE...

    ... consider yourselves lucky it even runs, after a fashion!

    You might care to check out the licence terms on ANY software - it boils down to, 'you paid for this, but if it works, consider yourself lucky - if it doesn't then you've been had and there's nothing you can do about it'.

    That's how the industry works.

  12. Henry Wertz Gold badge

    Not too unusual.

    Agreed. It's certainly an issue if the online version is STILL buggy (as some are claiming.) BUT, everyone does this. From what I've heard it takes a month or two from the time they ship a "golden master" to some copying plant to it being boxed up and ready to sell. Lots of software has updates in that time period. Ubuntu? About 200 updates for 8.04.1 or for 8.10 (which has only been out about a month). Turbotax? It doesn't even ship with the tax forms on disk, they have to be downloaded by the autoupdater.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Parallel Version?

    Does this mean there is Parallel development of Parallel version of Parallels?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    amazing...

    ...how many people missed the point of this article...

  15. Stephen Baines
    Thumb Down

    Not only boxed copies

    On the day of release, I went to the website to download the trial version.

    That was the RC version, also. So for a while the RC version was there for everyone to trial. I've still got it in my download folder.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Parallels 3 brings my Mac to a standstill ... so why is this news?

    Sounds like they shipped more of the same ... and it's no better. I'm switching to VMWare.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Duh

    Latest version runs a treat; fan activity on a macbook as the sole indicator shows a much better product - fan is hardly on.

    And guess what - updating is easy. Who cares what version it ships with?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    erm, wtf am I doing wrong?

    Here I am minding my own business playing with V3 of the above software and I decide to try upgrade my version to V4, utilising the 24.99 upgrade previously mentioned on the Reg.

    I cant for the life of me upgrade for that price. £29.41 is the best price I can see then I get nailed for 20% sales/Vat. That Eshop has big feckin windows or what!!.

    For that money I might as well get Fusion!!.

    Paris cuz she doesn't have a clue either.

  19. yeah, right.

    News?

    Oh come ON! NO software is "final" software, they're always finding new bugs to fix. How is this at all news? OK, some people with an older build had problems. Did they update? Who knows.

    As for me, I'm having trouble with Parallels 3 and installing various builds of Fedora, OpenSolaris and others. At the moment, I'm unwilling to try my luck with version 4. Looking at VMWare.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Nah then

    OK, I admit I jumped to VMW but what I want to ask PD4 users is:

    Does Creature House Expression 3 (now MS Expression 3) for Windows run fine on PD4?

    E3 is free, cute and fantastic.

    on VMWF E3 for Windows does funky stuff with object fills.

    http://www.microsoft.com/expression/expression-design/CreatureHouse.aspx?key=download

    available in Mac and Win formats

  21. Kevin Hutchinson
    Thumb Down

    Seems slower than 3.0?

    Is it just me or is Parallels 4.0 slower than 3.0? I'm beginning to regret having "upgraded". hmmmm.

  22. Jon Press

    Maybe you should have read the description?

    If you take a trip to http://parallelssoftware.com/uk/workstation.html* you'll find that:

    "The software is stable,flexibel,strong , gives workstation lifhtweigt hypervisor direct access to the host computers hardware, wich let you run Windows Linux and more all at the same time in a stable secure high-performing environment and hase a exeptionel speed

    "Also the price is very resenebol espesialy when you realise that your family can profit from this software package ,its like the have there own pc enviornments without actualy having there own pc"

    Nice to see the code lives up to the description...

    *NB: Yes, I know...

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