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The assistant provides an 'Express Windows OS Installation Mode' for Windows XP and Windows Vista, which automates the virtual machine set-up and Windows installation processes.

Users select which Windows version they plan to use, enter their name, company information and Windows activation key and then installation is completely automated, requiring no user interaction. It automatically installs Parallels Tools, a free set of add-ons that improve networking, video, and sound support, syncs mouse activity and OS system clocks, and enables cutting, copying and pasting of data and file sharing between Windows and OS X.

The installation assistant also provides easy set-up for other versions of Windows, plus any Linux distribution, FreeBSD, Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, and MS-DOS. Users can choose between a standard, optimised virtual machine for the selected guest operating system and a custom install which lets them build and configure a bespoke virtual machine to meet their exact specifications.

The new build of Parallels Desktop for Mac also

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introduces Shared Networking to enable users to connect their virtual machines to the Internet via a cable modem, LAN, broadband card, WiFi connection or dial-up mode without any manual network reconfiguration. Shared Networking enables multiple IP addresses to appear as one IP address on a network, so that users working with Internet connections that are only configured for use with a single IP address can easily connect their virtual machines to the Net. This feature also effectively hides virtual machines from the outside world, making them less vulnerable to hacker attacks.

'Our easy-to-use, automated installation and networking tools make running Parallels Desktop for Mac an even more attractive option for running Windows, especially for non-technical users who simply want to get Windows up and running and connected to the Internet with as little hassle and headache as possible,' said Benjamin Rudolph, marketing manager, Parallels. 'We are delivering on our promise of delivering powerful technology that is simple to use for anyone, even the most non-technical users.'

Existing Desktop for Mac users with auto-update enabled will receive the Parallels Installation Assistant and Shared Networking feature automatically. Users who do not have auto-update enabled can manually download them by clicking Check for Updates in the Help tab of the application menu bar, or download them from parallels.com/en/download/desktop.

A free 15-day evaluation version of Parallels Desktop for Mac is also available from the same Web page.