Virtualisation is more popular than ever, and there are now a number of cross-platform virtual computing applications to choose from. For Mac users wanting to run virtual copies of OSX, or even Windows, Parallels has long been the app of choice – it can also be used as a means of easing the transition from PC to Mac. Now Parallels 7 has been released and there are a number of new features and enhancements to look forward to.

One huge development is automated detection of which operating system a particular file type has been designed for. If you attempt to open a file that can only be opened with a Windows application for example, Parallels will automatically fire up a virtual copy of Windows for you. Software developers and Mac enthusiasts will also be pleased for hear that support for Lion as a guest OS has also been added. This helps to gives a much more seamless feel to your virtualised operating system, and this is something that is further bolstered by support for Launchpad and Mission Control for Windows programs.

The updated version of Parallels has a strong focus on performance improvements, particularly when it comes to copying files between operating system, working with 3D graphics and starting and resuming Windows. Support for up to 1GB of video memory means that virtualised programs can be put to more demanding work without worrying about performance and it is now possible to share iSight and FaceTime cameras between OSX and Windows.

The Parallels family is also due to be graced with new mobile apps which will be available for iOS and Android platforms. Parallels Mobile is due for release on 6 September and will allow for control of both Windows and Mac virtual environments. Audio and video can be transmitted to mobile devices to help make remote working as desktop-like as possible, and the ability to copy and paste data between platforms is also something that will be welcomed.

You can find out more by paying a visit to the Parallels 7 review page.