Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Parallels Desktop for Mac

1. Overall we had excellent cost reduction after migrating from Citrix. We no longer need per-user CALs, and can scale our environment down to match usage. 2. Since the hosts are in Azure, Multi-session Windows 11 is fantastic. 3. Ability to Scale up to meet usage has saved us during several critical outages.

Incentivized

Parallels is great for an end user that is primarily a macOS user, but occasionally needs Windows access to a specific application or service that is Windows only, or Windows primarily. It obviates the need for multiple desktop units or remote VMs where spin up time is an issue. It is not quite perfect due to the ARM version of Windows requirement, but that particular case is common to all ARM use of Windows.

Incentivized

• Better computing power
• Configurable System and as per team needs configuration can be added or removed at ease
• Internet Connectivity within the cloud system is way better than our home / office internet connections
• No heating issues on personal machines, leaving all the worry on actual data center machines

Incentivized

• The configurations & space allocations can be done on parallels.
• It integrates very well with the Mac; copying/pasting and sharing files can be done between the two platforms - Windows/Mac.
• It supports virtual machines, Touch-ID (which works on Mac and will work on Windows, too), and bridges the gap between two operating systems.

Incentivized

• While it is PaaS it would be nice to have some monitoring insights into some parts of the offering
• Migrating user sessions from one host to another (to be able to downscale) would be awesome
• It would be nice to have a more seamless deployment of FSLogix in a AVD Enviroment

Incentivized

• Having to buy a new upgrade whenever Apple updates the OS with its yearly releases seems a bit excessive.
• The integration features between Windows and Mac are enabled by default, which can clutter both sides; I would rather it was not default.

Incentivized

Users are familiar with the application which will keep us going for a little while. However since we are seeing a decline for a need for the software, I wouldn't be surprised to find that this answer changes dramatically in the near future. We would probably keep it to some extent, but we would probably reduce our licensing count.

Incentivized

Stability and latency complaints are common, but not experienced by all users. A drop in overall productivity can be seen in contributors who rely on a lot of copy-pasting for editing, so some such commands are not instantaneous. Set up is intuitive and the tool is simple enough. It was quick to adopt and stick to.

Incentivized

It has a good integration, including the connection of peripherals. Taking files back and forth works well and I can attach my Home drive as a network drive in Windows. There is even integration with iCloud and other macOS services. There are also a few different display modes which are useful and fleixible (coherence, windowed, full-screen with multiple screens)

Incentivized

The Parallels documentation and support websites are great. I have not had much use for them, but a cursory check shows richly documented features aimed at both the layperson and the power user or software developer. Their website is well-designed and information is easy to find, and their list of known issues as well as bugfixes on point releases is clear and transparent. They aren't trying to hide any of the limitations of their software, and seem to be regularly updating it to fix new bugs that arise with Mac OS X updates.

Incentivized

The only advice I can provide is think about who is using the product and build the image based on the true needs of the user.

Incentivized

They are all part of my company's environment.

Incentivized

Main two features that made the balance decission go to the Parallels Desktop were the possibility to pause the Windows partition easily (allowing to consume less resources in Mac and save battery) and the other one is the user interface feature called "Coherence" with allows you to show the Windows application windows as if they were native to the macOS, allowing for a better user experience.

Incentivized

• Generally, Positive so far. From business objectives, we covered security, scalability and efficiency but implementing AVD.
• User are able to work securely from anywhere and support hybrid model as well.
• however, ongoing attention require to make sure you are not over sizing the host pools and cost remain in expected budget.

Incentivized

• Saves money on having to buy a Windows and MacBook, as the MacBook can run almost 99% of all Windows software and usually run it faster and share between your MacBook transparently.
• Gives employers the most flexibility with regards to which OS to adopt across an enterprise
• We are a media company and everyone uses Macs in our industry, Fortune 500 companies also use Windows and MS Project, Parallels gives you the most flexibility for almost all of these use cases
• Improves efficiency as the MacBook Pro M3 systems are much faster than some of the fastest corporate issued Windows laptops. What takes me 3-10 seconds for a video export can take 5 minutes on a similar Windows laptop

Incentivized