Parallels Desktop is a virtual user session solution built to run Windows on Macintosh computers without rebooting. It is designed for OS X Yosemite with one-click tuning.
$49.99
per license
Zoho Assist
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Zoho Assist from Zoho Corporation is a remote administration tool for SMBs and outsourced IT.
I often get asked, why not the "free" stuff (VirtualBox), and/or why not VMWare. VirtualBox, etc. are not as performant for interactive usage. I think they are fine for small applications, perhaps some enterprise app usage, but for developers, it's not good enough. VMWare has become too enterprisey and lacks some of the user-friendly stuff that Parallels focuses on. Ultimately, for developer types running OSes for deep tasks, Parallels is unrivaled.
Works well for remote users to connect to their onsite computers. The mobile app works great for technicians. I can't really think of anywhere it isn't appropriate because these days everyone works remotely at some point and even if they have no need to connect to an onsite device when they need assistance the tech can connect quickly and easily.
File Transfer - You can easily transfer files between Parallels virtualized desktops and the host desktop either through Copy and Paste functionality, or Drag and Drop. You can also configure shared folders.
Switch Between Virtual and Host Desktop - You can configure swipe gestures on a MacBook Pro to be able to switch between the virtualized and host desktop. You can also launch apps from the OS X Taskbar.
Performance - Apps in Parallels run quite smoothly on my 2015 MacBook Pro, as of 2020. Considering they are running on a 5-year-old computer, I give Parallels top marks for performance.
The ability to do snapshots, backups, and other types of branching for VMs is a little confusing and takes a bit to get used to
The Parallels tools frequently pop up windows advertising functionality, while this is helpful at times it can also happen when you are doing a presentation or typing in a password.
Careful using the VMs on a shared cloud drive such as Dropbox or OneDrive, there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of files which are updated when running a VM and this can clog up your Dropbox or OneDrive sync for minutes to hours even on a 2gb connection.
Zoho Assist service will stop workstations automatically sleeping (unless overridden) - this was done deliberately by their development team as they aware (and unable to fix) their issues with WOL.
Support is terrible - very quick response initially - but it can take weeks to get any actual support or solution. I currently have outstanding tickets over 2 months old with no response.
File transfer clunky, slow and inconsistent.
Clients often show offline when actually available and online.
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.
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)
Very easy to use. Tech support is available, but not needed. Our customers are able to download and run the file quickly, an audible tone alerts users as to when the assisted person joins the session. It is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and contains all the capability anyone needs for remote support.
So, this rating is a little skewed toward older behavior from Parallels, as I haven't had to contact them recently. However, in an older version of Parallels, an "update" included pop-ups urging users to upgrade to the latest version, implying that their current version wouldn't work for the latest MacOS. I found it very frustrating to be getting ads for a new version of the software in a version I had already paid for. I contacted support about this and got a generic, uncaring response. It was pretty disappointing.
As I said earlier, Zoho Assist is a perfect remote access software and very well meets our needs to solve installation, uninstallation and general configuration issues. The interface is beautiful, clean, user-friendly and works very well on Windows 10. All the support and infrastructure staff approve and enjoy using it
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.
Cost is one thing that makes Zoho Assist beat the competing software. The security plans from the software ensure files and anything sensitive are well maintained and governed. The interface, the simplicity, and the friendliness of Zoho Assist attracts attention of prospective clients. Zoho Assist successfully make the desktop remote access process effective and at a reduced cost.
Avoid extra costs: majority of users have a Mac, so if they needed to dod something that is Windows related, it will require to users have an extra computer to do that tasks, and this have a lot of costs
Developers have more concerns how websites behaves on Windows only browsers, which increased the satisfaction of users
It's the most cost-effective service I've found with device control features, saving money.
It's reliable whenever we need it.
Without Zoho Assist we would probably not use a screen control program and would waste time trying to find a similar function from a combo of other programs rather than one.
