Counter-Strike on Mac OS X
December 03, 2006
Parallels Desktop for Mac recently released a new build (3036 beta) that includes the ability to run Windows applications right on the Mac OS X desktop, along with many other very useful features. This means no longer being stuck in the virtual machine's window when running your favorite Windows-specific software. Being a fan of the gaming industry, this specific release caught my eye, as I've been waiting for the day when I could run Counter-Strike (or any other Windows-only game) while booted into OS X.
Installing Steam was a flawless process, just as if I were booted into a real Windows enviornment. Running the actual game, however, was not as smooth as I had hoped for. Although it is playable, I would not recommend making this your primary gaming platform. Since Parallels does not support graphics acceleration, you have to run the game in 'Software' mode, which leaves you at about 30-40FPS.
That being said, I am extremely impressed with what the Parallel developers have done so far in this beta release and look forward to using this software for quite some time.