Parallels, famous for its virtualization software, has launched a new product for the iPad called Parallels Access. It allows you to remotely operate and fully control any OS X or Windows app residing on your computer right from your iPad. It does this by translating traditional mouse controls into familiar iPad gestures.

Sep 18, 2018  Parallels Access is the fastest, simplest, and most reliable way to remotely access all your Windows and Mac applications and files from your Android device.

You can even run Windows apps, like MS Word, that reside on your Mac in a virtual machine file. The Concept The iPad has, by virtue of its OS, limitations on the kinds of apps that can run compared to, say, the Mac. While the Mac and PCs have full featured control, mice, and apps that can access the entire machine, the iPad has been more modest in its capabilities. That's why we have traditionally thought of the iPad as a content consumption device, even though some apps push that limit into the realm of content creation.

That has meant that iPad users on the move have had to live with limits on what kind of work they can do, but wouldn't it be nice if one could connect to a Mac or a PC and actually operate a powerful app remotely? Of course, the problem is that the app on the Mac or PC demands a mouse and mouse-like actions. All your favorite Mac apps available on the iPad. Parallels has solved that problem and has figured out a way to operate any native app on a Mac or PC from an iPad by translating mouse actions into iPad gesture. That includes the Mac's Finder. And they've done it so that there are no limitations or awkward half-measures.

Amazingly, you can even operate Windows apps like PowerPoint, Word and Excel that reside in your Parallels virtual machine (VM) file (for Windows) on your Mac. Or you can operate sophisticated, native Mac apps like Photoshop, Xcode or Illustrator. These apps are instantly accessible on the iPad side. Just tap to launch. Registration and Setup There are two components to this system. There is an iPad app, the App Launcher, that manages the network access to the Mac as well as the various apps that have been launched.

(For simplicity, I'll drop the dual references from now on to PCs.) There is also a companion app, Parallels Access.app, that runs on the Mac side. That app must be running and access authorized. There's a clear indicator, faux-LED, light in the app that glows green when access is permitted as well as an indicator in the Menu Bar. Note, this Mac app is a Menu Bar app, so you'll use the drop down menu to quit, shown below. You'll have no trouble knowing that access to the Mac has been granted thanks to the indicators. Free download of flash player for mac. Interface app on the Mac side. Easy & informative.

Security Access to the Mac is simplified by having each device log on to the user's Parallels account. Once both devices are registered, they can see each other. The data is transferred using SSL with AES 256-bit encryption. Even though there there is a mutual login for authentication, Parallels has designed the system to that there should be no concern about the privacy of the data. I asked John Uppendahl, the Parallels Senior Director of Global Communications to explain. 'Parallels Access client establishes a direct connection to an agent on Windows or Mac if possible. If each of them is behind a firewall a direct connection might not be possible.

It that case they use Parallels Access Cloud Infrastructure as a proxy to deliver the information. The whole traffic is encrypted on the agent and client while the proxy just blindly copies bits from one connection to another.

So, effectively no data is known to or reside anywhere on our servers in the Parallels Access Cloud.' For high speed communications, the following ports are used.

443 TCP 19302 UDP 19294 TCP+UDP 19295 TCP+UDP For additional security and verification, '.whenever a new user, new computer, or new iPad is registered with Parallels Access, a confirmation letter is sent to the account owner.' In addition, you can opt to lock out the display of the Mac so that while accessing remotely, no one can monitor your activity on the Mac's display.