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View Full Version : Will a USB dongle work in Parallels?

bradsm87
27th February 2007, 11:29 AM
Hi,

My dad is currently using a PC for his estimation software and a mac for everything else (mail, internet, myob etc.). The windows estimation software currently uses a Parallel dongle to allow it to run. The parallel dongle can be exchanged for a USB one at the cost of $80. He wants to do away with the PC and use the mac for both.

Would the estimation software in the virtual machine see the USB dongle to allow it to run or does parallels only support specified types of USB devices?
zarmanto
27th February 2007, 08:04 PM
That sounds like an incredibly unreasonable price for such an exchange! Personally, I think that your dad should investigate USB to parallel adapters (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=USB+to+parallel+adapter&spell=1) before spending that kind of cash. A quick search on Google will yield any number of devices in the ~$15 range.

Unfortunately, the question of the USB adapter working with that software is just as much in the air as the question of their USB dongle working in Parellels, so by "saving" money, you might wind up compounding your problems... so buyer beware.

But to actually attempt to answer your question... The people who make the software are more likely to know the answer to that then anyone else, but if they don't have a good answer to your question, then the absolute worst case scenario is that you would still be able to do away with the PC in favor of the Mac, by rebooting into Windows via BootCamp and buying their overpriced $80 dongle.
bradsm87
28th February 2007, 06:02 AM
That's AUD $80 so it's not that bad. My question is more along the lines of, how does parallels treat usb devices? I think I'll install it and have a fiddle around and see.
specter
28th February 2007, 01:18 PM
I'll try to answer your question. This is what Parallels team say on their official site about Parallels Desktop and USB 2.0:
Full USB 2.0 support allowing you to connect all of your favorite devices to your operating system of choice
I think that you can buy it and it will work. Anyway I'll post here a link to Parallels official site (http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/) so that you could check it yourself there.