860 As students head to school this fall, many are choosing Macs for their academic and recreational computing, with more than one third of respondents (36%) in a survey of full-time undergraduates at four-year US colleges and universities indicating they plan to purchase a Mac(1). However, a significant number of student Mac users still want to be able to run Windows or PC-based applications, for example for a specific course element such as Autocad for engineering or architecture degrees, and many solve this problem with Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Tim at a Seattle concert with Parallels logo

"When I started at UCSC I got a Macbook (which I've named Charlie) and looking around campus it's pretty obvious that lots of other students are opting for Macs now too," said Tim Deal, a sophomore attending the University of California, Santa Cruz. "A year later, I've learned all about the cool things I can do with my Mac, but I still want Windows so I can use Microsoft Office and play PC games. Parallels Desktop for Mac basically gives me the best of both worlds so I can get the ease of use, security and functionality of the Mac, without missing out on the applications I need for school assignments."

To celebrate its collegiate user community, this month Parallels is launching a competition asking students to help it go "back to school". A flyer of the Parallels logo is available on its new Mac To School blog and Parallels is inviting students across the US to demonstrate their school spirit by sending in a photograph of themselves and the flyer taken at their favorite spot. All pictures suitable for publishing will be posted on the Mac to School blog and each week the most interesting submission will win a goodie bag. The competition runs for one month, from September 15th to October 15th, culminating in blog readers voting for the overall winner of the grand prize.

To kick the competition off, student blogger Tim Deal photographed himself with the flyer at a rock concert in Seattle, Washington (attached). Tim started blogging for Parallels as he prepared to head back to UCSC, reflecting on his experiences of his first year and looking forward to the year ahead. Mac to School includes a number of features, from free music downloads to Tim's own musings, and invites contributions from other student bloggers and commentators. To get involved in the blog or enter the picture competition, email Tim at tdeal (at) parallels (dot) com.

For students interested in learning more about Parallels Desktop for Mac, the solution is available at a 50% student discount in campus bookstores nationwide or on the Parallels website: http://www.parallels.com/landingpage/studentpack/. Parallels also offers a product specifically for new Mac users: Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac edition, which includes tools for learning how to use the Mac, and an intelligent moving kit to transfer files and applications to the Mac. For more information on this solution visit:
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/stm/

(1)Survey of 1,200 students conducted by higher education-specialist research firm, Student Monitor.

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