Hands-on: Parallels Access 2.0

Navigating Through Desktop Apps

Working with Desktop Apps

We moved on to create a new document in Microsoft Word, and the experience on the smaller screen is as good as it can get.

To start typing,you can bring up (or hide) the keyboard by tapping the keyboard icon on the toolbar. It actually works just like a touch version of your computer keyboard, though not the one you are used to on your smartphone, so there's no autocorrect or suggested words. If you thought you could swipe your way through the document with Android keyboards such as Google keyboard or Swiftkey, you're out of luck. We found ourselves tapping Backspace quite often to rectify spelling mistakes, and this makes the "applified" experience seem incomplete. Technology has certainly made us all lazier and to expect the best experience across any device or situation. Here's hoping to a better typing experience in a newer version that utilizes the smartphone's default keyboard and word libraries.

There are also extra keys that proved to be handy, such as Ctrl (Cmd in Mac) that allows you to undo your last action with a Ctrl+Z as you would on your computer keyboard. It supports sticky keys so you can tap one after the other, instead of trying to hold down Ctrl and then tap Z.

When it comes to small buttons, most smartphone users would zoom in to enlarge the buttons to tap on it more accurately. The Lock’n’Go magnifying glass somewhat makes up for it. When using Parallels Access, you can tap and hold a non-clickable area, drag the magnifying circle over to the button you want to tap, then wait for the red circle to turn a full round before releasing your finger to utilize the Lock'n'Go function. It did take a bit of time and we opt to just estimate and tap on it, hoping we hit the correct one.

That is an actual viable option, with the SmartTap feature that will "adjust a user’s tap so that taps on toolbar or ribbon icons don’t have to be precisely on-target", as Parallels describes. This worked fine most of the time, such as inserting an image file from a folder (Insert > Picture > Desktop > Image.jpg). Double tap works as double click, naturally.

We inserted a photo and did some adjustments such as re-sizing, moving and cropping. It was a bit of a struggle squinting and trying to get it spot-on, even with the help of the Lock'n'Go magnifying glass. It was a lot easier on a full-sized tablet than the tiny iPhone, so unless there isn’t any other option, you might want to just wait till you get back to the office.

New and OS-specific Features

You can toggle between different settings to decide how you prefer to use the limited screen real estate: Best For Your Device, More Space, or Same As Your Computer. 

The file browser allows you to look for your files in a iOS 7 themed interface, which is much friendlier to the smaller screen. You navigate each folder level as you would on your default Mail app or Dropbox, instead of attempting to double click on folder icons.

iOS microphone support not only allows you to save audio recordings on your computer, it also comes with speech-to-text feature. We tried this out and it’s quite accurate, with about 9 words out of 10 appearing correctly. Not the quickest of ways to input text, but will definitely work in a pinch.

On Android tablets or smartphones, you can add desktop apps to your home screen, just like how you would with any other Android app.

Concluding Thoughts

The Parallels Access service is still slightly skewed towards Mac and iOS users, with the design of its App Launcher taking a leaf from the OS X Launchpad, and certain new features such as the file browser and microphone support making its debut in the iOS variant of the app. The experience is definitely more satisfying if you are already a user of both Apple's operating systems. However, bells and whistles aside, it does as advertised, by converting the desktop into a workable interface for a smartphone or tablet. The software is geared towards business users, and definitely lets you get the job done in the least painful way possible while you rush to complete amendments for a demanding client. For about S$26 a year, if you are someone who is away from your computer frequently and unexpectedly, you may want to invest in Parallels Access to keep your bases covered.