There are essentially two options to run Windows on the Mac - using Boot Camp which involves installing Windows on a separate partition and rebooting it in Windows or, running Windows in a virtual environment, such as the one that Parallels Desktop provides. With the former, you'll get quicker and more realistic results but there's no substitute for being able to switch at will between OS X and Windows which is what Parallels Desktop allows you to do.

Setting up Parallels Desktop is a breeze. You'll either need a copy of Windows on CD to install it or an ISO image will also suffice. Parallels Desktop will then install Windows in about the same amount of time that it would take to make a fresh install of Windows on a PC. The Transporter feature guides you through the whole setup process, asking you if you'd like to be able to share files between OS X and Windows and use external devices amongst others.

There's no need to worry about viruses on your Mac by running Windows in Parallels Desktop - any viruses will be restricted to the virtual environment that Windows operates in and won't affect your Mac in any way. However, version 7 of Parallels includes a security barrier to ensure there is absolutely no risk.

To launch Parallels Desktop you have two choices. Either launch it from your dock, it will ask you which version of Windows you'd like to launch (if you've installed more than one) and allow you to change settings such as the amount of RAM allocated to Parallels, hard disk space and hardware acceleration. Alternatively, just double click on the file you want to use and Parallels Desktop will automatically open it in Windows or OS X depending on the file type. In this way, version 7 has blurred the line between Windows and OS X so that switching between the two has never been easier.

You may notice that the mouse runs sluggishly (among other niggles) but this can be easily remedied by going to the Actions menu and downloading Parallels Tools. Why this is a separate component I have no idea because it makes running of Parallels far smoother and more realistic but it doesn't take much time to download.

The latest version of Parallels Desktop for brings full OS X Mountain Lion compatibility, including support for Full-Screen Apps and Launchpad integration. This means you can add Windows apps to your Mac Launchpad as if they were installed on your Mac. There's also support for the new voice operated dictation feature in OS X 10.8. In addition, you can also get an app for Android and iPhones that complements Parallels Desktop 8 and allows you to control your virtual environments from your mobile. You can even use Trackpad gestures to navigate around Windows.

There are many other great features in Parallels Desktop too, including the possibility to use Spotlight to find Windows files and applications. Mac keyboard shortcuts work in Windows too as do parental controls. Adding USB devices is a breeze and the Mountain Lion resume feature now extends to Windows apps too.

It's a bit more sluggish than using Boot Camp to install Windows on your Mac but the latest version of Parallels Desktop makes it faster and more convenient than ever to switch between Windows and OS X.

Download Parallels Desktop 8.0.18345 in Softonic

What's more, Winclone will allow you to create a Boot Camp partition from the application itself and create image documents that can be stored on any media. Winclone is fairly speedy and is a great tool to have in a professional environment. All in all, it's a bit odd that Apple haven't included such a feature in Boot Camp.

Winclone is an excellent utility to clone multiple Boot Camp partitions quickly.

Download Winclone 2.2 in Softonic

For those of you not familiar with Quicksilver, it's an application that lets you reach any program, folder or file in a few keystrokes. You don't have to go searching through your files, you don't have to worry about how your folders are arranged. For many, Quicksilver was a godsend in the pre-Spotlight Mac era. Although it's lost some of its importance with the new powerful search and Finder features in Leopard it still remains very much an excellent Mac application.

The search function is very quick and powerful and once you've found what you're looking for you can apply a number of actions like simply launching it, emailing or moving. What's more Quicksilver adapts to the file it finds, so if it's a document you'll get to modify or send it, and if it's an email you'll get to email or copy it. Quicksilver users also like the fact that the application learns from what you search to bring up what you search for or use most.

Quicksilver wouldn't be what it is without its large library of plugins though. This includes everything from dialing a phone number to interacting with iTunes or image and text manipulation. This means you can really customize the application to work according to your needs.

The only downside is the stability issues that Quicksilver seems to have. The application is noted to crash every once in a while.

Despite this stability issue, Quicksilver remains an incredibly intuitive and powerful multi-application launcher for Mac. Recommended for productivity geeks.

Download Quicksilver 1.0 b71 in Softonic

Camouflage hides icons and leaves nothing but your base wallpaper. It's ideal for those who need to hide their desktop items in an instant or just need to clear their desktop. Camouflage works with multiple monitors and supports the dragging and dropping of files onto the Camouflage desktop as if they were being dragged onto your real desktop.

Camouflage is also integrated with Finder so you can search for items in Spotlight as normal. If you need to record a screencast on a clean desktop, just click on Camouflage to activate and your slate will be wiped clean. The only slight drawback is that although Camouflage now supports a hot-key to activate it, the developers don't recommend using it for stability reasons. Rather, it's better to double-click on your desktop to reveal it or access it from your Menu Bar.

Camouflage is a simple but effective idea that users with cluttered desktops will appreciate.

Download Camouflage 2.0 in Softonic

PinPoint will make sure it is always visible. You can choose from more than a dozen images, among which a burst or a very large arrow.

PinPoint also allows you to set toggle on/off settings to the second. The drag bars to set this feature was the only thing that felt a bit awkward.

Download PinPoint 3.0 RC3 in Softonic

This application will allow you to add a rainbow touch, grass feel or dark glass look to your Dock, or more. DockDoctor has eight different dock looks to choose from. The application also allows you to switch easily between the 2D and 3D views. In all, nothing really revolutionary, but a fun utility if you like adjusting your interface. While we would have liked to see more options and possibilities, the ones made available in DockDoctor should satisfy most users.

DockDoctor lets you customize the 3D Leopard Dock with all sorts of different looks.

Download DockDoctor 1.0 in Softonic

The program is accessible from the menu bar and pressing 'toggle ScreenShade' adjusts brightness according to the level of light in the room.

Press 'Redetect external monitors' to reset it and get a new brightness level. I wasn't all convinced by the level of light that ScreenShade chose though as most of the time it simply was too dim to work properly.

ScreenShade also works very well with two simple shortcuts: Option with plus or minus to adjust it yourself.