Knowing some keyboard shortcuts can help in using Windows 8 through the Parallels Mobile app. Too bad there are so many to memorize!
Parallels has a really neat iPad/iPhone app that lets you access virtual machines or your entire Mac from your IOS mobile device. It's really nicely done and mostly intuitive, but there are a few tips I'd like to pass on. Some of these apply to any operating system you are using, but here I'm going to concentrate on Windows 8 because I just recently upgraded my old Vista Parallels VM to that. Some of them are useful for Win 8 whether running in the Mobile app or not.
Let me first mention that there are times when the Windows 8 on screen keyboard can be easier or more convenient than the IOS keyboard. It's not always the right tool, but keep it in mind for the future. Find it in Utilities; go right to it with (Apple or Windows or Command Key) U:
From now on, I'm just going to say "Command". You know which key that is.
You'd definitely want to move that on-screen keyboard around; so how do you move a window?
When working directly on your computer, of course you just click and on the window title and drag it where you want it. It's easy enough to click with the Parallels Mobile app; you just tap the screen. But if you tap and hold, that's a right-click.
(Article continues after the break)
The secret is the little outlined square pointed to by the yellow arrow in the picture above. That's normally colored white, but you can turn it blue (as shown here) by tapping it once. Toggling that controls how one finger swiping works. When the icon is white, a one finger swipe does screen panning, which is very useful to know if you've pinched out your screen to make it easier to read.
When the rectangle is blue (or "lit", as the manual says), a one-finger swipe will perform the mouse select action. Swiping over the title area selects the window and then you will be able to drag it wherever you'd like it.
That's also how you'd select files in a directory view.
(Article continues after the break)
This one is easy to remember:Command D switches to the classic Desktop.
To get back to the "Metro" tiles, just hit Command TWICE. On your normal desktop you'd only tap it once, but in the Mobile App, you have to hit it twice because the first tap waits for a key to follow. If you don't start a Metro app, tapping Command twice again will bring you back to the Desktop you just had open. If you did start a Metro app and used Command-Command to switch back to the tiles, then doing it again will take you back to the app.
Speaking of Metro apps, if you want to see all of them, right click (that's tap and hold, remember?) toward the bottom of the screen and that button will pop up:
If you aren't sure what you want, remember "I have a Question" and use Command Q to bring up Search:
Another useful shortcut is Command X, which I remember as "eXtra":
There are two ways to do this and neither is quick. You can either sign out, which brings you to a screen where you can power off or restart,
Or you can use Command-C to bring up the "Charms" menu (why they call it that is a mystery). In Charms, select Settings and then Power.
Of course there are many more keyboard shortcuts. Here are a few lists I found:
More Articles by Anthony Lawrence - Find me on Google+ 2012-10-29
Click here to add your comments - no registration needed!
Don't miss responses! Subscribe to Comments by RSS or by Email
Click here to add your comments
If you want a picture to show with your comment, go get a Gravatar
Printer Friendly Version
Using Windows 8 in Parallels Desktop Mobile Copyright October 2012 Tony Lawrence
Have you tried Searching this site?
Unix/Linux/Mac OS X support by phone, email or on-site: Support Rates
This is a Unix/Linux resource website. It contains technical articles about Unix, Linux and general computing related subjects, opinion, news, help files, how-to's, tutorials and more. We appreciate comments and article submissions.
Publishing your articles here
Jump to Comments
Many of the products and books I review are things I purchased for my own use. Some were given to me specifically for the purpose of reviewing them. I resell or can earn commissions from the sale of some of these items. Links within these pages may be affiliate links that pay me for referring you to them. That's mostly insignificant amounts of money; whenever it is not I have made my relationship plain. I also may own stock in companies mentioned here. If you have any question, please do feel free to contact me.
I am a Kerio reseller. Articles here related to Kerio products reflect my honest opinion, but I do have an obvious interest in selling those products also.
Specific links that take you to pages that allow you to purchase the item I reviewed are very likely to pay me a commission. Many of the books I review were given to me by the publishers specifically for the purpose of writing a review. These gifts and referral fees do not affect my opinions; I often give bad reviews anyway.
We use Google third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.
Printer Friendly Version