The eighth major version of Parallels Desktop for Mac will be generally available on Sept. 4, with greater integrations between the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. While Parallels’ virtualization software can run just about any modern operating system on the Mac, a company announcement today focuses on the new features that make running Windows applications more convenient.

Some examples: Mac-native dictation present in OS X Mountain Lion will work in Windows applications. Websites can be opened in Internet Explorer with one click (for those times Safari or other browsers on the Mac aren’t working right). An easier way to drag and drop e-mail attachments involves moving “files from the desktop onto the Dock icons for Outlook and other Windows e-mail clients to attach and share them.” Bluetooth connections to multiple devices can be shared across Windows and Mac. Windows applications will also be integrated into the Mac’s Launchpad and Notification Center.

As it does with each new release, Parallels said it has improved performance, with I/O operations and gaming performance 30 percent faster than they were in Parallels Desktop 7. Users will also be able to boot, suspend, shut down, and resume virtual machines up to 25 percent faster than in the previous version. Support for Retina Display resolution in Windows applications is also promised in the new version.

Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac costs $79.99 in the standard edition, $39.99 for a student edition, and $49.99 for customers of VMware Fusion. Current Parallels users don't have to wait until Sept. 4 to buy; they can upgrade to version 8 today for $49.99. Anyone who bought Parallels Desktop 7 July 25 or later will be eligible for a free upgrade. An enterprise edition with better support and guaranteed upgrades to major versions is available through a volume licensing program, which cost $350 for five licenses in the previous version.

Rival VMware just updated Fusion for Mac as well. With Apple releasing new versions of OS X each of the last two years, VMware and Parallels have obliged with updates optimized for the latest OS versions. We provided an in-depth review of Fusion and Parallels last year, and will do the same after we’ve fully examined this year's revisions.