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Parallels announced this week that version 3.0 of Parallels Desktop for Mac is now available as a beta release candidate. The award-winning product allows users to concurrently run Windows, Linux, or any other operating system with Mac's own OS X, is expected within a few weeks.

Version 3.0 of Parallels Desktop works on any Intel-powered Mac and features a new integration tool, called SmartSelect, that gives users the ability to run any Windows or OS X file with any program, from either OS. SmartSelect works in tandem with Coherence, Parallels Desktop's feature that allows Windows applications to run as if they were native Mac apps under OS X.

Among the new features are the drag and drop option of files and folders between OS X and Windows, and use Intel's Virtualization Technology for improved performance.

There are more than 50 new features or improvements in the 3.0 version, the . These include hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, a'snapshot' backup, and several new security settings to protect against cross-platform breaches.

A 15-day free trial is available on the Parallels site. Current users can upgrade to the final release for $49.99, although the prerelease upgrade price is $39.99. The standard price of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 is $79.99.