In the interest of being fair, we bring you news of an update to the other really good Windows virtualization software for the Mac: Parallels Desktop. Much like VMware, this software allows you to, gasp, run Windows in a , well, a window on your Intel Mac running OS X. Here’s all you need to know about this update.

This latest version of Parallels features Snow Leopard compatibility, Windows 7 support, full support for Aero, including Flip 3D in Windows Vista and 7, OpenGL 2.1 and a bunch of other new or improved features. You aren’t limited to Windows, actually, as Parallels also adds support for other operating systems like Linux.

Parallels 5.0 is a free upgrade for those who purchased version 4 on October 1st, 2009 or later. Others will have to pay U.S. $49.99 to upgrade, or U.S. $79.99 for a new license. Parallels is also offering a crossgrade licensing option to VMware Fusion 2 users. If you have a license key for Fusion 2, you can get Parallels 5.0 for the same U.S. $49.99 upgrade fee as existing Parallels customers.

Even if you’re a Mac loving die-hard like many of us here at The Flickcast, you still might have occasion to use Microsoft’s Windows software. Maybe you work at an office that is all Windows or perhaps your parents haven’t made the switch and still make you use that old PC of your Uncle’s?

Or, maybe you use a Mac most of the time but need to use one program like Outlook to get to your company’s Exchange email? Whatever your reasons for needing access to Windows as a Mac user, one of the best tools to help you accomplish this task has just gotten better.

This week VMware Fusion, one of the two main (and our current favorite) Windows virtualization applications for the Mac was updated to version 3.0. This upgrade offers significant improvements over the previous versions including the following:

• Support for both 32-bit and 64-bit Snow Leopard kernels.

• Integrated Migration Assistant guides you through migrating from a PC to a virtual machine.

• First virtualization product to support Windows Aero, including Flip 3D and Aero Peek.

• Support for DirectX 9.0EX with OpenGL 1.4 and new WDDM graphics driver.

• Reduced memory usage with Windows Vista, Windows 7 and newly created Windows XP virtual machines.

• Faster disk and graphics performance in Snow Leopard.

• Banish the Start Menu with Always-on Applications Menu on the Mac menu bar.

• Access to Windows taskbar tray items in Unity view in the Mac menu bar.

• Run 3D games and play 1080p video in Unity view.

The upgrade will run you U.S. $39.99 if you already have a previous version of the software. Or, its U.S. $79.99 if you don’t. Plus, you will still need a copy of Windows if you don’t already have one installed. For that, look for an OEM version of the software, like you can find right here.