Although the latest version won't be available to the public until next week, Parallels has announced the immediate availability of Parallels Desktop 8 for existing users as a $49.99 upgrade from the company's website.

Parallels is no longer teasing its next release: It's already here! The company announced on Thursday that Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is now available as an upgrade for existing users, with release for everyone else coming on September 4.

Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac promises a 30 percent increase in performance over the previous version, and that's no small feat considering version 7 was already substantially faster than the versions before it. Users can now start, stop and resume Windows as much as 25 percent faster than before as well.

OS X Mountain Lion is not only supported with Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, it's better integrated into the virtualization software. The big cat's Dictation feature can now be used on both Windows and Mac, and Windows apps can be added to the OS X Launchpad, right alongside your Mac apps (this feature also works in Lion).

Email attachments can be dragged and dropped from the Mac desktop onto Outlook or whatever Windows email client you prefer, and the new Parallels Mobile app adds copy and paste and enhanced audio.

Last but not least, Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac finally supports Retina Display resolution for Windows apps in addition to its own software, with improved graphics and a new Presentation Wizard which disables screensavers on both Mac and Windows as well as optimizes for full-screen with ease.

Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is now available as a $49.99 upgrade for existing users; new customers will have to wait until Tuesday, September 4 when the full $79.99 version will hit the streets.

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