Good reasons why you would want to run Windows on a MAC
Lets face it, if your like most consumers, one of the biggest concerns about going from a PC to an Apple MAC, is that you've most likely already invested a lot of money into Windows based software. For example, when I recently purchased my MacBook Pro, I already owned a copy of Windows only based Photoshop and Autodesk Maya. Two programs that would be quite costly to replace if I needed to buy MAC versions. Fortunately, I had done my research before switching from a PC, and found it was actually quite easy to run Windows based software on a MAC.
Other reasons why you might need to run Windows on a MAC
1. Most developers have clients who send them Windows documents or other similar files that they will need to open on their MAC. It wouldn't be fair to ask every client or customer to convert to MAC so you can open their files. Although this would be the ideal solution :)
2. If you are considering purchasing a MAC for an office situation consider this scenario, the same computer can be used by an office worker who requires Windows based software, as well as the graphics artist or website developer who requires the best quality hardware that Apple is well known for. Lets face it, if you've searched for an online job lately, you'd have noticed the majority of graphic design positions require knowledge in using a MAC, and for good reason.
3. If your a software developer or web site designer, it is good practise to check your work across all platforms and browsers.
As you'll see in the rest of this post, MAC owners can have the best of both worlds.
How to run Windows on a MAC
MAC users currently have 2 main options for running Windows on a MAC. Each have their advantages and disadvantages as listed below.
1. Boot Camp
Anyone who has purchased a MAC recently would also have MAC OS X 10.5 Leopard pre-installed on their system. This MAC operating system comes with 'Boot Camp'. What Boot Camp does, is let the user set aside a certain amount of hardware from which to install Windows software.
Disadvantages of Boot Camp
Boot camp requires you to log out of each system before logging onto the next. For example, if you had a Windows version of Photoshop, then you need to log out of MAC OS into Windows to use it. Then if you want to bring an image from Photoshop back into a MAC version of Adobe Flash, you need to log out of Windows and boot back into MAC.
Advantages of Boot Camp
Boot Camp is considered the most efficient way to run Windows on a MAC, as only one operating system is working at any one time. This means they won't be sharing hardware resources. This is the first method I tried initially, however I did come across problems that I will discuss in the next post.
Furthermore, having to boot out of each system to use the other didn't seem very efficient.
2. Parallels or VMWare Fusion
Both Parallels and Fusion, are the two main contenders for virtualisation software being installed on MAC's. Both allow users to run Windows and MAC operating systems to run side by side, without having to reboot into the other.
For example, I can work on an image in my Windows version of Photoshop, and export it over to a MAC version of Adobe Flash. All without having to reboot between Windows and MAC installations.
Disadvantages of using virtualisation software like Parallels or Fusion (other than having to purchase it)
The main disadvantage is that both operating systems (when running) will be sharing resources. Therefore you may notice your MAC running a little slower than normal. Hence I recommend upgrading your ram to the maximum available. In my case, I notice very little sluggishness as I devote 1 processor to each system and 2 gig of ram. I also find if you maximise the Windows screen and run Leopard in the background, it runs faster.
Reason why I chose VMWare Fusion over Parallels
The next big question is which one to buy, Fusion or Parallels? After many days of Internet research comparing the two, I decided to purchase VMWare Fusion. I had read that Fusion allowed me to install an early version of Windows XP (which I already owned), then run updates for SP2 (service pack 2). Where as Parallel required the user to already own a SP2 version of Windows XP. As it turned out, Fusion was perfect for installing Windows XP without initially having SP2.
UTube demonstration of how VMWare Fusion works on a MAC
Other posts you may be interested in reading:
MAC lockup, keyboard shortcuts to restart your MAC
Stuck CD/DVD in MAC disk drive
Switching from PC to MAC
Capturing screenshots or desktop snapshots on MAC OS X
Sharing your Internet connection wirelessly on your MAC via AirPort
How to Resize windows in MAC OS X
