I know there are savvy mac people here(if you can install osX on your prius, I consider that savvy), so here goes. I have an intel duo core imac. I know you can run windows. Do you do it through bootcamp(from apple) or do you do it through parallels or do you do it through crossover? Or do you have to have 2 or all three? The bootcamp seems kind of labor intensiveartitioning drives, buring a cd, installing drivers... Parallel seems like you can just open windows on your mac platform. Also, I've increased my ram to 1.5 gig, should I max it to 2 gig?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Jan 25 2007, 11:42 PM) [snapback]380935[/snapback]</div> Hi Burritos, I use Parallels for all of the above. The latest beta, soon to be final, version of Parallels will boot off a bootcamp partition or a disc image. It also has crossover-like functions. The more RAM the better but 1.5 should be good. Good luck!
I use Bootcamp mostly because it is free and I almost never use Windows (I count myself very lucky). However Parallels is more convenient if you plan on using windows a lot but it costs 80 dollars. 1.5 gig of ram is plenty for Bootcamp but with parallels you have to give each OS a given amount of RAM, 2 gig would work a lot better because you could give each OS a gig of RAM. The Bootcamp install really isn't much of a pain just make sure you print off the instruction sheet from Apple before you get started. Hope this helps. P.S. You either use Bootcamp, parallels, or crossover not a combination of them. "... since any reasonable person would choose a Mac over a PC, Apple's market share does provide us with an accurate reading of the percentage of reasonable people in our society." - Roger Ebert
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jrmgkia @ Jan 25 2007, 11:59 PM) [snapback]380939[/snapback]</div> Actually Parallels can boot off a bootcamp partition. http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/beta_testing/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alric @ Jan 25 2007, 09:04 PM) [snapback]380941[/snapback]</div> That is a cool new feature, too bad you can't suspend the computer when booting from the Bootcamp partition.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alric @ Jan 25 2007, 10:49 PM) [snapback]380937[/snapback]</div> So after you install the parallels, then what? Take take the microsoft windows disk and install while the parallels is on?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Jan 26 2007, 12:32 AM) [snapback]380948[/snapback]</div> Correct. Parallels will walk you through the process of creating a disc image and Windows installation.
Why would you ever want to run that P.O.S. Windows, when you've got OS X? Once you run Windows, you are vulnerable to all the attacks and exploits. Running Windows on a Mac is like putting a Ford engine in your Prius..
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jan 25 2007, 09:55 PM) [snapback]380974[/snapback]</div> Windows is where the majority of software is including the largest percentage, entertainment. PCs got here because it was the most popular game machine without centralized limitations, besides getting work done, whereas Jobs/Macs tried to shun the "toy" heritage of the dominating Apple II gaming past for the longest time. Guess which strategy was a bit more successful.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jan 25 2007, 09:55 PM) [snapback]380974[/snapback]</div> I run Windows on my Mac using Parallels. The reason is for using software that is either not available or is poorly written for the Mac. Case in point is software to plan road trips. The program written for the Mac is called Route 66. It is poorly written, not intuitive and very aggravating to use. To plan trips I bought Microsofts Streets and Trips. It is a much better program and a heck of a lot easier to use then Route 66.
I used Parallels, until I grew tired of it not 'seeing' my DVD drive, or not printing quite right, or worse, sometimes the files would not share; you are suppose to be able to drag a file from Windoze to the Apple® with no problem, but I had problems. And the lack of support finally just made me delete the whole thing. Glad I did. I was not using Windoze as much as I thought I would once I got the swing of Apple®.
crossover works adequately depending on what you are trying to run, the advantage is you dont need to install or have a copy of windows. out of curiosity, what r u trying to do in windows that u cant do in mac?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jrmgkia @ Jan 25 2007, 10:59 PM) [snapback]380939[/snapback]</div> Putting windoze on a state of the art Mac is like getting airport extreme for your dial-up internet service. It's a waste of good equipment. You might just as well buy a Dell if you want windows so badly.
I'm currently running bootcamp, only because it's free and i do occasionally need windows - i do a lot of programming, and some of the stuff i code for (small control boards and the like) only have compilers and downloaders available for Windows. It's a huge pain to try to do that sort of stuff yourself in OSX, so when I'm working with a local high school in their FIRST Robotics league, i need to use Windows. Oh, and for what it's worth, i've ran some tests, and like other sites i've read about, performance in OSX is much better than performance in Windows.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jan 26 2007, 09:29 AM) [snapback]381052[/snapback]</div> I need windows too, mostly for work and its monitor is right next to my iMac. I use the Macs when I want to have a comfortable, easy experience, which is most of the time. I wouldn't contaminate my Intel iMac with that junky OS from microsoft.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jan 26 2007, 10:02 AM) [snapback]381104[/snapback]</div> I wouldn't on an iMac either... much better to just spend <$500 to build a small windows box that can handle everything. But in my situation, it's a laptop. whenever i'm home, it only runs OSX, but when i'm off elsewhere (which is most of the time), i need the ability, and it's much better to partition off 5 gigs for windows (it's not really contaminating, as OSX never interacts with it) instead of carrying two laptops with me...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jan 26 2007, 09:03 AM) [snapback]381037[/snapback]</div> Good point. I thought it would be cool just to have. But nothing I do really requires windows, so f-it. I'll just leave all the viruses where they ought to be, at work.
I bought my first mac, a pre-intel iMac G5, about a year ago, and installed windows in Virtual PC. Some of the programs I need for my business are only available for the PC, but I wasn't too keen on having two computers on my desk. I researched everything first, and most everyone told me it should work. It doesn't. The mac part is wonderful, but the PC part is abysmally slow, and one critical program will not work at all. I ordered a new PC this morning. The iMac is a wonderful machine, and I love it, but expecting it to do windows is just plain wrong. I will continue to use the mac for entertainment and communication, while the PC will be work only, wired to the web only long enough to transmit a tax return. The next computer will be an Apple laptop.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Jan 26 2007, 04:28 PM) [snapback]381310[/snapback]</div> Just to let you know. In contrast, an intel Mac runs Windows at near native speeds within OSX. I used both VirtualPC and Parallels and the difference is dramatic. Funny how M$ bought VirtualPC only to see the better Parallels pop-up. Cheers!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alric @ Jan 26 2007, 04:34 PM) [snapback]381312[/snapback]</div> One of the programs I need, Simply Accounting, is not supported by Parallels. Not that this guarantees it won't work, but once bitten, twice shy. Even so, if any of the local retailers had been willing to install Parallels and show me it really worked with the programs I need, I would have purchased another iMac.
