# Windows OS on Mac Hardware



## Devin (Jan 23, 2008)

So, I've been thinking about getting a new PC. I've also always wanted to try a Mac. However, because I'm not sure how I'll like a Mac, I want to also be able to run Windows XP on, say, a Mac Pro. 

Has anyone here done this? How efficient is Mac hardware at running Windows?

Any help would be appreciated


----------



## turmeric (Jan 23, 2008)

Seems to work just fine - I just can't get used to the touchpad on my notebook. I'm going to get an external mouse.


----------



## skellam (Jan 23, 2008)

I recently switched from Windows XP over to my first Mac. I got the new iMac and have really enjoyed the simplicity and elegance of OS X Leopard. How efficient is the Mac running Windows? That depends on how you are running it. I have installed VMWare Fusion (you can also use Parallels) and run Windows XP as a virtual machine which performs very well but some barely noticeable lag. The other option if you have an intel Mac is to load Windows XP using Boot Camp which will run Windows natively at the same speed you would get on a comparable PC.
Of course, once you switch to the Mac, you probably won't want to go back to Windows anyway.


----------



## DMcFadden (Jan 23, 2008)

Is the Mac brand really worth the  compared to the PC???


----------



## Devin (Jan 23, 2008)

skellam said:


> The other option if you have an intel Mac is to load Windows XP using Boot Camp which will run Windows natively at the same speed you would get on a comparable PC.
> Of course, once you switch to the Mac, you probably won't want to go back to Windows anyway.



That's what I'm looking at doing. If it turns out that I like Mac and I rarely boot up Windows, so be it. I just want to be able to do it if I have to


----------



## Thomas2007 (Jan 24, 2008)

Devin said:


> skellam said:
> 
> 
> > The other option if you have an intel Mac is to load Windows XP using Boot Camp which will run Windows natively at the same speed you would get on a comparable PC.
> ...



I've been a Mac user since '84, I have mixed emotions about the Mac - joy and happiness!

I've had about ten Mac's now, I've never had any problems, most certainly nothing comparable to what my friends have with Windows and have always had. I've always relished in the fact that I know nothing about Windows and nobody can call me to ask how to fix or do this or that, that they can't figure out how to do!

It's a decision you'll be glad you made.

Cordially,


Thomas


----------



## skellam (Jan 24, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> Is the Mac brand really worth the  compared to the PC???



You will pay a premium price for an iMac or Macbook. When it comes down to it, you can probably do whatever you can do on a Mac on a Windows PC with similar specifications. I think you are paying the premium for a piece of hardware that is well designed and tightly integrated with the operating system and, for the most part, just works.

I have several family members who recently bought new computers with Windows Vista and were less than satisfied. They had trouble getting various peripherals to work with it and had networking problems.


----------



## tellville (Jan 24, 2008)

I use a MacBook with Parallels and have Windows XP installed. 

I tell you the truth: It is absolutely amazing!

Unless you play high end games, the emulation is basically flawless. In other words, XP runs bassically flawlessly for me. 

Plus, it is seamless. So I can go back and forth to Windows and MacOS. You have no idea how convenient this is until you have it. For example, sometime you have to reboot Windows because you installed something. So, reboot it. Then you can continue your internet browsing or whatever in MacOS. Awesome. Also, with Parallels, you can just shut it down and it will save everything exactly as you left it in Windows. So now you can shut off your computer and still pick up where you left off (you can shut down Windows as well normally if you want as well)!

Also, you get the best of both worlds. There is some really awesome Mac software out there, but Mac by itself is too limiting. But when you have both you have the best of both worlds. 

Think of it as knowing two languages fluently in a bilingual country such as Canada. While one language is really dominant (English), knowing French is sometimes essential for the best service or to acquire the absolute best jobs (for example, a government job). 

If you can afford it, do it.


----------



## Jerusalem Blade (Jan 24, 2008)

Question:

As a strictly Mac guy (not running an Intel machine yet), when you have Windows running along with a Mac OS do you have to have a Windows antivirus installed? Can Windows viruses get to the Windows program running on a Mac?

Running only PowerPC Mac machines to date, I've never had a virus.

Thanks for any info.

Steve


----------



## jfschultz (Jan 24, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> Is the Mac brand really worth the  compared to the PC???



There are a couple of items to consider.

1) It is easy to compare the price of a "low end" Mac to a "low end" PC and think the PC is cheaper. But the options are needed to bring a "low end" PC up to the "low end" Mac could make the Mac less expensive.

2) If Jerusalem Blade wanted, he could buy and install Mac OSX 10.5 without problem. If he had the same vintage PC he would have to spend enough to upgrade his system for Vista that he would be better off buying a new system.


----------



## jfschultz (Jan 24, 2008)

tellville said:


> I use a MacBook with Parallels and have Windows XP installed.
> 
> I tell you the truth: It is absolutely amazing!
> 
> ...



This week Microsoft modified the license restrictions on the basic and home editions of Vista to allow them to be used with Parallels and VMWare Fusion. Before this was legal only for the business versions of Vista.

By the way, this is not emulation, the Intel processor in the new Mac is actually running the windows code with just a little additional operating system overhead.

BootCamp that was mentioned, is a dual boot system. Holding a key while starting provides an opportunity to decide which operating system to run. According to PC Magazine, the fastest Vista laptop is a MacBook Pro!


----------



## wretchedworm (Jan 25, 2008)

there are pros and cons for both sides.
But one thing i appreciate for mac after switching over is that i don't really have to worry about adware and viruses that much anymore.


----------



## tellville (Jan 25, 2008)

Jerusalem Blade said:


> Question:
> 
> As a strictly Mac guy (not running an Intel machine yet), when you have Windows running along with a Mac OS do you have to have a Windows antivirus installed? Can Windows viruses get to the Windows program running on a Mac?
> 
> ...



This is the beauty of it: NO! Why? Because Windows is being run within the MacOS shell. So all the downsides of Windows are terminated because you are running it WITHIN MacOS. Doesn't get much better than that


----------

