Question about Bootcamp

I understand Bootcamp lets you run windows on your mac.

Here's the hypothetical situation. If I get a mac pro, get a few TB Hard Drives (up to 4!), install Bootcamp, could I theoretically have both windows and Mac in one computer? I can have access to both software, etc?

Would bootcamp completlely erase my need to get a windows computer? Just as good?

Albeit, if I want to do some gaming, I can upgrade the Mac Pro's video card, and install the games onto the windows OS.

Thanks

Boot Camp doesn't replace OS X, it simply partitions your drive so that you can have both OS X and Windows on the same machine.

My question is that if I install windows OS on a separate TB hard drive, would it be just as good as a pc.

Yes, it'll be just as if you were running a Windows PC, but you can easily boot back into OS X since it'll be on a different drive.

Also look at VMWare's Fusion. That lets you install Windows in a virtual PC that you can have running at the same time your Mac is running OS X.

Melorock089 said:

My question is that if I install windows OS on a separate TB hard drive, would it be just as good as a pc.

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It is a PC and Windows will run the same as it would on that hardware from any computer manufactuer.

Running Windows Programs from within Mac OS X

Melorock089 said:

I understand Bootcamp lets you run windows on your mac.

Here's the hypothetical situation. If I get a mac pro, get a few TB Hard Drives (up to 4!), install Bootcamp, could I theoretically have both windows and Mac in one computer? I can have access to both software, etc?

Would bootcamp completlely erase my need to get a windows computer? Just as good?

Albeit, if I want to do some gaming, I can upgrade the Mac Pro's video card, and install the games onto the windows OS.

Thanks

Click to expand...

I have a few application that run only in Windows and where there is NO Mac version of the application available.

I partitioned the HDD, installed Bootcamp and installed Windows XP (My experience with Windows Vista made me a Mac convert. Don't get me started on Vista...) on the partition.
That allowed me to choose between OS X and Windows XP when the computer starts up.
All Windows applications were running fine, including external HDDs.

Later I added Parallels, which allows me to run Windows and Mac OS X on the same desktop without having to decide on start-up which operating system (OS) I want to run.

I just start my Max OS X and when I need one of the Windows applications, I click on Parallels and it opens Windows XP for me. I have a choice between a full Windows XP desktop and partial (about 80% of the screen) Windows desktop. Then, from inside Windows I start the Windows application like on any ordinary Windows PC. (No, not like on any ordinary Windows PC: Now it doesn't crash anymore.)
When Im finished with the Windows application, I just shut down Windows as before and close the Parallels application. I also could leave the Windows application running and run another Mac OS application at the same time, but that tends to tie up resources unnecessarily.

All my Windows applications run without a glitch, sometimes I have the feeling they even run better than on my November 2008 Toshiba Satellite PC.
I had been skeptical about the concept of Bootcamp and running Windows OS from within a Mac; but in short: it's brilliant!

My only regret? - I should have made the move sooner.


For starters, you'll need a copy of Windows XP (SP 2 or later required for Parallels) or Vista, because Bootcamp will allow you to install and run Windows, but it does not contain a version of Windows.
You could decide later whether you want to install Parallels or Fusion for the added convenience of running both OS's alongside.


Hope this answers your questions.



Kurt

jakerich said:

Also look at VMWare's Fusion. That lets you install Windows in a virtual PC that you can have running at the same time your Mac is running OS X.

Click to expand...

Virtualization is good for some things but gaming isn't one of them. If you have any 3D work that needs to be done in Windows, BC is your only solution. 3D in virtualization products is experimental at best and even if you could get it to work, the virtualized OS is running atop your OS X installation, which makes things slower.

This is fantastic news. Thanks for the replys.

I had hoped that I could have windows on a separate HDD and would have been satisfied with switching OS upon rebooting but I really need to check into parallels.

So humor me again. If I add enough memory, enough Hard drive disk space, and etc., I will not ever need to purchase a pc again if I get a Mac Pro.

Melorock089 said:

So humor me again. If I add enough memory, enough Hard drive disk space, and etc., I will not ever need to purchase a pc again if I get a Mac Pro.

Click to expand...

To some degree just as every other computer as their is advancement in software and in the operating systems their requirements keep on racking up. So if you spent a bank on a mac pro it would last you a VERY long time, but I would suggest against it. Spend your money on something that fits your needs and goes above it by I'd say by 20% or so for future proofing.

Melorock089 said:

...

So humor me again. If I add enough memory, enough Hard drive disk space, and etc., I will not ever need to purchase a pc again if I get a Mac Pro.

Click to expand...

I would say this is erroneous thinking. First off, a Mac "IS" a PC (as in Personal Computer). It's just made by a company called Apple and runs an OS that those other mass produced PC's do not.

It is still made up of the same parts; a case, power supply, motherboard/systemboard, processor, video card, sound card, NIC, hard drive, optical drive, etc...

All of these components can and do fail whether manufactured by Apple, Dell, HP, Alienware or ...

There are problems and issues with every OS, whether OS X, Windows or Linux. You're likely to find something that does not work to suit you no matter which one of them you put on a computer.

Having the thought that you'll "not ever" need to purchase a PC again, well, that just tells me you haven't been purchasing computers for very long and are not old enough to have watched the advances in home computers over the last 30 years.

In the mid to late 90's, not a single 12 month old computer could play the latest game that came out without requiring anything from a new video card to all new hardware or an upgrade to the newest OS.

Due to issues surrounding keeping chipsets cooled that still have not been solved, this has slowed way down. Today, there are 5 year old computers that you can install the newest OS, the newest pieces of software and some of the newest hardware. There certainly are not any 10 year old computers you can do this with. Whether that will still be the case 8-10 years from now... I don't know whether the technology will slow down that much or not. But, I certainly wouldn't count on it.

Having said all that, I really like my Mac. Although I take issue with some things, I like OS X. Many others do also. Many do not. My MBP has not moved into being the best computer I've ever had (yet). That particular title in my house is held by the last P4 system with XP that I built (and just sold 2 weeks ago). I would caution having a "realistic" expectation of what you are purchasing when buying any computer and not be caught up in the 'fanboyism' and/or emotions that overcome some.

I didn't mean to make it sound that this is a permanent solution to my computing needs. But if it can last me 5, 6, 7 or possibly more years, then it's worth the investment. I was also referring to the concept of buying a future mac pro in those years to repeat the cycle.

Melorock089 said:

I didn't mean to make it sound that this is a permanent solution to my computing needs. But if it can last me 5, 6, 7 or possibly more years, then it's worth the investment. I was also referring to the concept of buying a future mac pro in those years to repeat the cycle.

Click to expand...

I don't want to put a damper (at least not a big one) on your enthusiasm in getting a new computer either. While the Mac Pro is not the be all/end all in computers, it's one darn nice machine. I'd be getting pretty excited if I had one being delivered to my door, that's for sure.