Will my MacBook pro be able to handle Parallels 5?

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If this goes in a software thread, let me know (it's kinda a hardware and software question). I have a MacBook pro with tech specs as follows:

1. 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2. 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
3. 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

Will my Macbook pro be able to support Windows 7 with Parallels 5? I know parallels.com hardware requirements are as follows:

1. Mac Computer- Support for any 32- or 64-bit Intel®-based Mac.
2. Processor- Support for any 32- or 64-bit Intel® Core Duo processor featured in new Intel® Macs.
3. Memory Requirements- 1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended to run Windows Vista and 7). Support for any memory configuration (up to 16 GB), without modifying your host system.
4. Disk Space- Software Installation — 450 MB of available hard drive space for Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac installation (plus space to allocate to your virtual machine).

So I know what parallels.com requires, but I want to know from people who had first hand experience with running Windows 7 with Parallels 5 or having my MacBook pro's hardware.
 

pigoo3

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If this goes in a software thread, let me know (it's kinda a hardware and software question). I have a MacBook pro with tech specs as follows:

1. 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2. 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
3. 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

Will my Macbook pro be able to support Windows 7 with Parallels 5?

If you notice...the Parallels systems requirements do not mention any sort of minimum processor speed...other than you need an Intel cpu Mac.

You have almost the fastest processor (2.8ghz) that you can get in a Macintosh laptop...if you're laptop can't handle Parallels 5...then few Mac's can/could.

So long story short...yes...your laptop will have absolutely no problem running Parallels 5.

- Nick
 

bobtomay

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You have almost the fastest processor (2.8ghz) that you can get in a Macintosh laptop...if you're laptop can't handle Parallels 5...then few Mac's can/could.
...

- Nick

I would place that number at less than 5% of all Mac notebooks have a faster CPU and/or more RAM than yours.

And, as was pointed out in your other thread related to VMs, both Parallels and VMWare Fusion have free trials (I think 30 days) while Virtual Box is free.

Plenty of time for you to test and decide which would be best for "you".
That really is the only way to know for sure.

If you have narrowed it down to Parallels already, it's time to install it and test it. If it does what you want, buy it. If not, then try your 2nd choice.

If you're looking for a poll, my guess just from posts I've read over the last couple of years in this forum would be Virtual Box: maybe 15-20% and growing; Parallels: 35% or less; VMWare: 45-50%.
 
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ok, but if I do not like Virtual Box and I try Parallels 5 and VMWare Fusion 3, then I need to buy Windows. Is that correct? If so, that is a couple hundred out of pocket.
 

cwa107


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ok, but if I do not like Virtual Box and I try Parallels 5 and VMWare Fusion 3, then I need to buy Windows. Is that correct? If so, that is a couple hundred out of pocket.

Well, yeah. If you want to run Windows, you have to buy it and a copy of your virtualization product.
 

pigoo3

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ok, but if I do not like Virtual Box and I try Parallels 5 and VMWare Fusion 3, then I need to buy Windows. Is that correct? If so, that is a couple hundred out of pocket.

Yes that's a bit of a pain in the neck about "virtualization" products (Parallels or VMware) for the Mac (these days)...you have the cost of the virtualization software & the cost of Windows software if you don't already have a legal copy of Windows to install.

Back in the mid-late 1990's there was a program called Virtual PC...which was a program very similar to Parallels & VMware in terms of being able to run Windows on a Mac. The very nice thing about Virtual PC is that you didn't need to purchase a copy of Windows separately...Windows was integrated into the software virtualization package.

The bad part about Virtual PC was that it was slow running Windows (even when it was new)...but it was better than nothing!;)

- Nick
 
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ok, but if I do not like Virtual Box and I try Parallels 5 and VMWare Fusion 3, then I need to buy Windows. Is that correct? If so, that is a couple hundred out of pocket.

What about bootcamp??? If you dont want a virtualization package use your boot camp partition... And install a ntfs-3g driver to get read/write support on that partition!
 

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If this goes in a software thread, let me know (it's kinda a hardware and software question). I have a MacBook pro with tech specs as follows:

1. 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2. 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
3. 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

Will my Macbook pro be able to support Windows 7 with Parallels 5?
I virtualize with less (2.1C2D/4GB RAM) using VirtualBox and it runs well. You should be fine but this will depend on the applications you use inside of your VM.

Yes that's a bit of a pain in the neck about "virtualization" products (Parallels or VMware) for the Mac...you have the cost of the virtualization software & the cost of Windows software if you don't already have a legal copy of Windows to install.

- Nick
Unless you use VirtualBox ;). I do agree though - the benefits of running through virtualization can be "offset" by the fact that you sometimes have to pay extra to virtualize. If that is a drawback, there is always BootCamp.
 

pigoo3

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Unless you use VirtualBox ;). I do agree though - the benefits of running through virtualization can be "offset" by the fact that you sometimes have to pay extra to virtualize. If that is a drawback, there is always BootCamp.

That's sort of what I think as well. If you already have to purchase Windows...then bootcamp would seem to be the better choice. Not only do you save yourself the cost of virtualization products (Parallels or VMware)...but you get better Windows performance (and maybe better compatibility).

Of course I know that some folks prefer not to have to reboot to use Windows...so the virtualization products do offer the "non-rebooting" convenience.

- Nick
 
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I have a MBP 2.66, 4 GB ram, and a 320 GB 7200 Hard drive. I run VMWre fusion with Windows 7 Ultimate. I can use that and run a Citrix environment in the Win 7 environment and log into work. No problems. Only lag I see is in the connection speed, and that has to do with work.

I would not recommend 3D intense gaming in the environment, but can handle most apps quite well.

Just my $0.02
 
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What about bootcamp??? If you dont want a virtualization package use your boot camp partition... And install a ntfs-3g driver to get read/write support on that partition!

What is a "ntfs-3g driver?"
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)

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