Planning on Switching From Windows to Mac and Clueless--Help Please :)

Hey guys. I've recently decided that I want to jump on the Mac bandwagon. I'm tired of the multiple problems that Windows seems to have and seeing that beautiful 20" iMac at Burton's...well, it just won me over. Now I'm definitely buying it in a few weeks.

But first, I have some questions:

1.) Bootcamp and Paralells. Can someone explain these to me? I want to continue to be able to run Windows (I have a few Windows specific programs I'm not ready to part with, and I'd really like to be able to play Lord of the Rings Online on my Mac), and I know that these options are available. However, I don't really understand them.

a. Bootcamp: What is it? I know that it allows me to choose between Windows and OSX at start up. But how do I get it? Does it come preinstalled in the iMac, do I have to buy it? Download? Where do I get it? How much does it/will it cost (after Beta)?

b. Paralells: Do I need to get this if I use bootcamp? And is Windows slowed down very much by using it?

2.) Side-clicking/copying pasting: How do you perform these functions in a Mac, seeing as there is no right clicker? (And how does this translate in paralells/bootcamp)

3.) Where's the best place to buy a Mac (cheapest, most dependable, etc.)? Mac Mall seems to have significantly better prices, but I don't know anything about the service. What's the best site to buy an iMac from? (Where I can also customize it)

4.) As long as I've got to buy a Windows OS to go with my Mac (All I have are Dell reinstallation discs)? Should I buy Vista or just got with XP? Does Vista run significantly slower on an iMac than XP? (I plan on getting 2 gigs of RAM and the 256 MB graphics card) Vista or XP?

5.) If I get a virus or other bug running Windows on my iMac, will that translate to problems when I'm running OSX, or does it contain itself only to when I'm running Windows?

6.) What programs do Macs come with as standard? I'm really liking the Garge Band/video editing programs. So are they standard or separate?

7.) Is a Word Processor included with Mac?


Thanks in advance!

Oops, nevermind!

surfwax95 said:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52280

Look here first.

Click to expand...

....Umm...thanks but...seeing someone complain about their MacBook and having you reply asking them why they got a Mac doens't really...help me...at all.

And now I'm just confused.

Aseldaar said:

1.) Bootcamp and Paralells. Can someone explain these to me? I want to continue to be able to run Windows (I have a few Windows specific programs I'm not ready to part with, and I'd really like to be able to play Lord of the Rings Online on my Mac), and I know that these options are available. However, I don't really understand them.

Click to expand...

Bootcamp allows you to install Windows on a separate partition on your hard drive so that you can boot into Windows instead of Mac OS. The advantage is that you can use all of the native hardware (like the graphics card) to its fullest extent.

Parallels allows you to run Windows within a window (or full screen) while simultaneously running OS X. It does this using so-called "virtualization" technology. The primary disadvantage is that it uses a generic driver for your video card. This means you can't effectively play most games or use applications that require a robust 3D video card.

a. Bootcamp: What is it? I know that it allows me to choose between Windows and OSX at start up. But how do I get it? Does it come preinstalled in the iMac, do I have to buy it? Download? Where do I get it? How much does it/will it cost (after Beta)?

Click to expand...

The Beta version (still under development) is available free from Apple. The production version will be integrated into Mac OS X Leopard, the next version of the operating system.

b. Paralells: Do I need to get this if I use bootcamp? And is Windows slowed down very much by using it?

Click to expand...

No, and no.

2.) Side-clicking/copying pasting: How do you perform these functions in a Mac, seeing as there is no right clicker? (And how does this translate in paralells/bootcamp)

Click to expand...

You can right-click by holding the CTRL key and down clicking. Or you can purchase a two-button mouse. Or you can turn on "two fingered tapping" for laptops which allows you to right-click using two fingers on your touchpad. It works great.

3.) Where's the best place to buy a Mac (cheapest, most dependable, etc.)? Mac Mall seems to have significantly better prices, but I don't know anything about the service. What's the best site to buy an iMac from? (Where I can also customize it)

Click to expand...

This is somewhat subjective, but I got a great price at Apple's web store on a refurbished unit. Like with anything, you'll need to shop around. But if you want it customized, you have to go with Apple.

4.) As long as I've got to buy a Windows OS to go with my Mac (All I have are Dell reinstallation discs)? Should I buy Vista or just got with XP? Does Vista run significantly slower on an iMac than XP? (I plan on getting 2 gigs of RAM and the 256 MB graphics card) Vista or XP?

Click to expand...

This is another subject open to debate, but I'd just go with XP. Vista is a little weird on Bootcamp at the moment due to the lack of drivers for it. It's also a huge resource hog. XP will be more efficient and better supported at the moment. I'd say go with XP (cheaper too!)

5.) If I get a virus or other bug running Windows on my iMac, will that translate to problems when I'm running OSX, or does it contain itself only to when I'm running Windows?

Click to expand...

Mac OS can't run Windows viruses, so the infection will be limited to your Windows partition (or virtual disk if you use Parallels).

6.) What programs do Macs come with as standard? I'm really liking the Garge Band/video editing programs. So are they standard or separate?

Click to expand...

The iLife suite comes with every new Mac. It contains GarageBand and iMovie which will let you edit movies. Read about it here.

7.) Is a Word Processor included with Mac?

Click to expand...

If you count a demo of Microsoft Office, then yes. TextEdit is a basic Word Processor, but if you need a full-featured Word Processor, you'll need to download NeoOffice (based on the excellent Open Office suite which is also available for Windows) or shell out the big bucks for MS Office.

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

No problem, I hope you enjoy your new Mac as much as I do!

Apologies! I had the wrong link in my clipboard when I pasted, I meant to paste this:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49528

Bootcamp gives you the option of booting up eitherOS X or Windows. This is best for games. Also with this option, Windows and OS X know nothing of each other. This means that if you get a virus or other (software) problem in Windows, it can't affect the Mac OS X portion of your hard drive.

Parallels lets you run Windows within OS X, but doesn't support DirectX, so it is not a great option for games.

As far as which version of Windows to purchase, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions:

Am I going to continue purchasing games for Windows that will require DirectX 10?
- If so, you may want to purchase Vista, but keep in mind that your video card in your iMac may not be DirectX 10 compatible.
- If not, you should be fine with XP, and with people purchasing Vista, you may be able to find a legitimate version of XP online for cheap, thus saving you a nice chunk of change.

I tried running Vista via Parallels, and it's a total pain. It literally slows to a crawl if you allocate anything less than a gig of RAM to it. Since you'll have 2GB, this shouldn't be much of a problem, but there are a few points to keep in mind.

First, XP runs just peachy with just 256MB, so it'll fly with 512MB in Parallels, leaving you with 1.5GB for OS X, and as most people will tell you, 1GB should be the bare minimum to enjoy Mac OS X.

Another point is that Vista will cost you an arm and a leg whereas XP is dirt cheap in comparison. If you'll only need it to run a handful of programs, no point in shelling out big bucks for an OS you can't even take full advantage of.

Speaking of full advantage, my third point is that you can't see all the fancy graphics Vista has with Parallels, only Boot Camp. And like cwa107 said, even that is dodgey because of poor driver support.

If you don't have really intensive Windows programs, stick with Parallels. Much easier than having to reboot your computer just to use that one program. But of course, if that one program is a game, then of course Boot Camp is a better choice. You should probably keep both if you other Windows programs to run so that you don't end up spending most of your time in Windows rather than OS X.

Just to add, you can buy a student license for MS Office if you qualify (basically if someone is in education), which is much cheaper than the retail package.

Also, there are a couple of other alternatives to what has already been mentioned, such as Open Office and for just an MS Word replacement, there are programs such as Abiword - both are free.

As for the mouse, and right-left click, if you are getting a new system, it should come with mighty mouse, which has dual click functionality.