Im really confused about bootcamp and parallels

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Well,
to run parallels, do you first need to install bootcamp and get the windows cd and etc


Let me get this straight if it is true. You first need to install bootcamp, and get the xp cd and a empty disk to install the drivers right. Then after all this, you are allowed to choose what system you can use every time you start the computer.

Then to run parallels, you have to do all of above and then install it or whatever to make it work.
 

D R


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Parallels is just another program that allows you to run another OS, be it Windows or Linux in a virtual environment. You will not need to reboot to run the OS of your choice.

So, for example, boot up your Mac into OSX, start parallels and then you can load the OS you choose. It will start and run inside of OSX. You do need the Windows disk. You need to install Windows inside the virtual environment.

Boot camp requires you to reboot the Mac and choose the OS to run.

I hope this helps.
 
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You have to have a full legitimate version of the OS you want to run, either in Parallels or Bootcamp (or VM Fusion).

As the guy bove me said, the big difference is that running an OS in Parallels does not require a reboot.

With Parallels, you can use either install the software within a virtual drive within your OS X partition or you can use the bootcamp partition (which will be essentially an NTFS partition kept separate from OS X.

IMO, the only reason to choose Bootcamp over Parallels is if you want to play DX9 games.
 
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Parallels has nothing to do with Boot Camp. you don't need one for the other.
 

Neo


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Fusion v. Parallels v. Boot Camp

I have a new MacBook, running XP with Boot Camp. Do I want to use Parallels or Fusion instead? Boot Camp is working well for me, primarily because I am a Switcher, so everything I use is on the Windows OS. I rarely boot to OS X.
The main point of Boot Camp is that /Windows is running natively/. It's indistinguishable from XP on my old Gateway laptop.

I was considering getting better acquainted with the Mac OS and so going to Parallels or Fusion, where, in contrast to Boot Camp, /Windows is a virtual machine/. I worry this will really slow down performance (I have 1 GB RAM). Is anyone consistently running Windows in Parallels or Fusion? Have you noticed a slowdown? Do you have a benchmark using Boot Camp, or even a PC? Please, no exposition here...from experience only.
 

Neo


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Parallels in a partition

With Parallels, you can use either install the software within a virtual drive within your OS X partition or you can use the bootcamp partition (which will be essentially an NTFS partition kept separate from OS X.

This might be part of the puzzle I am grappling with...my laptop has a Boot Camp partition. I can run...Parallels...on...the partition? It will still be running virtually though. See my last post for my concern with that...

By the way, I recommend formatting the Windows partition as FAT, since OS X can read (but not write to) NTFS. It will save you trouble in the future. My work computer is set up the same way, and my Windows partition had to be reimaged recently.
 
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Parallels is an OS X application and is installed on OS X the same way as any other.

From here, it can either create a virtual drive on your HDD. From here you can share files and even applications bewteen the two Operating Systems very easily.

An alternative is to rul Parallels from a Bootcamp install of Windows, although personally I think this is utterly pointless, unless you're switching from Bootcamp to Parallels permanently. Incidentally, as far as Windows is concerned, if you run it from Parallels AND Bootcamp, you are using two machines and will need to acitvate XP twice.
 
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There seems to be some confusion about Boot Camp and Parallels. Let's see if this will clear it up.

Boot Camp is a product of Apple itself. It allows a user to boot either to OS X or to Windows OS. You choose at boot time and it is one way only requiring a reboot to get to the other. When you boot into windows you are in all reality booting to windows just like any other windows pc machine. You are subject to all the same little nastys like viruses, torjans, spyware, and all the other little nasty things windows users know about all to well. Because you are in Windows.

Parallels is a product of another company that when you install it on your Mac and start it will set up a virtural machine that allows you to install into that machine a copy of Windows. From the OS X desktop you simply click on the Parallels icon and it will boot up Windows either in a window or full screen if you wish. You can have both Windows and OS X running at the same time and switch back and forth at will if you wish. Once you close the Windows virtural machine you are right back at the OS X desktop.

I might mention that while you have the virtural machine going and have windows in operation, you are also subject to all the above mentioned nastys just as if you were running a windows pc and will need virus protection and should be running all the things like firewalls and such just like you normally would on a pc.

Version 3.0 of Parallels has made some good improvement as far as running pc games go. Probably not all games will run, but many now do, but if your a die hard gamer i would recommend going with Boot Camp still at this time.

The main advantage of Boot Camp is games and drivers, you are actually a pc machine when using it. The main advantage of Parallels is the ability to switch back and forth or work together with out having to reboot all the time. For normal windows programs like word processors and data bases and such, i haven't found one that doesn't work just fine under Parallels.

And, yes, if you have Boot Camp installed you can if you wish also install Parallels and have it use the same copy of XP that you already have installed with Boot Camp, though i find that a bit of over kill for the majority of people.

Which ever way you go you will need a copy of Windows. I recommend using XP myself, it is fairly stable and works just fine. Vista can be used, but your just opening your self up to a whole new can of worms. I know, M$ is fixing things, but personally i wouldn't load Vista until at least 3 or 4 service packs have been released.

Hope this clears up any confusion about Boot Camp and Parallels...
 

Neo


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Thanks to James for a good summary.

James did not specifically address performance of Windows in Parallels. Anyone? Since it is a virtual machine, do you experience a slowdown?

BTW, I also recommend XP SP2, until Vista SP2+ is available.
 
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Thanks to James for a good summary.

James did not specifically address performance of Windows in Parallels. Anyone? Since it is a virtual machine, do you experience a slowdown?

BTW, I also recommend XP SP2, until Vista SP2+ is available.

Windows programs on my machine under Parallels V.3 actually run faster than they do on my windows machine because i have 4 gigs of ram where i only have 1 on the windows machine. But say you have 1 gig on a pc and 1 gig on a Mac i would expect the same performance. I have never seen a slowdown on my Mac in any version of Parallels. It just depends on the horsepower you have running. 512 is a slug on either, 1 gig is pretty much bottom line on either. Two gig seems to be a sweet spot for most people.
 
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Windows programs on my machine under Parallels V.3 actually run faster than they do on my windows machine because i have 4 gigs of ram where i only have 1 on the windows machine. But say you have 1 gig on a pc and 1 gig on a Mac i would expect the same performance. I have never seen a slowdown on my Mac in any version of Parallels. It just depends on the horsepower you have running. 512 is a slug on either, 1 gig is pretty much bottom line on either. Two gig seems to be a sweet spot for most people.

I'd agree with that. I have a 2 gig Mackbook - Windows under Parallels blows my work PC away (which is a 3.0ghz Pentium D with a gig of RAM).

Just remember, DirectX9 gaming is out of reach, for now. Also, if you're a musician, the latency won't be great under windows... but as you have a Mac, I can't imagine why you'd use Windows for music.
 
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When you install windows, are you just buying a copy at your local Best Buy/software store de jour? All I have seen are "upgrade" versions for like $200....is that all you need?
 

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