swtiched to a macbook

I just recently got my first Mac, which I'm currently using to type this
(Black Macbook 2.2ghz model, like it a lot so far) Just wanted to ask a few questions..
How do I go about setting up Parallels Desktop to Run XP, or is it pretty self-explanatory? And can you guys give me some good Mac links to bookmark?


Thanks

Welcome to MAC Forum and MAC world. Enjoy the MAC experience.

As for parallels, you need to install it first and then it will take you through a wizard to create the windows virtual machine. You can find the detailed user guide on their site. I am using VMware Fusion on Macbook to run Red hat Linux. Thats also a great option to run multiple OS.

So you have to do a clean install of windows and then reinstall OS X? What about Leopards duel boot program (can't remember the name)? Do you have to clean install windows then reload Leopard?

zyepod said:

So you have to do a clean install of windows and then reinstall OS X? What about Leopards duel boot program (can't remember the name)? Do you have to clean install windows then reload Leopard?

Click to expand...

It's called BootCamp, and no, you don't as far as I understand. I don't use BootCamp, but what I know that it does is takes your Mac's drive, and partitions it such that there is a place to put Windows (or any other Intel based operating system) and helps you install it from a CD with drivers necessary for the Mac hardware. At least under Windows XP SP2. Once you've installed XP, you can boot either one or the other.

Parallels and VMware are a little different. They run as just another application under Mac OS X, with the virtual machine running as a (rather large) process as far as Mac OS is concerned, and the disk being merely a very large file as far as Mac OS is concerned. With Parallels or VMware, you can run your virtual machine while doing other things under Mac OS. So for example I have a Parallels virtual machine which I can run and do Windows things while at the same time run Safari, Mail, Photoshop Mac, etc all without restarting my computer.

There are some hardware things that aren't quite there, and the virtual machine runs a little more slowly, but if you're doing just the standard type stuff (email, web, chat, etc. though most of that can be done with the Mac itself) it's just fine. Back when I was employed I used the Parallels virtual machine to use the corporate apps that only ran under windows (lotus notes, outlook, etc.) when I didn't want to lug both my Macbook and employer issued Dell with me. Now I no longer have that problem, but eventually I'll be getting a different employer issued computer and will do similarly when that is the case.

Neither method requires reinstallation of Mac OS X (Leopard or Tiger.)

No, you don't have to do a clean install of windows and then reinstall your OSX.

Parallels and VMware Fusion (I prefer Fusion myself) install as applications in OS X and the setup of virtual machines in them couldn't be simpler. Bootcamp is a free utility that comes with 10.5 that lets you duel boot with windows. If you follow the directions correctly it wont hurt your OS X install at all.

I prefer Fusion because VMware has been in the virtualization business far longer then Parallels and it's Unity mode blows away the equivalent feature in parallels. With my XP vm running in unity I have full access to all my PC apps and it is just like they were running natively on the mac. VMware also supports Directx 9 for windows gaming and soon Directx10. Parallels does not.