C64 -> Amstrad -> Win3.11 -> Win95 -> WinXP -> Win Vista -> Win7 -> Mac

Hi All,

So as the title suggests, it took me over two decades to finally buy a Mac...and I love it. Of course getting an iPad2 and buying an iPhone 4s helped me make the decision to switch. No problems so far. But I do have a couple of Windows programs that I will still need to use because of my work and I'm still not sure if I should get Parallels and Windows 7 or something else. We'll see...

Tips are always welcome!!

you could always duel boot using macs bootcamp feature. thats what i did when i first switched. this allowed me to boot into windows every once and awhile to make the transition less painful. eventually I used the windows part so little i simply recovered the space and it was mac only again in about 3 minutes. of course you could always leave it to run those programs. or find a mac equivalent.

It depends on what programs you need to use. If it needs the full operating power of the computer or something, then it might be best to use bootcamp which is included with the OS install. There are trials of Parallels, VMware Fusion and Codeweaver Crossover (all besides costing $ themselves also need a proper install of windows) and also the free Virtualbox.

You can also use Winebottler or one an alternative WineBottler Alternatives and Similar Software - AlternativeTo.net

Welcome to the Forum!
I've had my '07 MBP for over 4 years and I still have a Bootcamp partition with Windows 7. This is just for those Windows programs that I need to use for my job also.
It still works great!

I purchased Parallels. It works great for me. I'm using the boot camp partition for it.

If you want to finish all works on Mac, boot camp allows you access Mac OS X and Windows 7 on a single rig. The good news is boot camp is already included in Mac OS X.

As others have noted you have many options.

In summary:
If the software you need is fairly low-demand (office type applications etc). Then a Virtual Machine running under OSX is ideal (no re-boot required, good integration with OSX file structure etc). Parallels, VMWare Fusion and VirtualBox are the most popular solutions. Personally I favour VirtualBox - it's free, regularly updated and does the job well - for my use.

Bootcamp (effectively dual booting your Mac between OSX and Windows 7) is another option. Booting into Windows seperately gives you the full power of the machine and is exactly the same as running a standard windows PC once booted. So if you need the graphics grunt for gaming or the full ram/cpu power to run high end software this is your best bet.

Whichever way you jump (ignoring the WINE solution for a minute) you will need a full retail or OEM(system builder) version of Windows. If you go down the VM route any version of Windows can be used. If you go down the BootCamp route you have to have Windows 7.

Thanks for the replies. I went with Parallels using the boot camp partition. Works well.

I love my Mac. Can't imagine going back to the Windows world (other than through Parallels (and maybe boot camp )).