Ordered a Mac Book Pro Through a Program My Union Has Should I Run Parallels 14 or 15?

[t.allyn]

Hello,

I'm not 100% new to Macs, but the first one I purchased used and didn't know what I was doing and it lasted about 3 months before it had major issues. Anyway I just ordered a new Mac Book Pro via a program through my union. I hate windows but it was all I could afford for a long time. I have licenses for Windows based software that I plan to run on the new Mac. I have an opportunity to purchase Parallels Desktop 14.1.3 2019 very cheaply. Please inform me whether getting Parallels Desktop 14.1.3 2019 would be a good choice or do I need the newest version15.

[chscag]

We moved your post here since it's not really a switcher topic.

As far as Parallels goes.... unless you need version 15 which now has more capability to run the latest Windows 10 games and software, version 14 should be okay. You haven't told us what Windows programs you intend to run? It may be possible to run your Windows programs using the free VirtualBox from Oracle. VirtualBox does not have all the bells and whistles that Parallels or VMWare has but you can't beat free.

[t.allyn]

Sorry I'm only going to run Quicken and MS Office perhaps others but nothing much different. So I guess I need to see if the free programs will cover those very basic programs.

[MacInWin]

I cannot speak for Quicken, but unless you can get Office to run well in a free emulator like VirtualBox, it makes no sense to buy an emulator just for Office. You can get Office365 for $7/month, less if you pay annually, or you can buy a stand-alone copy for Mac for not a lot of money and avoid the emulation altogether. Quicken is, I think, another problem in that I have read that the version for the Mac is not very good. I guess it depends on what you actually do in Quicken. As I said, I am no expert on Quicken, so maybe somebody else will chime in on that product.

[Raz0rEdge]

VirtualBox is fine for your needs. You will need a copy of Windows (to match the versions of Quicken and Office that you have) and you can go from there. You should also definitely evaluate other Mac-native alternates to see if you can switch over to those for the long term.

[ferrarr]

Just as an FYI, you will need to buy a version of Windows, to run it on your Mac, as well.

[t.allyn]

I cannot speak for Quicken, but unless you can get Office to run well in a free emulator like VirtualBox, it makes no sense to buy an emulator just for Office. You can get Office365 for $7/month, less if you pay annually, or you can buy a stand-alone copy for Mac for not a lot of money and avoid the emulation altogether. Quicken is, I think, another problem in that I have read that the version for the Mac is not very good. I guess it depends on what you actually do in Quicken. As I said, I am no expert on Quicken, so maybe somebody else will chime in on that product.

The short period I had a Mac in the past I had quicken for Mac and it was complete trash!

[t.allyn]

Just as an FYI, you will need to buy a version of Windows, to run it on your Mac, as well.

Yes I am aware as a matter of fact I never received a reply for this question from the seller so can you or someone else tell me if this one would work Click Here

[chscag]

I would avoid any "so-called" Windows license codes that are for sale on eBay. A genuine copy of Windows 10 Pro or any version is not inexpensive. Buying from eBay sellers who advertise a license code for $3.00 is just not realistic. However, it's your money and your choice.

[Raz0rEdge]

Windows 10 Professional is sold for $199.99, but yes you can totally get a legit copy of it for $3 from eBay.

[ferrarr]

Yes I am aware as a matter of fact I never received a reply for this question from the seller so can you or someone else tell me if this one would work Click Here

I don't know if I would trust that seller, or the description. The seller only has a few sales, and the description states "for refresh only", which I am assuming means a re-install.

[chscag]

Doesn't matter since according to eBay, it's out of stock. And yeah, no way I would trust that reseller.

[t.allyn]

Well I just ended up using Bootcamp and I'm glad especially since I can receive support from Apple. I personally don't mind have to reboot at all.

[chscag]

Thanks for letting us know. And yes, Bootcamp works well since it effectively turns your Mac into a Windows machine. Make sure you backup your Windows installation as well as macOS. I personally recommend using WinClone to backup the Windows side. It's not free but it does the best job of being able to restore your Windows installation if something should go wrong.