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Fusion? Parallels? or BootCamp?
- Thread starter mifka
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Perhaps you would like to share with us what you intend to do on the Windows platform and your requirements so others can advice you better.
I have tried both Fusion and Parallels, for both XP and Vista. I did not care for Fusion at all, maybe I didn't give it much of a try, but I did not care for the look and feel and it wasn't as seamless as Parallels. Parallels on the other hand did not get in my way, I use Coherent View and XP stays out of my way till I need it. No need to use two clicks to open something, like using the Start menu, it runs just as it would if I was on a PC. So, no need to use one click to activate that window and then another click to use, doesn't sound like a big deal, but gets a little annoying having to make windows active. Clicking from window to the other.
Bootcamp on the other hand I have not used. I'm not sure why it's needed over a virtualization situation. There are really only two scenarios that I could see that would have me to need to use Bootcamp and have to reboot to use Windows.
1) I work in an environment where I use Windows exclusively and am allowed to use my personal Mac, so I would just use Bootcamp and reboot into Windows for the day.
2) There is an issue concerning ram like with a MacBook, where I have something like 1 GB of ram and want to also run Vista, then I could use Bootcamp to be able to utilize all the ram, trying to use Vista on something like 512 MB of ram would be torture.
I prefer using XP over Vista in a virtualization situation because for one, Vista still doesn't run everything I need, my University has software that I need that only runs on Windows and doesn't run on Vista very well, not at all actually. And XP runs just fine on 512 Mb of ram, and if you have ram to spare it runs better then a PC.
Bootcamp on the other hand I have not used. I'm not sure why it's needed over a virtualization situation. There are really only two scenarios that I could see that would have me to need to use Bootcamp and have to reboot to use Windows.
1) I work in an environment where I use Windows exclusively and am allowed to use my personal Mac, so I would just use Bootcamp and reboot into Windows for the day.
2) There is an issue concerning ram like with a MacBook, where I have something like 1 GB of ram and want to also run Vista, then I could use Bootcamp to be able to utilize all the ram, trying to use Vista on something like 512 MB of ram would be torture.
I prefer using XP over Vista in a virtualization situation because for one, Vista still doesn't run everything I need, my University has software that I need that only runs on Windows and doesn't run on Vista very well, not at all actually. And XP runs just fine on 512 Mb of ram, and if you have ram to spare it runs better then a PC.
Bootcamp for best performance. You can use that in conjunction with Parallels or Fusion for the best all-round compromise.
I use both Fusion and Parallels daily and there's not much between them. Fusion seems marginally more stable. Parallels' GUI is (IMHO) nicer. Both have trial versions, so I'd install your Windows under bootcamp and then try both Fusion and Parallels - see which you prefer.
I use both Fusion and Parallels daily and there's not much between them. Fusion seems marginally more stable. Parallels' GUI is (IMHO) nicer. Both have trial versions, so I'd install your Windows under bootcamp and then try both Fusion and Parallels - see which you prefer.
Best way to run games on Mac is to use BootCamp for it. You can run Windows with this piece of software but you will need to reboot your system every time you want to switch from one OS to another. This is the main difference from Parallels and Fusion.
I've never used Fusion, but I know much about Parallels and have some experience using it.
Not long ago I wanted to switch to Mac from PC but still needed some Windows apps. Now I use Parallels Desktop to solve my problem. I enjoy it and like it much. I have no problems with it and it runs rather fast. It fully satisfies my needs for the moment. Easy to install, easy to use. Excellent usability!
Also, check this thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/410912/
Sure it will help you also.
Good luck!
I've never used Fusion, but I know much about Parallels and have some experience using it.
Not long ago I wanted to switch to Mac from PC but still needed some Windows apps. Now I use Parallels Desktop to solve my problem. I enjoy it and like it much. I have no problems with it and it runs rather fast. It fully satisfies my needs for the moment. Easy to install, easy to use. Excellent usability!
Also, check this thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/410912/
Sure it will help you also.
Good luck!
Basically, unless you need to be running some intensive video games on your computer, or be using video editing programs or something like that on the windows side, you will be fine with one of the virtulization options.
Note that you will have to install windows either way. If you want, you could install a boot camp partition, and use one of the virtulization programs to manipulate your boot camp installation, and that way you have the best of both worlds in the off chance that you would need to boot into windows.
If you don't want windows at all, but have some desperate windows-only applications that you need to run on your OSX platform for the day to go by, then I would look into crossover mac and see if what you need is compatible with what you want.
Note that you will have to install windows either way. If you want, you could install a boot camp partition, and use one of the virtulization programs to manipulate your boot camp installation, and that way you have the best of both worlds in the off chance that you would need to boot into windows.
If you don't want windows at all, but have some desperate windows-only applications that you need to run on your OSX platform for the day to go by, then I would look into crossover mac and see if what you need is compatible with what you want.
I tried parallels and found it very buggy and frustrating. I haven't tried fusion yet, but for now, bootcamp is working just fine.