Fusion vs bootcamp

[Psilocybin]

Can anyone comment on the effects of bootcamp on their boot times? I'm currently running fusion on my air.

I read some horror stories on bootcamp slowing down the boot and shutdown times and I don't want that

 

[2IS]

I havnen't noticed any slowdowns in startup or shutdown times since installing Windows 7 via Bootcamp

 

[Psilocybin]

I am testing this

I deleted vmware.
Timed my initial startup from pushing the power button to finishing booting at 13 seconds

Will keep updated

 

[brudog68]

Hope you dont mind me piggy-backing here a bit, I was literally preparing to post a similar question when I saw this...

I have finally decided to purchase a new MBA (13 I think for now), which will also be my first Mac as Ive always had several programs needed for my job that required Windows, and now I am left with only one program that is not "supported" on a Mac that I still require for work...I understand it's possible if using Win7 via Bootcamp, however I have no experience with this at all.

Im a mortgage banker and the program is our LOS, used for application, credit pulls, approval runs,interfacing with govt engines, printing official docs etc...therefore it needs to run properly and it's updated frequently with new versions to support changing guidelines/laws etc...

A. If you can load win 7 via bootcamp then should there be no issues? just like having it on a PC? Or are there still some possible limitations?

B. Can the SSD on a MBA be used with Bootcamp as well as any?

C. How much space should I expect Win 7 to consume?

I also dont want to "jack up" my new MBA by trying to make something happen if it hampers the performance of the machine otherwise, just rather not have to use my PC at all...

Thanks in advance...sorry, OP, hope this just plays along with what you were asking too.

 

[KPOM]

To answer all questions, running Windows in Boot Camp is just like running Windows on a regular PC. A Mac's underlying hardware is the same as a PC's. Boot Camp just creates a special partition on your Mac's hard drive to enable installation of Windows. Note that the MacBook Air supports only Windows 7 (either 32-bit or 64-bit). There are ways of installing XP or Vista, but Apple's drivers are made for Windows 7.

Also, Boot Camp has no discernible impact on startup speed. By default, the Mac will boot into OS X. You can manually boot into Windows by holding down the Option key at startup and selecting Windows. Alternatively, you can change the default to the Windows partition.

I do not have direct experience with Fusion 3.1 on my current MacBook Air (I use Parallels Desktop), but my past experience has been that it does not have a discernible effect on startup time, either. Yes, Fusion loads at startup, but it's pretty quick and doesn't use up much resource in the background.

For the benefit of the previous poster, VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop are programs that allow you to run Windows from within OS X (in a "virtual machine"). With Boot Camp, you have to choose at boot up which OS to run.

 

[Psilocybin]

Hope you dont mind me piggy-backing here a bit, I was literally preparing to post a similar question when I saw this...

I have finally decided to purchase a new MBA (13 I think for now), which will also be my first Mac as Ive always had several programs needed for my job that required Windows, and now I am left with only one program that is not "supported" on a Mac that I still require for work...I understand it's possible if using Win7 via Bootcamp, however I have no experience with this at all.

Im a mortgage banker and the program is our LOS, used for application, credit pulls, approval runs,interfacing with govt engines, printing official docs etc...therefore it needs to run properly and it's updated frequently with new versions to support changing guidelines/laws etc...

A. If you can load win 7 via bootcamp then should there be no issues? just like having it on a PC? Or are there still some possible limitations?

B. Can the SSD on a MBA be used with Bootcamp as well as any?

C. How much space should I expect Win 7 to consume?

I also dont want to "jack up" my new MBA by trying to make something happen if it hampers the performance of the machine otherwise, just rather not have to use my PC at all...

Thanks in advance...sorry, OP, hope this just plays along with what you were asking too.

1) it will work fine
2) yes the ssd is just much faster
3)windows files take about 10gb (roughly)

 

[KPOM]

1) it will work fine
2) yes the ssd is just much faster
3)windows files take about 10gb (roughly)

On Q3, I think a typical Windows 7 installation is about 17GB. If it's just one program, I'd allocate 28-32GB to the Boot Camp partition. Give it some room to create its own swap file.

I'd suggest that brudog68 consider Fusion or Parallels rather than Boot Camp, especially if he's getting the 13". Get the 4GB system for an extra $100 and Windows 7 will run just fine in Fusion or Parallels (each is available for about $50 or even less as they are often subject to rebates or other promotions).

 

[brudog68]

So would Fusion be another comparable solution? It would be ideal to work in said program while primarily staying in OS X, without booting back and forth?

 

[KPOM]

So would Fusion be another comparable solution? It would be ideal to work in said program while primarily staying in OS X, without booting back and forth?

Yes, that's the main benefit. I'd suggest getting 4GB on your MacBook Air (you have to order it that way, since you can't add RAM later).

 

[J&JPolangin]

I have a whitebook 2.0Ghz nVidia 9400m with 4Gb RAM and a Crucial m225 128Gb SSD = the CPU is more power than the 11" MBA form factor that I like and the RAM and SSD are equal.

I used fusion but found it to be slow and with the SSD, its easy/fast to bootcamp when I do need the winXP environment.

I'll be getting an 11" MBA again (had the base model already but returned it) in a refresh or two pending what does with the new MBP's...

 

[brudog68]

Thanks all...so if using Fusion or Parralels...I guess you still partition the SSD and load Win 7?

 

[jamone13]

I have a ultimate 13" running windows 7 on Boot Camp, it was it bit of a PITA to install via USB if you don't have an external DVD drive. But once its running it works perfect. That said I don't boot into Boot Camp unless I'm playing a game. I use Parallels to load my Boot Camp version of Windows so its usable without leaving OS X. This works fine for .NET development, downloading games... Fusion can do this also, it gives you the best of both worlds. Under 15 sec boot times to OS X, so Boot Camp didn't change it.

 

[Psilocybin]

boots with boot camp and windows 7 installed in 12 seconds..so theres no change
i love boot camp anyways now since i can run windows in a virtual machine via fusion or reboot and run it itself

so for everyone else out there it doesnt slow down your boot times