MPB Solidworks 2006/2007 Virtual vs Native

[cookieme]

Hi everyone,

I'm a mechanical engineering undergraduate and I am a heavy user of Solidworks. I've been a mac user for almost 7 years and my trusted old powerbook g3 500 pismo needs to retire. Like many I have been waiting and waiting for the much anticipated powerbook G5, which well..we all know what happened So, the intel switch is looking very promising and although I would like to wait for next summer before purchasing a new apple laptop, I can't wait much longer. I could go on and on about why I would rather buy next summer, but there is really no use.

The question. I don't have the possibility of trying solidworks on a macbook pro, so is there anyone who uses either the 2006 or 2007 version who is willing to give me some performance and usage information? Basically, I'd like to know the following:

1. Do u reboot into Windows XP to use solidworks? Isn't it a lot of hassle to have to reboot and leave the mac os environment everytime you need to use CAD? I mean the only thing I would use is solidworks, all my information, email etc would be in the mac os.

2. Have you tried using solidworks in the mac os through parallels software or similar? I assume that it wouldn't perform well since parallels doesn't offer native graphics etc.

3. How stable is the windows environment (obviously not as stable as mac os) using bootcamp as opposed to running on a pc?

Thanks to those who may help me with the above requests.
/cookie

 

[divergent]

solidworks on MBP

Cookieme.

I recently made the leap from a Dell M70 to a MBP. Like you I am a active user of Solidworks 2007 as well as Catia and ProE. Through my recent experience I have learned this...

-Boot camp is quite stable and boots far faster than it ever did on my Dell (the Dell was loaded down with all sorts of preloaded crap that you can never really get rid of unless you reinstall the OS). I have found bootcamp to be more than adequate at running of the required CAD programs as well as multiple simulation packages. Oddly enough, because I do not have easy access to email or other time sinks I have become much more productive then I was before when i was using XP as my primary system.

-As for Parallels... I tried to install Solidworks but found that the lack of graphics support to be crippling. I left the Parallels intact and do find use for it in various applications but until they find a way to access the graphics card ram it really is pointless to even try.

My solution to the integration of the two OS's has been to use edrawings with which I can access models and drawings for documentation and presentation purposes. But if my work required more than the current 10-15% cad time I would probably be stuck with the dell. Switching is too disruptive and time consuming.

just my .02. Hope that helps.

divergent.