Running Windows 7 with 4 GB Memory

[jaymd]

I would like to run Windows 7 on my Mac laptop on a regular basis. I travel a lot so the portability of the new MBA is very appealing but wondering if I will experience much difference in performance on the 8 GB 13 inch MBP vs the MBA using VM Fusion or Parallel. I run some investment graphing programs in Windows and usually have that and Word open at once.
Thanks

 

[mikekey]

You'd be better off running Windows 7 in bootcamp mode. I like you have some specialty software for financial planning. I also have the older 2010 MBA with 4gb of ram.

Parells was ok running Windows when I do web development and testing. But heavily multi-tasking, it did slow down the system some. So I setup bootcamp instead. And it flys on the MacBook Air. There are a few tweaks you can do that really get Windows 7 humming on the SSD.

If you're in Bootcamp mode, you shouldn't have any problems.

BTW, I'm pretty sure Apple has an exchange policy up to 30 days. Take that sucker home, run bootcamp, test your stuff, if it sucks, go get the MBP, but chances are you'll stick with the Air.

I dumped my ThinkPad for a MBP and then dumped my 15in MBP for the 13 MBA. Haven't looked back since.

 

[ZBoater]

I was told 14 days return when I bought mine at an Apple store....

 

[jeffg819]

Bootcamp is an option but I'm thinking you might want to use Parallels to create a virtual machine out of the bootcamp partition and give it a try. The speed of the new machine is pretty amazing and it just might work without a hitch. Granted, 4gigs is 4gigs, but with the SSD and the faster processor, it feels like a lot more machine that it is...

 

[Jaro65]

Win 7 runs great on my 13" MBA using VMware. But then again, it also ran very well on my 2010 13" MBA.

 

[iRun26.2]

On a 11.6" MBA

Windows 7 works great on my 2010 11.6" MBA ultimate. I use Bootcamp because it takes virtually no time at all to boot to the other OS with the MBA's SSD.