There's no need to be embarrassed -- there are lots of reasons to run Windows software on a Mac. You may need to run a Windows application or a game that isn't available on a Mac, or you may need access to a scanner or other peripheral that doesn't have drivers for the Mac. Or maybe you've sunk thousands of Naira to Windows software that you want to run on your Mac. Or maybe you prefer Windows and want to run it on Apple's sleek Mac hardware all the time.
Fortunately, there are different solutions that satisfy different types of needs. These fall into three categories, each with different strong points. This post will help you determine which is the best for you.
- Dual booting: Every Mac comes with software called Boot Camp that lets you install Windows and enable it to start up the Mac. You can choose to boot either from Windows or OS X, but you don't have access to both at the same time. Boot Camp is the fastest way to run Windows.
- Running Windows in a virtual machine: With this approach, you boot the Mac with OS X and run Windows in a virtualization application. Unlike Boot Camp, virual machines let you switch between the Mac OS X and Windows environments without rebooting. Virtual machine software also supports more versions of Windows than does Boot Camp. The disadvantage to virtualization is that it takes more RAM memory and CPU utilization, leaving fewer of your Mac's resources for other applications. Most tools let you move files between the two operating systems and sharing peripherals and networking. The main products for doing this are Parallel Desktop
and VMware Fussion.
- Running Windows apps on Mac Os X directly--without Windows: Cross Over from code weavers runs Windows applications directly in Mac OS X, without using Windows. Because you don't need to own a copy of Windows, Cross Over is the least expensive way to run Windows programs on a Mac. It's also fast. The trade off is that it doesn't run every Windows application.
Booting into Windows: the dual-boot Mac and Boot Camp
Although Macs and Windows PCs both are powered by Intel processors, you can't just stick a Windows installation disc into a Mac and expect it to install. Apple's Boot Camp gives Windows what it needs to start up a Mac. Boot Camp will also create a separate partition on your hard disk for Windows.You can boot the Mac into Windows by holding the Option key down while restarting. You then select the Windows Partition or the Mac partition, which appear as hard drive icons. The Mac will boot from OS X or from Windows, depending on which one you choose. Unlike the virtualization products, Boot Camp does not give you access to OS X and Windows at the same time. You have to reboot back into Mac OS X to get access to your Mac software.
You install Boot Camp and your copy of Windows with Boot Camp Assistant, located in the Applications>Utilities folder in Mac OS X. Directions are included once you launch the Assistant, where you can print them if you like. The Boot Camp Assistant "dynamically creates" the Windows partition for Windows, so it won't erase your Mac data. The Assistant then guides you through installing Windows, and downloading installing drivers in Windows to support the Mac keyboard and other hardware and peripherals from within Windows. Boot Camp does not provide Windows; you'll need to supply your own copy.
Apple has said that Boot Camp runs Windows "completely natively," which makes it faster than virtualization software for hardware-intensive tasks. Windows with Boot Camp also uses less of the Mac's processor and memory than with virualization because it is only running one operating system at a time. (This can also be said of cross over) Boot Camp tends to be more compatible with gaming software than virtualization software.
Lion and Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and earlier came with the current version, Boot Camp 4, which supports only Windows 7. Earlier versions of Boot Camp also support Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista. Boot Camp 4 does not support Windows 8, but you can install Windows 8 and have it will run relatively well, though the Windows drivers for graphics are outdated. Apple added support of Windows 8 with boot camp 5 in the OS X 10.8.3 update. Windows 8 is only supported on more recent Mac models.
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