A common misconception about Mac computers is that there is no software available for them, at least not software that is used in business. I admit that to some extent that is true. Compared to all the software available for Windows, what you can get on Mac OS X is a small percentage. Keep in mind however that most of the main productivity applications, like Microsoft Office and Adobe’s Creative Suite, are available for both platforms.
The reality is that most Mac users will have the need to run Windows applications at some point and the fact is it’s really easy to do so. Since Apple started using Intel processors in all their computers in 2006 the situation with compatibility is very different than it was before. Apple actually use the same Intel processors in their computers that you find in most PCs available today. This means that there are several solutions for running Windows on a Mac, including one from Apple, so there’s no excuse anymore for Mac users.
I’m not advocating running Windows on a Mac unless you really have to but especially if you work in a corporate environment chances are that you have to use various applications and systems that are only available for Windows.
Apple’s free solution is called Boot Camp and it involves putting aside a part of the Mac’s hard drive for Windows. Then you install Windows to this part with the Boot Camp Assistant, which is a part of Mac OS X. To run Windows you need to reboot the Mac and select Windows. Reboot again and you can get back to Mac OS X. If you’re into gaming this is the best option as Windows has complete control over the Mac, therefore games and other software should run faster than with the other options.
If you don’t want to reboot your Mac to run Windows there are several virtualization solutions. They all have in common that you run Windows within a window in Mac OS X. So Windows basically becomes like any other application on your Mac. Parallels Desktop for Mac, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox are examples of this approach. The downside with this alternative is that Windows shares resources like processor and memory with Mac OS X, which means performance may suffer. It’s generally not a good option for gaming, for example.
The one solution that stands out a bit is CodeWeaver’s CrossOver. It’s the only solution that doesn’t require a valid copy of Windows because it basically emulates Windows. The downside is that it only supports certain applications so it may not work with what you need to run. If the software you want to run is supported, CrossOver may be the solution for you.
So now you now what the options are for running Windows on your Mac. Next time someone says it can’t be done, you’ll set them straight, okay?
Options for running Windows on a Mac
Boot Camp: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
CrossOver: www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac
Parallels: www.parallels.com/products/desktop
VirtualBox: www.virtualbox.org
VMware Fusion: www.vmware.com/products/fusion
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times.
