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01/14/2008 09:34:12 PM · #1
I have recently been exploring the possibility of purchasing a Mac. I have been reading some reviews. One topic that comes up a lot is how you can run Windows on a Mac. What is the purpose of this? A Mac is so much more money then a Mac if I wanted to run windows then wy would I buy a Mac and put windows on it?

A second question is, if I can put windows on a Mac can I run the latest Apple OS on my PC?

Any light on this subject would be appreciated.

Thanks.
01/14/2008 09:41:21 PM · #2
Second things first... you can't *officially* run MacOS on a PC, but it took folks less than a day to figure out how to get it to work (sort of). The only difference between Mac and PC hardware these days is a little chip that tells the OS "I'm a mac" and the design. Otherwise, the hardware is the same.
The reason that some folks run Windows in addition to MacOs is that some software is not available in MacOS version.

Message edited by author 2008-01-14 21:42:07.
01/14/2008 09:48:26 PM · #3
There are a couple of programs that let you run Windows on a Mac. Parallels is my personal favorite.

Parallels allows you to run Windows on the Mac OS. I use it at work to run Outlook since there is no true Exchange client for the Mac that can do all the scheduling, view others calendars, and more. This allows you to run Windows applications along side of Mac applications.

You can also rum Windows natively on a Mac using Boot Camp. (It comes with new Macs). This allows you to boot your Mac to Windows. This is good if you require maximum performance on Windows. The down side is you can only run one OS at a time, Mac or Windows.

As for running OS X on a PC, I've read about it, but I've never seen it.
01/14/2008 09:54:58 PM · #4
you cannot run pc programs on a mac

as a mac owner of 6+ macs in our home I would not want to put windows anything on my macs.... but I think the reason mac did it was to help convert pc folks, I think once you see how awesome the macs work without windows you will not go back (UNLESS, you need it for some reason...which I am not sure what they would be)
That is to say I don't think there is much of a purpose but marketing for apple.
My mac has everything (but PS) that I need it for.

Enjoy your new mac
01/14/2008 10:09:13 PM · #5
Parallels and Bootcamp both allow you to run Windows (you have to buy it separately). Parallels is nicer because you can directly switch to Windows/Apps without shutting down and rebooting only in Windows (like Boot Camp requires).

I "went Mac" this year. I finally took the plunge because of the new OS, and the Windows capability. Yet, I found that the Mac OS is so sublime, so user friendly, so fun to use, that I don't even miss windows at all. If I had an app that I absolutely had to use, and windows was essential, then I might consider it. But, for example, the Mac version of Microsoft Office is BETTER than the regular version.

If you get a mac, I predict you will be happy beyond your expectations. You don't know how much bs you have to put up with in windows until you use something that just works. Once you do, you can hardly stand to use windows--this is the only real downside of buying a mac: if you still have to use a windows machine at work, it is not unlike torture.

Plus, I see already that you have discerning tastes: you are a Nikon guy :~)

Message edited by author 2008-01-14 22:12:41.
01/14/2008 10:17:57 PM · #6
Apple still has a small percentage of market share in the computer arena. To say "run windows on your mac" not only insinuates that the Apple is inherently better, but also opens the door for people to "try" this technology that often exceeds expectations -why? Because they have one company building computers (APPLE) - awesome quality control -- and simple, intuitive technology.

Every Apple I've used had a speaker. Every Apple I've used recognized when I plugged in a memory card and supported it without extra software. This is not the case for PCs.

HOWEVER --- PCs (windows) tend to be better on the internet. Web pages are built to work on PCs. This is the main reason I would get a PC (or run Windows on a mac).
So if you want to get the most out of the internet - maybe try running windows for web-surfing - that's all I would use it for ;P
01/14/2008 10:26:50 PM · #7
Thanks to everyone for their input.

Kevin
01/14/2008 10:32:19 PM · #8
Originally posted by metatate:

PCs (windows) tend to be better on the internet. Web pages are built to work on PCs.

How so?

There's nothing inherently better about browsing the web on a PC. The limiting factor isn't the browser, but often the web designer (such as the fools who do User Agent testing to prevent certain users from viewing their site, as if they're doing the visitor some sort of favour).

The only thing that works on a PC and not on a Mac is ActiveX (which might work on the Mac version of IE--I'm not sure). One important use is with Ajax, but any good designer will incorporate methods to account for the "other" browsers.

I just don't understand how web pages are built to work on PCs. If anything, PCs (well, Microsoft, through IE) has tried to make its own version of the "web" (full of non-compliant markup and useless and intrusive technologies, previously through FrontPage), but people are starting to turn away from that and towards standards compliance and cross-browser/cross-platform technology.
01/14/2008 10:48:31 PM · #9
Originally posted by metatate:

Apple still has a small percentage of market share in the computer arena.


I don't want to get into anther tit for tat Mac vs PC thing, but . . .

Apple market share has doubled in the last year or so, Apple is in the top 4 or 5 PC manufacturers consistently, Apple has more market share in computers than BMW has in cars.

Last quarter Apple sold 2.3 million computers. (not counting iPods or iPhones)

And as for the web, the promise of the Internet was that you could make applications that are platform independent. What works on Windows works on UNIX works on a Mac works on Linux. MS did try to make the Internet a Windows only thing, but so far they've failed. And that's a good thing. If a web sit only works on Windows then it is a poorly designed web site.
01/14/2008 10:50:07 PM · #10
Safari is a pretty solid browser on the net, and for those extraordinarily rare occasions where a site won't 'play' with it, I have the mac version of Firefox (free) and it will pick up the slack.

The big RISK of using windows on your mac is that you open yourself back up to viruses, trojans, malware.... The one thing I would NOT do is to install windows and use IE to surf.

And it has been correctly noted above that Apple designs both the hardware and software--this makes for good integrated performance, and slick interfaces, etc. Windows is an OS only, and needs to work on a variety of different vendors computers--lots more opportunities for glitches there.

Message edited by author 2008-01-14 22:52:30.
01/14/2008 10:51:57 PM · #11
Originally posted by scarbrd:

If a web site only works on Windows then it is a poorly designed web site.


here, here! couldn't have said it better myself.
01/14/2008 10:57:03 PM · #12
Originally posted by chromeydome:

The big RISK of using windows on your mac is that you open yourself back up to viruses, trojans, malware....

I'm pretty sure Windows gets its own partition if you run it on a Mac, so any malware would only affect the "PC side." Note that CrossOver will allow you to run many Windows applications natively without even installing Windows.
01/14/2008 11:21:25 PM · #13
I think you are correct--if using boot camp, then separate partitions, only one or the other running, etc. But if using parallels, both are running, and you can even have an icon on your mac os desktop that takes you seamlessly to a windows app. This is where the risk comes in--when running windows and IE, vulnerable, but when running both together, both sides are at risk (shared disk space, etc.)

It seems, though, that a nice mac is a better Vista machine than vista machines!
//mailbox.allthingsd.com/20070823/running-windows-vista-on-a-mac/
01/14/2008 11:50:09 PM · #14
Originally posted by chromeydome:

The big RISK of using windows on your mac is that you open yourself back up to viruses, trojans, malware.... The one thing I would NOT do is to install windows and use IE to surf.

The Unix foundation that OS X is built on reduces the likelihood of being infected by a lot of what's out there.

The big problem with Windows is that it's so insecure by default. Get someone who knows what they're doing, and it can be as impenetrable and secure as a Mac. The problem is that 99% of the users don't really know what they're doing (as far as Internet security is concerned).
01/15/2008 11:37:40 AM · #15
People are getting defensive. I'm a mac user - about 10 hours a day. I have a G5 imac (and a G3 with a G4 processor upgrade) - -I've worked on Macs for 16 years or so ... but I'm not a super-geek internet guru - I just know that Mac and Windows have noticable differences when using the internet or internet software.

When I use a PC (I.Ei), Ebay is better (or at least different), Picasa products are available ... In the case of "good" web sites like e-bay, the interface is entirely different on Windows than on a Mac - I'm sure a geek could explain why. I have a web-site and using web-mail is faster and easier on a PC. My previous web-site hosting company actually has a disclaimer to mention that Mozilla (Firefox) was the only way to use web-mail on the mac - Safari wouldn't work properly - not sure why - fine.

There are some web-features and web software that works exlusively on a PC. There are web pages that are completely different when you log-on using a mac. I didn't make it up.
Further - I've always had trouble uploading photos to photo printing web-sites but had better luck on a PC -I use Photoworks because they "support" mac by providing software that actually will upload a bunch of photos without timing out.

I'm not saying that Macs are not good - but using 2 browsers "to pic up slack" is not necessarilly a good answer - although I get by just fine. I use Firefox and Safari but I still have better luck with web navigation on a PC. If you want to use Picasa products for example (other than the minimal Mac stuff Google has) - you're going to need a PC.

Again - I love Apple, Mac, whatever, but in my use there are some limitations and differences where a PC might have an advantage.

caveat: Not scientific studies, just my personal experiences which could be warped slightly by ADD ;)

Originally posted by geoffb:

Originally posted by metatate:

PCs (windows) tend to be better on the internet. Web pages are built to work on PCs.

How so?

There's nothing inherently better about browsing the web on a PC. The limiting factor isn't the browser, but often the web designer (such as the fools who do User Agent testing to prevent certain users from viewing their site, as if they're doing the visitor some sort of favour).

The only thing that works on a PC and not on a Mac is ActiveX (which might work on the Mac version of IE--I'm not sure). One important use is with Ajax, but any good designer will incorporate methods to account for the "other" browsers.

I just don't understand how web pages are built to work on PCs. If anything, PCs (well, Microsoft, through IE) has tried to make its own version of the "web" (full of non-compliant markup and useless and intrusive technologies, previously through FrontPage), but people are starting to turn away from that and towards standards compliance and cross-browser/cross-platform technology.


Message edited by author 2008-01-15 11:52:07.
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