Looking for a way to run Windows on a Mac? This video covers some of the major options available to you.
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The Mac is an excellent machine, especially for those doing work that is heavy in multimedia processing. However, some tasks are more easily completed in a Windows environment. There are also programs that only run in a Windows environment and if you don't have the ability to run Windows on a Mac, you're going to have more trouble accomplishing those tasks. We'e going to take a look at a few programs that will help you get into a Windows environment while using a Mac machine.
Apple's Boot Camp Mac lets you run Windows on Mac in a native Windows environment. This native environment is built by booting directly into it. Boot Camp actually runs a scaled-down version of Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Boot Camp for Mac comes free with Mac OSX 10.5/Leopard/Lion/Mountain Lion and later. You actually install Windows on your Mac computer when you use Boot Camp, creating a 'hidden` Windows partition that only Windows can access.
The main drawback of using Boot Camp for Mac to run Windows is that Apple provides only very limited technical support for it and the Windows installation process. Another drawback is that you have to reboot to switch between operating systems.
Let's take a look at Parallels for mac
Well, if you have Parallels Mac, also known as Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, you simply open the program, and get to work, without worrying about having to reboot your Mac and losing the work you've spent all morning accomplishing. Parallels bills their Parallels Mac product as the most tested, talked-about, and trusted product that allows you run Windows on a Mac.
Parallels for Mac also lets you run Windows and Mac applications concurrently. This is especially helpful if you're working on a project that requires you to move data, or multimedia projects between platforms. In the real world, Windows and Mac don't get along very well, but with Parallels for Mac, they actually collaborate quite well together.
There's also a Mobile Parallels app that lets you create a Windows environment on your mobile Apple device. Say you're on the go with your iPad, and your boss tells you he needs some annotations to a Word document immediately. You don't have time to get back to your office. No problem, just launch Parallels Mobile on your iPad, and then Word, and make your annotations of the fly.
Now we'll move to VMWare Fusion
According to the makers of VMWare Fusion, it's the best product on the market for running Windows on Mac. Although most of the advertising for the VMWare Fusion products seems to be aimed at the home market, the product is also quite helpful for business users.
As an example, their webpage touts the VMWare Fusion PC migration assistant. This is a tool that helps home users move their data and programs from their PC to their Mac. However, those in IT also know how helpful a migration tool is. Most IT pros use migration tools when they upgrade systems from one Windows version to the next.
VMWare Fusion lets you run Windows programs and your Mac applications side-by-side, letting you drag and drop and copy-paste between applications seamlessly. You'll also be able to launch your Windows application exactly as you would Mac applications. Launch them from the Launchpad, Spotlight, or the Dock, just like a Mac application. You can also view them from Spaces, Mission Control, and Exposé, again, just like a Mac application.
For those that have gotten used to Mac-only shortcuts and gestures, VMWare Fusion doesn't make you have to forget them when you run Windows on Mac. With VMWare Fusion, you can run Windows on your Mac in full screen Unity View, or in a single window view. For those users that have devices that only work on Windows machines (GPS devices, some cameras, joysticks, media players, etc), VMWare lets you "trick" them into thinking they're being plugged in to a Windows machine.
As stated above, Apple's Boot Camp makes you decide what operating system you want to boot into at the time of boot, but gives the added security of a separate partition for your Windows applications and their data. VMWare Fusion lets you work with that hidden Windows partition, without having to reboot every time you want or need to switch operating systems.
