My computer illiterate sister in law decided to buy a Mac today - not sure what one or what OS. Software should be Chinese versions though. Seems like a lot of her programs like stock market stuff need WinXP O/S to run. The Mac shop are telling her that all she needs to do is install a standard copy of Windows XP.
Before I go scrounge around to find a copy of Office XP, does this sound correct? I haven’t touched a Mac in decades.
thanks
All of the new Macs run Intel chipsets and are capable of running Windows. There are a couple of options available to her.
Bootcamp is a free option provided by Apple that will let you boot into either Mac or Windows on the same computer. The catch is that you have to shut down one and reboot into the other if you want to switch.
There are third-party applications like Parallels Desktop that let you use virtualization technology to run the two operating systems simultaneously. Switching from Mac to Windows is just like switching from one Mac program to another. I use Parallels Desktop every day for my accounting applications that are Windows-only. As long as you max out your RAM, it works quite smoothly.
In either case, you have to buy and install a licensed copy of Windows (XP, Vista and 7 all work). You can also install Office, but Office alone is not what you need.
[piggybacking]Bootcamp, Parallels, VMWare… any preference between them? Ease and stability are the main criteria. The last Microsoft OS the Mac user had was Win 98, and she’s reluctant to climb much of a learning curve.
I’m using Parallels. I think it’s marginally better than Fusion, although Fusion worked OK.
I’m using Fusion. There’s a newer version of Parallels out, but a new version of Fusion is due at the end of the month. They are very similar in capabilities and use.
Mind you, you can get Office for the Mac; if that’s all the user needs, she doesn’t need Windows. If she’s already got Office for Windows, it would probably be cheaper to use BootCamp and buy, then install, a new copy of Windows.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the stock market applications really do need Windows. From my experience in banking, there are just gobs of mind-blowingly ancient financial applications that will never be produced in a Mac version.
Microsoft Office is available in both Windows and Mac versions, but that’s not the issue here.
With any new Mac, you have two options for running Windows. Boot Camp is free and comes with the Mac, but is a bit inconvenient as you need to shut down and restart to select ether OSX or Windows when the machine boots up. Virtual machine applications such as Fusion or Parallels are not free, but are more convenient as they run on the Mac Desktop.
In either case, you will need a valid copy of Windows - eg: One that will pass the Windows Genuine Advantage test, and isn’t in active use on another computer.
Why did she buy a Mac to begin with?
As for virtualization, she can also use something like Crossover or WINE without a Windows license, though she’d have to test it with the specific program.
In my experience Crossover doesn’t work worth a tinker’s dam.
Color me shocked they didn’t offer to sell her a copy of windows…is it really even a mac or just a lookalike?
it’s a Mac and we’re in China. I managed to get a legit copy of windows 7, and she will go with that.
why she bought a Mac - I have no idea.
Thanks for the feedback all.
With supported programs, it works excellently. But… they’ve got to be supported programs.
Sheesh, any reason why windows 7 won’t install? I wasn’t there, but my sis in law took a legit copy of windows 7 into the Mac store where she got the machine and there was a " problem" with the install. i don’t really want to get involved but am curious.