# Windows on a Mac, Apple-approved! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 6, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507 "2006-04-06T01:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/21 "2006-04-06T18:03:34Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > I bet there’s tons of users like you. Heck, I’m _already_ a Mac user, and this pushes me toward another Mac. Right now, I’ve got a Mac laptop and a Windows media computer (and a Redhat server), and I’ve been wanting to upgrade the Media computer. The only problem is, there are a few games I want to be able to play, so I’d have to replace it with another Windows box. Mac Mini here I come. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/22 "2006-04-06T23:03:49Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > as long as i don’t have to support windoze officially, i could care less, my job is to fix _Mac_ hardware and software issues, _NOT_ windoze, if the Mac side works, the machine is working properly, take up windows problems with micro$oft, it’s not my job I dunno, I’m scared on behalf of, well, Mac techs. If there are people who think their iChat support person is supposed to “fix my email,” how many headaches will this create for tech support? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/23 "2006-04-06T23:24:48Z")
So, how long till we can install Mac on any old hardware? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/24 "2006-04-06T23:45:47Z")
Heh. I’ve been using Macs for 15 years now. I used to encourage my friends to go Mac, but of course they never would. Then, one of them did and I’ve been his computer bitch ever since. He never bothers to learn anything. All he has to do is say the magic words, “well _you’re_ the Mac person!” Never again. Windows users can stay Windows users. No really. Please do. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/25 "2006-04-06T23:59:28Z")
> [@treis](#): > > So, how long till we can install Mac on any old hardware? With a valid license? Probably never. If you don’t care about that, I’m pretty sure you can do it already. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/26 "2006-04-07T02:20:13Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Heh. I’ve been using Macs for 15 years now. I used to encourage my friends to go Mac, but of course they never would. Then, one of them did and I’ve been his computer bitch ever since. He never bothers to learn anything. All he has to do is say the magic words, “well _you’re_ the Mac person!” > > Never again. Windows users can stay Windows users. No really. Please do. What, you mean you’re not their computer bitch already? “Hey, my internet’s down, what do I do?!?!” “Hey, can you come over and set up my network for me?” “Hey, My computer’s been running a bit slow lately…” And you never hear from them ever again. Ah well. ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/27 "2006-04-07T03:47:37Z")
Putting XP on a mac is a total waste of time. Run an XP machine next to the mac mini and network them together…then you can have both OS’s open at the same time. If you can afford it, I always recommend that people get both and become proficient on both. Knowing both is like being multi-lingual. You arent handicapped to a specific way of doing things and the OS becomes as it should be, irrelevant and taken for granted. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/28 "2006-04-07T14:29:29Z")
> [@mrrealtime](#): > > Putting XP on a mac is a total waste of time. Au contraire, my dear chap. The obvious use is the person who wants to run the MacOS, but has one or two applications written only for Windows that they _must_ run for their job or other reasons, and don’t want to have to lug around two laptops everywhere, or for that matter buy two computers. Of course, instead of dual booting, that person might want to choose to run [emulations software](http://www.parallels.com/en/download/). I haven’t tried Parallels myself, but I’ve heard some users claim that the performance penalty is very low. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/29 "2006-04-07T15:54:31Z")
I’m thinking of the law students at that (California?) university that had to come into class with a laptop running Windows in order to take the finals. Test software would monopolize the computer, preventing app-switching to any other process. Obviously they would not tolerate the running of Windows in an emulator (since you could crank up Safari and go Google or browse law-review boards for the answers under OS X while Windows was on the test). Now they can still buy a Mac laptop if that’s what they want. ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/30 "2006-04-07T17:47:35Z")
> [@Arnold Winkleried](#): > > Au contraire, my dear chap. The obvious use is the person who wants to run the MacOS, but has one or two applications written only for Windows that they must run for their job or other reasons, and don’t want to have to lug around two laptops everywhere, or for that matter buy two computers. You are correct, I did say “total waste of time”. What I should have said was 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999% of a waste of time, to account for those users that must use applications on windows that have no mac counterpart, travel a lot, have no access to a windows computer where they are going, or must get their work done en route, and insist on running macintosh platform for everything but these mission critical windows apps. I stand corrected. Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/31 "2006-04-07T18:45:38Z")
> [@mrrealtime](#): > > to account for those users that must use applications on windows that have no mac counterpart Agreed. > [@](#): > > travel a lot, have no access to a windows computer where they are going or must get their work done en route I don’t agree with throwing these conditions in. I might be a guy that only wants to buy one computer for home use, instead of buying two - to save space and money. A dual boot (or VM) could be useful even if I never travel. If I was travelling with a Macintosh and wanted to do some things for the office, and I am staying somewhere where I have access to a Windows machine (public library, internet cafe, hotel, friend’s house), I’m not going to want to install and configure the software I use for work on this other Windows machine, and even if I wanted to, there is a good chance that I wouldn’t be allowed to. So I still could use a dual boot (or VM). > [@](#): > > and insist on running macintosh platform for everything but these mission critical windows apps. Because they have programs that only run on the Macintosh, or prefer the Macintosh OS? That sounds reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507/32 "2006-04-07T23:26:20Z")
> [@Arnold Winkelried](#): > > I might be a guy that only wants to buy one computer for home use, instead of buying two - to save space and money. A dual boot (or VM) could be useful even if I never travel. To save space? Do you live in a 15 square foot home? Ok Ok…some people on earth might find this product interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-on-a-mac-apple-approved/351507.md?page=1)