Boot Camp, VMWare Fusion 3, or Parallels 5

Grant Travis wrote:
Any recommendations between using Boot Camp, VM Fusionware 4 or Parallels 5?

You'll have to create a separate partition for Boot Camp, and I don't like to do that. VM Fusionware 4 doesn't exist, so I wouldn't use that. Parallels 5 should be fine.

In that case Fusion 3 would be fine too. If you use the forum search feature and look for vmware, parallels, or boot camp you should fine more opinions than you would ever want to see.

KT,
or anyone else out there. I am a novice computer guy and a new mac user so the learning curve is high. I have to run some windows applications. I am being advised to purchase VMWare and I need MS Windows.
My question is do I first install the VMWare and then try to install MS Windows. How does this work.

Any advice / guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Kevo.

Best to start your OWN thread, rather than tac onto someone else's no matter how close it seems to your own issue.

If you want to have the option later to run Windows natively, and not in Mac OS side by side, then install it using Boot Camp Assistant on its own partition. Then let the VM use that.

You can't run a 2nd OS inside/under Mac OS w/o a VM like Fusion, Parallels or free Sun/Oracle VirtualBox.

I think the main #1 for using or learning to use, is learning there are dictionary, encyclopedia and other online resources of information - very little that hasn't been asked and isn't already in some FAQ, article, review, and then to find it on search engines etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparisonof_VMware_Fusion_and_ParallelsDesktop

http://www.virtualbox.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VirtualBox

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-2890
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMware_Fusion

A walk thru how to install Windows 7 with VMware Fusion
http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2009/01/windows-7-on-mac-with-vmware-fusion-a -practical-guide.html

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/bootcamp/index.html

http://www.simplehelp.net/2009/01/15/using-boot-camp-to-install-windows-7-on-you r-mac-the-complete-walkthrough/

Hatter,
Thanks for the info and heads up on starting my own thread. I am learning. I will dig through the website you provided links to.

Once again,
Thanks.

Kevin

I have used Parallels for about 3.6 yrs now on both a Macbook and MacMini (Core Solo and Core 2 Duo). The app is amazing. Fusion was good too. I have also tested Win XP Pro in Boot Camp, which is a tad bit better.

However, it depends on what you plan to do. If you need to access MacOS X frequently, Boot Camp will be a pain, because it is not a Dual Boot situation, but rather Reboot to WIN or MAC only. Parallels or Fusion is a Dual boot config as you can use MacOS X and WIN XP (for example) together in real time at virtually real time speeds; MacOS X will be you main OS and WIN XP would be the 'guest' OS.

For me, I use many Mac OS X apps and a few WIN apps. There are a few WIN apps that I absolutely need to use for Biz, but Parallels help me solve that issue seemlessly. Hope that helps.