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View Full Version : Just installed Paralells on my macbook!!



deepy
Sep 20, 2006, 10:35 AM
Woahhh I just installed Parallels on my macbook with windows xp sp2....wow!!

Makes me actually *like* windows again because its running within mac os lol. Its so smooth and nice!

How well will it run NFS Most Wanted? lol i'm installing it now but its taking forever because its doing it via CD images on my pc over wireless. Mind you, I only havve 512mb of RAM so i'm guessing it'll be rubbish lol.


sushi
Sep 20, 2006, 10:36 AM
Woahhh I just installed Parallels on my macbook with windows xp sp2....wow!!

Makes me actually *like* windows again because its running within mac os lol. Its so smooth and nice!
Yes it is! ;)
almonde
Sep 20, 2006, 10:43 AM
How well will it run NFS Most Wanted?

I think the 3d acceleration in Parallels is experimental to non existent at the moment. So it probably won't run.
deepy
Sep 20, 2006, 12:21 PM
I think the 3d acceleration in Parallels is experimental to non existent at the moment. So it probably won't run.


Too right!
MacRumorUser
Sep 20, 2006, 01:03 PM
The next version of Parallels will apparently support GPU acceleration. That should be 'sweeeeeeet' :)
Mitthrawnuruodo
Sep 20, 2006, 01:06 PM
I just love the ultimate irony in running Windows in a window... :D
yoda13
Sep 20, 2006, 01:09 PM
Whoever thought us Mac users would get so excited about running Windows on our machines.:D
georgi0
Sep 20, 2006, 01:10 PM
can u post some high res pictures :confused:
Abulia
Sep 20, 2006, 02:17 PM
The next version of Parallels will apparently support GPU acceleration. That should be 'sweeeeeeet' :)
Personally, I think it'll be 'barely acceptable.'

GPU rendering in a virtual environment with the OS overhead of two OSes != good performance.
Shadow
Sep 20, 2006, 02:28 PM
Meh. Parallels uses too much RAM, even when I told it not too. Its too slow, and its Windows (I dont have/want a Linux install disk-got XGL 0.2 though:cool: ).
BSME
Sep 25, 2006, 11:29 AM
it's a beautiful solution to running office 2003.

i was trying out open office, and it just isn't the same...
Gosh
Sep 25, 2006, 12:40 PM
I just love the ultimate irony in running Windows in a window... :D

Yes it makes XP subordinate to OS X - rather than its equal as in Boot Camp - my thinking anyway!

The other more unfortunate irony is of course a Mac user paying out for Windows!

Let's hope he doesn't pay out for MS Office and uses equally good OpenOffice in XP or NeoOffice in OS X!
BSME
Sep 25, 2006, 03:08 PM
Let's hope he doesn't pay out for MS Office and uses equally good OpenOffice in XP or NeoOffice in OS X!

i have to argue that point.

i had tried to adapt to using both openoffice and neooffice, and neither one can match the quality of MS Office. i can see either being decent enough for one who would rather not spend the money, but if you've got the cash and want a superior program, nothing out right now tops Office 2003...
4np
Sep 25, 2006, 03:13 PM
Is it actually possible to use the same windows partition with both parallels and bootcamp? It would be nice to boot into bootcamp for gaming or use parallels for other applications that don't require extensive directx usage...
balamw
Sep 25, 2006, 03:16 PM
Is it actually possible to use the same windows partition with both parallels and bootcamp? It would be nice to boot into bootcamp for gaming or use parallels for other applications that don't require extensive directx usage...
No you can't. You can however mount your Boot Camp partition from within Parallels which would allow you to potentially cut down on the files thet need to be in your Parallels VM.

B
Gosh
Sep 25, 2006, 03:27 PM
i have to argue that point.

i had tried to adapt to using both openoffice and neooffice, and neither one can match the quality of MS Office. i can see either being decent enough for one who would rather not spend the money, but if you've got the cash and want a superior program, nothing out right now tops Office 2003...

I'm no pro user of office software but I find Open/NeoOffice more than ample. Excel has nothing on Calc and Writer is pretty much as good as Word. Saving to pdf and Open Document formats (as well as MS Office formats) feels like being on the winning side of a world war - or at least the just side! MS Office has familiarity on its side becuase we all get indoctrinated with it from an early age!

I respect your pov though!
4np
Sep 25, 2006, 03:37 PM
No you can't. You can however mount your Boot Camp partition from within Parallels which would allow you to potentially cut down on the files thet need to be in your Parallels VM.

B

Hmm bummer.... And how is a Parallels VM installed? Is the WM's 'harddrive' contained in one big file or is it on seperate partition?
Josias
Sep 25, 2006, 03:38 PM
Grrr! I tried to get FireFox in Windows XP (Bootcamp) on my MacBook, but IE 6 keeps crashing.

I still don't like Windows.

However, my MacBook can give me more than 30 fps at 640x480 in Halo at lowest settings, and a good 20 fps at 1280x800 at lowest settings. Haven't tried 1280x800 at highest settings...:D
bankshot
Sep 25, 2006, 03:40 PM
Meh. Parallels uses too much RAM, even when I told it not too. Its too slow, and its Windows (I dont have/want a Linux install disk-got XGL 0.2 though:cool: ).

Out of curiosity, how is it too slow for you? I've been running it for a few months now (2.0 GHz Macbook, 2 GB RAM) and it screams in every guest OS I've given it. 3-D graphics is the one serious bottleneck as everyone knows, but that doesn't affect me too much as I do primarily software development and compatibility testing. Near as I can tell, most of that stuff runs pretty darn close to native speed.
balamw
Sep 25, 2006, 03:42 PM
Hmm bummer.... And how is a Parallels VM installed? Is the WM's 'harddrive' contained in one big file or is it on seperate partition?
One file, which can be on an external drive. It's pretty good about keeping the size to the absolute minimum required storing only the bits with data in them.

B
bankshot
Sep 25, 2006, 03:43 PM
Hmm bummer.... And how is a Parallels VM installed? Is the WM's 'harddrive' contained in one big file or is it on seperate partition?

It's one big file per virtual hard disk. Rumor has it they're working on being able to boot directly off of a separate partition so that users can keep the same install for both Bootcamp and Parallels, but it's not there yet.

Bah, beaten by one minute! :rolleyes:
4np
Sep 25, 2006, 03:49 PM
One file, which can be on an external drive. It's pretty good about keeping the size to the absolute minimum required storing only the bits with data in them.

B

So it can also be on a SMB share? ;) Anybody tried that? :) It's probably pretty slow I guess...
Am3822
Sep 25, 2006, 04:06 PM
How do I transfer files between the parallels-hosted OS (XP/linux/2K) and OS X? Is it a simple drag and drop thing? Is there a way to transfer files between the parallels guest OS and OS X? Some sort of internal networking between the two operating systems, perhaps?
Gosh
Sep 25, 2006, 04:17 PM
How do I transfer files between the parallels-hosted OS (XP/linux/2K) and OS X? Is it a simple drag and drop thing? Is there a way to transfer files between the parallels guest OS and OS X? Some sort of internal networking between the two operating systems, perhaps?

There's a Shared folder (or folders) for your files! You can drop n' drag text though between OS's. Also if you have a dotMac account there is an iDisk utility for XP which works really well - I like it more than accessing iDisk via OS X!
BSME
Sep 26, 2006, 01:11 PM
I'm no pro user of office software but I find Open/NeoOffice more than ample. Excel has nothing on Calc and Writer is pretty much as good as Word. Saving to pdf and Open Document formats (as well as MS Office formats) feels like being on the winning side of a world war - or at least the just side! MS Office has familiarity on its side becuase we all get indoctrinated with it from an early age!

I respect your pov though!


i completely agree regarding the PDF issue (which is why i've still got openoffice installed), and can't comment on Calc vs. Excel, but i found Writer to be quirky, wanting to finish my words if it thought i was writing something longer, and the spell check function needs some work.

for what it is, it's definitely more than adequate, there's just so much more behind the MS Office products that you can't ignore them, regardless of cost.
Shadow
Sep 26, 2006, 05:19 PM
Out of curiosity, how is it too slow for you? I've been running it for a few months now (2.0 GHz Macbook, 2 GB RAM) and it screams in every guest OS I've given it. 3-D graphics is the one serious bottleneck as everyone knows, but that doesn't affect me too much as I do primarily software development and compatibility testing. Near as I can tell, most of that stuff runs pretty darn close to native speed.
Everything. Windows is a pig to use. The Start Menu takes a few seconds to lad (dont sound like much but it gets annoying fast). Apps run really slow, and its just a pain to use. It clogs up all the free RAM, making everything else run really slow.