? about Windows 8 on VMWare on Mac

[odonnelly99]

Hello everybody, I searched for a little while through older threads and couldn't find a decisive answer to my question, which is:

If I'm running VMWare (on my macbook pro retina), is there a specific version of windows 8 that I should purchase? I have the external superdrive, so I'm able to do a disk based install.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[balamw]

What do you plan to do under Windows 8?

B

 

[throAU]

All versions of Windows 8 will run in VMware.

Which version to buy depends on whether or not you need to log into a Windows Active Directory domain or not.

 

[balamw]

Other key differences between Pro and Standard in a VM besides the ability to join a domain are the availability of RDP server for pro. The availability of Media Center for Pro.

You also still have a choice of 32 bit or 64 bit versions. That was the main issue I wanted to clear up. In general if your needs are modest 32 bit will be more efficient, yet 64 bit may give you better performance, but only if you have a lot of RAM that you will dedicate to the VM.

B

 

[odonnelly99]

What do you plan to do under Windows 8?

B

To be honest, not much. I'm starting grad school next week for psych, and I'll only be using it in the rare situation where I need to run a program that's not available for Mac.

The program that I'm in is covering the full cost of the software, I just have to let them know what version of windows 8 to order.

 

[balamw]

Then you should ask for Pro/Enterprise (Depending on how they get their licenses), but you still need to figure out 32 vs 64 bit.

How much RAM in your Mac? How much do you want to give to the VM?

B

 

[odonnelly99]

Other key differences between Pro and Standard in a VM besides the ability to join a domain are the availability of RDP server for pro. The availability of Media Center for Pro.

You also still have a choice of 32 bit or 64 bit versions. That was the main issue I wanted to clear up. In general if your needs are modest 32 bit will be more efficient, yet 64 bit may give you better performance, but only if you have a lot of RAM that you will dedicate to the VM.

B

I have the entry level rMPB with 8gb of RAM.

Dumb question time: if I'm not running the VM software, then any RAM that I've dedicated to it will revert back to OSX, correct?

 

[odonnelly99]

Then you should ask for Pro/Enterprise (Depending on how they get their licenses), but you still need to figure out 32 vs 64 bit.

How much RAM in your Mac? How much do you want to give to the VM?

B

8, and as little as possible : )

I have no beef whatsoever with with Windows or MSFT in general, and I know my way around things, but I don't see myself running windows unless I really need to do so (besides, of course, the obligatory period of screwing around with the new OS at first, to check it out, and get a feel for it).

 

[balamw]

I have the entry level rMPB with 8gb of RAM.

Dumb question time: if I'm not running the VM software, then any RAM that I've dedicated to it will revert back to OSX, correct?

Correct.

With 8GB you may as well get the 64 bit version and give the VM 4 GB.

With the 32 bit version you could give it less RAM.

B

 

[odonnelly99]

Correct.

With 8GB you may as well get the 64 bit version and give the VM 4 GB.

With the 32 bit version you could give it less RAM.

B

Thanks, buddy!