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Bootcamp, Parallels or VmWare on Mac Pro??

Cromas

Cromas

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 21, 2008
91
0
I need install one... whats better?

I dont like bootcamp beacuse I need restart... I need mac os x always and some win apps, like explorer (Iam web designer) and some others, and couse run games! so I think that Parallels its the best choice?

what do you think?
 
Cromas said:
I need install one... whats better?

I dont like bootcamp beacuse I need restart... I need mac os x always and some win apps, like explorer (Iam web designer) and some others, and couse run games! so I think that Parallels its the best choice?

what do you think?
Click to expand...

I prefer vmware. However, for games you'd need boot camp if they are modern. The best option, which I use it boot camp +vmware. They are a partition, so I only reboot to game. Other windows tasks can be done within OS X from vmware.
 
aaronw1986 said:
I prefer vmware. However, for games you'd need boot camp if they are modern. The best option, which I use it boot camp +vmware. They are a partition, so I only reboot to game. Other windows tasks can be done within OS X from vmware.
Click to expand...

I need 2 partitions for run bootcamp and vmware or parallels?
 
pastrychef said:
I prefer Parallels and it, too, can use your Bootcamp partition.
Click to expand...

I'm also thinking of installing windows for a few apps that only work in windows but a bit confused about the best way. is there two ways of installing it? I know bootcamp sets up a new partition so I can start either when booting but if I use say parallels, it that an emulator? only thinking this since someone previously mentioned only ifplaying a game, what difference would it make, If I'm in windows do I not get full speed as if it were a windows only machine?

any help appreciated.

for the record, I have ordered my new mackbook pro last week and just told that there will be a delay, I called TNT and joked 'has the plane from china been hi jacked' they said no but the lorry carring the goods has been involved in a serious accident near Shanghai and went on fire. still waiting to hear...... hows that for luck, been waiting to buy this machine for ages :(
 
Cromas said:
I need install one... whats better?

I dont like bootcamp beacuse I need restart... I need mac os x always and some win apps, like explorer (Iam web designer) and some others, and couse run games! so I think that Parallels its the best choice?

what do you think?
Click to expand...
See this summary: Boot Camp, CrossOver, Parallels, VMware Fusion in three bullet points each!

Generally, on typical Mac hardware (MacBook, iMac, etc.) I think there are few significant differences between VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop for Mac, they're more-or-less the same thing and more-or-less do the same thing.

But, on a Mac Pro--with anywhere from 4-8 64-bit processor cores and the ability to address up to 32GB of RAM--VMware Fusion can assign 1-2 32-bit or 64-bit processor cores and up to 8GB of RAM per VM. It also shares common memory across VMs. Parallels Desktop for Mac only allow up to 2GB of RAM per VM, with only 1 32-bit-only processor core and 4GB maximum across VMs.

There are other Parallels-only benefits though, less targeted at pro-level hardware, that basically try to make it easier to let OS X programs launch Windows programs and vice-versa, and it has more options to get to Windows VM-stored files in OS X. VMware also does do some cross-OS integration, but it's mostly graphic look-and-feel just to blend into the desktop rather than file level/file association level of Parallels.
 
harrison1000 said:
I'm also thinking of installing windows for a few apps that only work in windows but a bit confused about the best way. is there two ways of installing it? I know bootcamp sets up a new partition so I can start either when booting but if I use say parallels, it that an emulator? only thinking this since someone previously mentioned only ifplaying a game, what difference would it make, If I'm in windows do I not get full speed as if it were a windows only machine?

any help appreciated.

for the record, I have ordered my new mackbook pro last week and just told that there will be a delay, I called TNT and joked 'has the plane from china been hi jacked' they said no but the lorry carring the goods has been involved in a serious accident near Shanghai and went on fire. still waiting to hear...... hows that for luck, been waiting to buy this machine for ages :(
Click to expand...

No, it's not emulation. It's virtualization. The x86 instructions are being run natively by the CPU, no emulation/translation is occurring. However, this is not true of the video. Fusion/Parallels can't access the the video hardware in the same way it can access the CPU. I believe (I could be wrong) that this aspect does require some translating which is why Fusion/Parallels isn't ideal for gaming purposes.
 
IME parallels sucks for games. couldn't get it to run even older ones worth a crap. they'd run, but the graphics were jerky and terrible, and lots of stuff just wasn't there.

the same games run great under bootcamp. had i not already had a license for parallels i probably would have gone with VM since they can both use the same partition, but as it is it's not a big deal to have two.
 
rockinrocker said:
IME parallels sucks for games. couldn't get it to run even older ones worth a crap. they'd run, but the graphics were jerky and terrible, and lots of stuff just wasn't there.

the same games run great under bootcamp. had i not already had a license for parallels i probably would have gone with VM since they can both use the same partition, but as it is it's not a big deal to have two.
Click to expand...

Parallels can use your Bootcamp partition, too.

I doubt Fusion will give you a better gaming experience than Parallels, both don't handle gaming well.
 
I've got trials on both - and I like VMWare better for 64 bit Vista and multiproc support. They both have sales/rebates, so make sure you take advantage...
 
but for run both by example bootcamp and parallels or vmware, first install bootcamp, ok I have windows, later? I install parallels or wmware in that partition ok!, but!!!!! my question its I need install windows again? I mean 2 windows, one for software?

I hope not! :confused:
 
Cromas said:
but for run both by example bootcamp and parallels or vmware, first install bootcamp, ok I have windows, later? I install parallels or wmware in that partition ok!, but!!!!! my question its I need install windows again? I mean 2 windows, one for software?

I hope not! :confused:
Click to expand...

1. Install Windows in your Bootcamp partition.
2. Install Fusion or Parallels in Mac OS X.
3. Launch Fusion or Parallels.

What ever apps you have installed in Bootcamp will be available when you boot in to Fusion/Parallels and vice versa.
 
cool interesting... I need my mac pro now!!!!!!!!!!!!! I waiting some days more to recieve :eek:
 
Cromas said:
I need install one... whats better?

I dont like bootcamp beacuse I need restart... I need mac os x always and some win apps, like explorer (Iam web designer) and some others, and couse run games! so I think that Parallels its the best choice?

what do you think?
Click to expand...

I think yes, Parallels is the best choice! I don't use Bootcamp too because of rebooting!!! It's not comfortable!
 
Fusion is good, but... I installed XP for the sole reason of running Serious Sam. Awesome game. It was then that I found out that the Fusion video driver does not support Open GL. No fun for me.
 
to be or not to be

I am a new "convertite" Win to Mac, and I don't want to keep my window apps forever, so ... here are my requirements:

1) I have XP, not vista (easier/faster)
2) I don't play games
3) The apps I need are mainly small special duty apps that I will eventually find for Mac, so I don't need windows in the long run

I am not so much concerned with performance, but I want the easiest, fastest and most hazzle free solution. And I want to use my old windows generated docs (mainly spreadsheet, PDF, word and similar) from either windows or Mac.

Most important, I have a Dell inspiron with around 60-70 GB of total harddisk use, and my MBP has 250GB space. I want to transfer that as quick and easy as possible, and I don't want to use double space on the mac if I can avoid it. What cable do I need to transfer? (firewire in both computers, the Dell only the small version with no power in it). Are there special firewire cables for computer-computer, just like network cables have special twisted versions?

I have been reading a few comparisons like

http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/16/parallels-vs-vmware-fusion-no-contest/
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2007/08/parallels_and_vmware_fusion_which_is_best_1.html
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/12/19/vm.test/

but it still did not clear it up for me.
 
maybe I should clarify that one of the reasons I switch from Win to Mac is to make things less complicated. I am tired of time being stolen in front of the computer. I have other things to do than sit and resolve tech problems, thus apple is logical for me. Why did I not switch a long time ago!!!

So for me, convenience over performance ... but also stability! I don't want crashes, just saw somewhere fusion is stable, parallels might not be ... Parallels or fusion?



(like Mac or PC? Boeing or Airbus? hehe ...)
 
I use both Parallels and Fusion.

1. Parallels has a better snap shot feature than Fusion....way better.
2. Fusion can do 64bit and assign 2 processors...that I know of Parallels cannot.
3. Parallels shares applications better than Fusion...in my opinion.

I use Parallels mostly because of the Snap Shot feature. I do a lot of courseware development with Microsoft Operating systems.....such as Server 2008. Really good feature when I have to dcpromo the os to take different pictures of the step-by-step processes.
 
My problem now is that 1) there are 5000+ miles between me and my windows installation CD (which is SP1) and 2) I don't know if the Windows XP pro that ships with my Dell even will install on anything but Dell.

Do I need to go out and buy a new windows, just to run a few win apps on the side?
 
B74A said:
My problem now is that 1) there are 5000+ miles between me and my windows installation CD (which is SP1) and 2) I don't know if the Windows XP pro that ships with my Dell even will install on anything but Dell.

Do I need to go out and buy a new windows, just to run a few win apps on the side?
Click to expand...

Yes, you need to buy Windows.
 
Yes, you need to buy Windows.
Click to expand...

That is not actually true. You need a licence for every machine. Just buy the licence and get the CD from somewhere (or get a licence with CD), that can be your Dell disk if it is not a restore, or some other machine.
 
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