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Can a MacBook Pro with Windows 7 run disc based Windows software?

B

boyakuotaku

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 25, 2011
8
0
Mars
Hello, before I get on with my question I will warn you that my computer has a broken keyboard, so please understand that there will likely be spelling errors in my post.

I'm about to start college next year and I am choosing between a 13" MacBook Pro and a Sony VAIO S laptop to use over the next four or five years. I understand that almost all intel-based Macs can run the Windows 7 operating system, (which is good for someone who has used Windows for almost 13 years) and because I'm a musician (as well as someone who is into art and animation) it would only seem natural that a Mac would be very appealing to me, but the style of music I plan to create is J-Pop and there lies the problem.

I intend to purchase the Hatsune Miku singing software in the near future to use with my Korg M50 keyboard, but to the best of my knowledge the software only works on Windows. It would seem logical that Miku's software would work on a Mac that is running Windows 7, but I've been a Windows user my whole life so I have very limited knowledge of how Macs work.

Also, if I run Windows 7 on a MacBook Pro would the computer need Windows anti-virus or would it only be able to catch Mac viruses?

Thanks to all who answer.
 
It is, in every respect, a 100% genuine version of Windows, so yes, anything a windows machine can do, a Mac running a bootcamped version of windows can do.
 
Thank you very much! If I want to switch back and forth between the two would I have to install and uninstall stuff or did Apple put in something special to do that?
 
boyakuotaku said:
Thank you very much! If I want to switch back and forth between the two would I have to install and uninstall stuff or did Apple put in something special to do that?
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yup thats what boot camp is, when running os x you are walked though a bootcamp assistance, it will make drivers for your let you make a partition on your hard drive dedicated to your windows stuff

once windows is done installing you can boot to either, you pick one partition as your default but any time you want to boot to the other you restart your computer and when you hear the chime during the start up you hold the option key and you will see a menu appear on your screen allowing you to choose windows or osx
 
iisforiphone said:
yup thats what boot camp is, when running os x you are walked though a bootcamp assistance, it will make drivers for your let you make a partition on your hard drive dedicated to your windows stuff

once windows is done installing you can boot to either, you pick one partition as your default but any time you want to boot to the other you restart your computer and when you hear the chime during the start up you hold the option key and you will see a menu appear on your screen allowing you to choose windows or osx
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Oh, thank you. I think I'll get the MacBook Pro then. It'll be nice to have the best of both worlds.
 
To make things simple for now just pretend its two computers in one.

You will partition (split) your hardrive in two parts. One part for OSX one part for Windows.

So the windows install act as if its any other PC, install your antivirus etc. and any windows programs, games etc you want. OSX comes with bootcamp built in, boot camp is the built in system to setup windows on its own partition.

When you start up your mac you if hold the option key, you can select to boot from "bootcamp" (windows) or just standard OSX (mac). If you select windows it will look like any other PC with windows 7, it will act 100% like a windows PC.


ps: you wont regret your choice.
 
matt94gt said:
If you select windows it will look like any other PC with windows 7, it will act 100% like a windows PC.


ps: you wont regret your choice.
Click to expand...

So it will also get Windows viruses as well?
Would that affect the Mac portion of the computer?
 
boyakuotaku said:
So it will also get Windows viruses as well?
Would that affect the Mac portion of the computer?
Click to expand...

So it will also get Windows viruses as well? - YES

Would that affect the Mac portion of the computer? - NO

They are on completely different drives right. Only way I can see it getting viruses is if you open that file while running the mac (osx) side of things. When you are on the mac side you can still access your windows partition/drive and vice versa. So in other words you could access that virus if you open that file manually. But also keep in mind that virus would be made to attack a windows PC not a mac and macs dont open .exe files which is cause of 90% of viruses. Spyware will not be able to get onto the mac side either.

In other words unless you really try to infect your OSX install it will not happen if your PC got infected.
 
matt94gt said:
So it will also get Windows viruses as well? - YES

Would that affect the Mac portion of the computer? - NO

They are on completely different drives right. Only way I can see it getting viruses is if you open that file while running the mac (osx) side of things. When you are on the mac side you can still access your windows partition/drive and vice versa. So in other words you could access that virus if you open that file manually. But also keep in mind that virus would be made to attack a windows PC not a mac and macs dont open .exe files which is cause of 90% of viruses. Spyware will not be able to get onto the mac side either.

In other words unless you really try to infect your OSX install it will not happen if your PC got infected.
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Alright then. That clears everything up for me then. I didn't think it would affect the Mac side, but you can never be too sure.

Thanks again guys, I'm glad I came here and found out everything from people who actually know what they are talking about. Looks like I'll definitely buy a Mac now.
 
boyakuotaku said:
Alright then. That clears everything up for me then. I didn't think it would affect the Mac side, but you can never be too sure.

Thanks again guys, I'm glad I came here and found out everything from people who actually know what they are talking about. Looks like I'll definitely buy a Mac now.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was asking the same questions on here about 2 years ago, good place to be, only mac forum I have ever signed up on and always found good quick responses here without any flaming or "USE THE F'N" search comments.
 
matt94gt said:
Yeah I was asking the same questions on here about 2 years ago, good place to be, only mac forum I have ever signed up on and always found good quick responses here without any flaming or "USE THE F'N" search comments.
Click to expand...

Do you run Windows on your Mac? If so, how well does it run?
 
matt94gt said:
I used to and it runs as good or better then any PC I have had.
Click to expand...

Ah, well that's good to know. I'll probably buy another PC a few years down the road, but right now getting one thing that satisfies all my needs is top priority.
 
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