How to Install Win 8 On Mac OS X 10.8.4 (2013 Air)

[johnjey]

Guys,

I am really new to the whole Windows Installation & it's working on a Mac OSX 10.8.4

Currently i have the following things installed on 11' 2013 i5/8GB/512 SSD mac:

1. Parallels
2. VM Ware Fusion
3. Windows 8 (2 .iso img files that regularly opened with mac shows me setup.exe)

4. Do i need a USB to be able to install it ? I tried doing it using VM Ware Fusion and it couldn't recognize the setup and said it's corrupt. It did allot 60GB SSD space to it.

5. What are different ways of installing it?

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computi...ws-8-on-a-mac/
THe above link seems too many steps...

6. Is installing windows 7 first the only way out ?

7. If yes to #6, what are the steps for doing that now?

8. And then is Win8 worth the upgrade ?

I think i would also need to use BOOTCAMP to install windows.

If the windows 8 is too much pain (based on the rants i have heard online about its drivers not working/supported and other troubles), then i would like to rather install Windows 7 and be happy.

And before we go down the route of oh...why do you want to run a windows on an expensive mac....well sadly the softwares like Visio etc do NOT work on Mac and i need them.

Thanks

 

[Bear]

Having both Parallels and VMware Fusion is redundant. Not all software under windows requires Bootcamp for decent performance. I know that Visio worls fine in a virtual machine with either Parallels or VMware.

Also, if you don't use Bootcamp, you don't need to reserve SSD space for Windows.

Both Parallels and VMware will allow you to install Windows from an iso image. Personally I'd recommend Windows 7.

 

[alexrmc92]

Guys,

I am really new to the whole Windows Installation & it's working on a Mac OSX 10.8.4

Currently i have the following things installed on 11' 2013 i5/8GB/512 SSD mac:

1. Parallels
2. VM Ware Fusion
3. Windows 8 (2 .iso img files that regularly opened with mac shows me setup.exe)

4. Do i need a USB to be able to install it ? I tried doing it using VM Ware Fusion and it couldn't recognize the setup and said it's corrupt. It did allot 60GB SSD space to it.

5. What are different ways of installing it?

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computi...ws-8-on-a-mac/
THe above link seems too many steps...

6. Is installing windows 7 first the only way out ?

7. If yes to #6, what are the steps for doing that now?

8. And then is Win8 worth the upgrade ?

I think i would also need to use BOOTCAMP to install windows.

If the windows 8 is too much pain (based on the rants i have heard online about its drivers not working/supported and other troubles), then i would like to rather install Windows 7 and be happy.

And before we go down the route of oh...why do you want to run a windows on an expensive mac....well sadly the softwares like Visio etc do NOT work on Mac and i need them.

Thanks

parallels and vmware both create what are called virtual machines. They store the virtual machines hard disk as a file on your mac and allow you to run windows and mac at the same time. when windows is running it will divide your cpu and memory in half. half for windows and half for mac.

bootcamp allows you to install windows on your mac. you can't run them at the same time unless you have vmware or parallels, but you can restart into whichever operating system you want. this wont divide your cpu and ram in half when running because your not running both at the same time.


thats about as simple as i can put it. you probably just want to stick to bootcamp.

 

[pradeepgj]

I plan to use Virtual Box on my MBA to load Windows 8. I am going to be developing Win 8 apps (Metro and Mobile), as well as develop iOS apps on OSX.

Should I be just using vortual box to load Win8, or will bootcamp make my life easier?

 

[ZBoater]

I plan to use Virtual Box on my MBA to load Windows 8. I am going to be developing Win 8 apps (Metro and Mobile), as well as develop iOS apps on OSX.

Should I be just using vortual box to load Win8, or will bootcamp make my life easier?

I'd recommend bootcamp. Being able to boot natively into Windows may save you some grief later on, especially if you are developing in Windows.

You can always install it in bootcamp, and then use Parallels/VMWare to run that bootcamp partition in a VM to test out. I had to install some drivers to interact with an HP Printer, and the VM would not do it. I had to boot natively into Windows to get it done. A fluke for sure, but no sense in cutting off the native Windows option if you don't have to. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it....

 

[pradeepgj]

I'd recommend bootcamp. Being able to boot natively into Windows may save you some grief later on, especially if you are developing in Windows.

You can always install it in bootcamp, and then use Parallels/VMWare to run that bootcamp partition in a VM to test out. I had to install some drivers to interact with an HP Printer, and the VM would not do it. I had to boot natively into Windows to get it done. A fluke for sure, but no sense in cutting off the native Windows option if you don't have to. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it....

Yep. I ended up doing that. Virtual box was not good enough for me. Bootcamp works great. I have n't installed Parallels yet to use the bootcamp as a VM. I have to test that out.

 

[coolaaron88]

Since its being talked about, what is the best way to go about installing Windows 8 in bootcamp on a Macbook Air?

 

[Consultant]

Since its being talked about, what is the best way to go about installing Windows 8 in bootcamp on a Macbook Air?

Wiki says bootcamp has Windows 8 support since March
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Bootcamp

 

[adrianlim]

Via USB and through the bootcamp assistant!

Since its being talked about, what is the best way to go about installing Windows 8 in bootcamp on a Macbook Air?

 

[ZBoater]

Yep. I ended up doing that. Virtual box was not good enough for me. Bootcamp works great. I have n't installed Parallels yet to use the bootcamp as a VM. I have to test that out.

It's pretty convenient, especially if you have to run regular software (like Quicken) that doesn't really need to run on a native boot Windows OS. I just upgraded to the new MBA, and I converted my bootcamp partition into a VM and copied it over to the new MBA. Worked like a champ! I took the opportunity to install Windows 7 x64 and may even do Windows 8.1 in the bootcamp partition, while all my working stuff is sitting pretty in a VM file. Very, very convenient.

 

[johnjey]

It's pretty convenient, especially if you have to run regular software (like Quicken) that doesn't really need to run on a native boot Windows OS. I just upgraded to the new MBA, and I converted my bootcamp partition into a VM and copied it over to the new MBA. Worked like a champ! I took the opportunity to install Windows 7 x64 and may even do Windows 8.1 in the bootcamp partition, while all my working stuff is sitting pretty in a VM file. Very, very convenient.

exactly my thoughts and thats why i am using VMware as i am not using windows software more than once a week