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New to Mac - Have Questions

A

Aramyth

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 12, 2009
24
0
I bought my first MacBook Pro today for college. However, I need to run Windows for a program that I need for school (Microsoft Visual Studio). Everything else I need has a Mac version/client.

So, is it better to run Parallels or Boot Camp? I was thinking running windows XP with Parallels would be better, as it allows me to basically use my Mac as a Mac while getting Microsoft Visual Studio and letting me use the Mac versions of everything else I need.

Do I still need to take all the nessescary precautions (virus protection etc) of a PC if I'm not going to be using the internet within Windows XP? Or will my whole computer be prone to viruses when running Parallels? Is it the same with Boot Camp?

:eek:

I hope this post is clear enough that someone can help me figure out which one may be the best for my situation.
 
Boot camp will be faster, but to switch between mac and PC you need to shutdown. Enough said.

It depends on how much you will be using the windows part. If your going to be downloading stuff, surfing the net, dealing with confidential info then yes of course get virus protection. If your going to do that stuff on the mac, don't bother.

-Omi
 
I personally prefer using Boot Camp. This way you can run Windows 7 and it can utilize your full hardware. Sure, you have to restart your computer to get into Windows 7, but it literally takes what? 10 seconds to shut down vs. 5 seconds to launch parallels.

I'd say take the same precautions you did with your old Windows machine. If you feel you need anti-virus software, then install it.
 
NathanCH said:
I personally prefer using Boot Camp. This way you can run Windows 7 and it can utilize your full hardware. Sure, you have to restart your computer to get into Windows 7, but it literally takes what? 10 seconds to shut down vs. 5 seconds to launch parallels.

I'd say take the same precautions you did with your old Windows machine. If you feel you need anti-virus software, then install it.
Click to expand...

windows 7 works in parallels.
 
I just want to use windows for Microsoft Visual Studio and maybe LoTRO. Everything else I want to do within Mac OS X; e-mail, iTunes, surfing the net etc.

Regarding Windows 7, are you guys using the beta version?

Is Firefox with Noscript/Ad Block recommend for a Mac? Or does Safari do fine on it's own?
 
NathanCH said:
Yeah I know it works. But I'm pretty sure it's heavier than Windows XP and running two modern operating systems at the same time wont give him very good performance.
Click to expand...

it runs pretty fast. but not sure if this is a windows seven issue but copying files in the windows window is pretty slow way too slow. but it does run really fast on my mini.
 
If you're going to be using LoTRO or any other games then I would use Bootcamp. You could run it in Parallels, but it will be much slower than in Bootcamp. Otherwise, I would use Parallels for the convenience of running Windows and OS X simultaneously.
 
hmm, well I'm not certain about running LoTRO or any other games, my desktop is still a PC which will be used for most/all gaming sessions. If I run Boot Camp I would have to act as though it were a PC on it's own, right? Meaning virus protection and everything else.

Is Parallels fast enough to allow Microsoft Visual Studio and maybe a few other similiar programs to run smoothly?
 
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