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Parallells or VMWare Fusion?

D

Doju

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
1,510
1
Simple question, which do you prefer and why? Is it better than Bootcamp? Does Bootcamp have some advantages over it?

If I'm in one of the two (VM or Parallels) and put in a disk, will I be able to use it in Windows? I can't think of any CDs I'd need for school that wouldn't work on a Mac, there can't be many, right?
 
A virtual machine of some type is better than bootcamp if you need fast switching into windows apps. If you need to focus more computing horsepower into your windows apps, go with bootcamp.

VM is generally considered better because it is more flexible.

Amazon just dropped their price on VMware 2.0 to < $40.
 
VMWare every time. I'm preparing for an exam at the mo, and have set up a four-machine test network in VMWare on my iMac to practice scenarios and ensure I understand the technologies. It's incredibly easy to set up, runs like a dream, and can be reconfigured within seconds.

I tried Parallels for a while, but it just isn't as good nor as flexible as VMWare. And the support from VMWare is better too.
 
I'm thinking of getting an AirPort Extreme Base Station. I understand there can be problems connecting when using XP on Boot Camp. Is this problem avoided with VM/Parallels (i.e. no connection problems at all)?
 
^ I'm guessing so, but only if you use the shared network adapters. If you use two separate connections, you're out of luck. With that being said, Parallels rocks the house. Fusion just seems out of place on the Leopard UI. It feels clunky; although it did perform better than Parallels 4 by a few milliseconds at the most. Not much of a performance boost. Parallels 4 just feels much more smooth and soft not to mention a much better GUI. It's user friendly and much easier to change/find settings for the VM or for Parallels itself. In Fusion however, I was forever searching for the setting I needed to change or look at. If you want to claim the very insignificant performance boost go Fusion and it's clunky/rocky GUI and hard to find settings. If you would like something that feels much more solid and smooth with a better GUI, go Parallels.
 
Sorry if this question is a little bit Irelavent to the topic, But, I have VMware Fusion at the moment, and I cant run any programs like endorphin, because I only have virtual graphic cards, So do you know if I use bootcamp instead will I be able to run programs like endorphin, 3ds Max, etc. BTW I am using a Mac Mini .
 
^ the mac mini is a great computer but the graphics chipset really lacks. bootcamp will maximize the experience for you. especially with that autodesk 3d CAD software. if space is an issue, just upgrade to a bigger HD. HDs are cheap as heck these days, 500GB notebook drive with enclosure from SeaGate was like 80-90 bucks on Black Friday and probably on Cyber Monday.
 
I have XP installed in a bootcamp partition, and I have VMWare booting from my bootcamp partition when I just need it for a sec. The VMWare tools are finally working so that you don't have to reactivate a million times when your "hardware changes".
 
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