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X-Calibur

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 4, 2008
10
0
Hey there. I'm brand new to how Macs work and can basically just navigate to a few programs and that's all. I have ben using PC forever and am tired with the relentless ignorance of the customer service of some PC companies (*cough* Dell *cough*). I had a problem with my iPhone so I went to the local Genius Bar and took about 1.5 mins to effortlessly recieve a new iPhone no questions asked. There is only one(1) thing causing hesitation about purchasing a Mac. I have read about how to run Windows on Mac through Parallels or BootCamp and am just wondering if games through windows will ever be as smooth as running it on a PC. I am having a hard time believing that it will run flawlessly on a Mac even through BootCamp and I do not want to lose my games that I play. This is my only issue, if this was no issue I would have a Mac already. So please let me know how well Windows can be run through a Mac. Note: This most likely will be just run for games and few PC only programs not constantly as for searching the web or the like. Thank you.
 
Bootcamp lets you boot Windows: OSX is not running at this point at all. As Macs are basically the same hardware as PCs now Windows runs as well as it ever does...

VMWare or Parallels are different: you can run Windows in a window within Mac OSX, this has some performance overhead, especially with 3D games.
 
Thank you guys for the very informative replies. (That was not sarcasm) This is beginning to make me feel very relieved and making my decision much easier. I know that Parallels is a program you need for Mac and have never heard of the other program VMWare. BootCamp on the other hand is a buyable program or comes with Mac OS X? Also, when running Mac OS X, you pick Windows to run after restart and restart the Mac to run Windows. When on Windows will Bootcamp be in the program list somewhere to choose OS X on next restart? Can I also choose to have it keep booting on windows automatically until I choose OS X? Thank you for putting up with my noobieness.
 
Boot Camp is free. Hold Option after the start-up sound to choose your boot volume after installing Windows.

So Bootcamp comes with the Mac? Also, it sounds like Mac OS X is the default OS if you don't choose windows at startup. When in Windows and I shutdown or restart it will boot to Mac OS X unless I choose Windows again? TY^^
 
So Bootcamp comes with the Mac? Also, it sounds like Mac OS X is the default OS if you don't choose windows at startup. When in Windows and I shutdown or restart it will boot to Mac OS X unless I choose Windows again? TY^^

Yes, but it's a setting you can change - you can make your Windows partition boot up by default, if you like.

If ever you wish to boot into the non-default OS, just hold the Option key during startup.
 
So Bootcamp comes with the Mac? Also, it sounds like Mac OS X is the default OS if you don't choose windows at startup. When in Windows and I shutdown or restart it will boot to Mac OS X unless I choose Windows again? TY^^

BootCamp isn't really a single program; it's more a set of drivers and utilities that make installing Windows a bit easier. It is possible to install and run Windows without it; it's just a bit more difficult. As for which OS to boot, it depends on what you set as your default; this can be set in Mac OS X or in the Bootcamp utilities in Windows. If you hold down Option and select a non-default boot device, it's a temporary choice and, the next time you restart, the system will continue with whatever your default boot drive is.
 
Thank you everybody for your input on this matter. I think I have made up my mind about getting a Mac. I'm sure you will see more of me on here asking other noob questions, but by then I'll be cruisin the forums on my new Mac. Hehe. Thanks again. P.S. These forums are the fastest replying ones I've ever posted on lol.
 
One last question for now... Glossy or Anti-glare screen? lol

Hopefully you're serious and not trying to start yet another "glossy vs. matte" holy war :)

I use both types of screens (both my Macs are glossy) and they both have their ups and downs. For me, the colors really pop and seem a lot richer on the glossy screens, but fingerprints from people touching the screen are a nightmare. It might just be me, but the glossies also seem a bit brighter.

I've read numerous posts from people who seem to claim that because they're "professionals," they can't use a glossy screen - I'm a professional designer as well, but to each his own.
 
Yes I was being serious. I would also love to know if anyone has had problems with low FPS or lag with the nVidia cards on a Mac while playing games on Windows? That is a big problem I'm having with my current laptop and the reason I'm looking into Mac. I'm hoping it can handle the graphics well so I can get 1 laptop instead of a gaming tower and a cheapy lappy for school etc.... Thank you. P.S. - I am being so paranoid about all this because I am just finishing a year long dispute with Dell over returning my laptop and waiving the restocking fee because I refuse to pay to return a laptop with a defective graphic card model. Low FPS and laggy graphics are the problem I am having and is why I am thinking to build a nice tower for gaming and a normal lappy for school etc. I know a tower will handle the graphics like I want. I would like to get all of this in one Mac if possible which is why I would like to know if anyone has experienced playing pretty graphic heavy games through Windows on a Mac without any laggy graphics or low FPS before I drop 4k on a 17'' powerbook pro. Thanks again.
 
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