Running Parallels on 13 MBA

[millertim3]

I'm planning on getting the 13" MBA with the upgraded 8gb RAM but am unsure whether if its worth it to upgrade to keep the 1.8 i5 or upgrade to the 2.0 i7. I'll be running parallels on it (mostly microsoft onenote), but other than that, it'll be just for just basic everyday use. does parallels rely more on the processing speed or ram? most likely i'll be running about 5-6 programs at the same time.

I don't have a problem paying for the extra processing speed but am worried about everyone saying that the i7 has some heat issues. having the i7 would be nice but not if its going to be significantly warmer than having a i5 processor. any advice?

 

[ZBoater]

I have the 2011 i7 13 with 4GB of RAM and am running Parallels 7 with about 8 VMs. I can run two VMs at the same time with no issues. Heat issues on the i7 have been a bit overstated.

On a side note Parallels seems to be having a bit of a problem with the new MBAs (likely the new processor and video card are throwing it for a loop). My VMs on a 2012 MBA were "glitchy". I've read several posts from other people experiencing the same problem. I am confident Parallels will address the problem in short order, but FYI.

 

[RocketRed]

I'm interested in running VMware Fusion 4 on my Maxed out 13''. Would you guys recommend VMWare Fusion or Parallels? I've done a bit of research and know the differences, but I want to know your opinion!

I do not plan on using Bootcamp... I'm using Windows virtualization to play Visual Novels and probably games that aren't out for Mac.

Also is it better to have Windows Home 64-bit for my Ultimate 13'' than 32-bit? I heard 32-bit only uses 4GB of Ram while 64-bit uses all 8 GB of Ram?

 

[Stetrain]

Not sure I see a huge need for the processor speed in your case. Definitely get the 8GB of RAM though, that will help with Parallels.

I do not plan on using Bootcamp... I'm using Windows virtualization to play Visual Novels and probably games that aren't out for Mac.

If you want to play games (other than Solitaire ), Bootcamp is the way to go. Windows running in a VM doesn't have full access to your computer's graphics card.

You can always do both Bootcamp and VM though. First install Windows in Bootcamp, and then use Parallels or VMWare Fusion to load your Windows installation in a VM from within OSX. That way you can use it in a VM when you want to do things other than run games, or boot directly into Windows for more demanding applications.

 

[ZBoater]

Also is it better to have Windows Home 64-bit for my Ultimate 13'' than 32-bit? I heard 32-bit only uses 4GB of Ram while 64-bit uses all 8 GB of Ram?

I installed 32-bit because I was more interested in compatibility than being able to use RAM, since I only have 4GB to spare. If you want to use more than 2GB, you will need Windows 64-bit. For some reason 2GB is the max you can use in either bootcamp or VM on Windows 32 bit, at least that I've been able to figure out,

 

[gadgetmonster]

interesting thread......i want to install a copy of win7 on my air (11" late 2011); I had used bootcamp on my mac book pro but my wife took it over and i hated having to select the OS every time i booted. Which would be the best to use? parrallels or the other one?

 

[millertim3]

I have the 2011 i7 13 with 4GB of RAM and am running Parallels 7 with about 8 VMs. I can run two VMs at the same time with no issues. Heat issues on the i7 have been a bit overstated.

How's the fan noise when you run a VM? I have a 2008 MBP and it seems the fan is on non-stop whenever I'm running windows 7. I think I might buy the i7 switch it out for an i5 if the heat is that big of an issue