Running Windows 7 on Macbook Air (w Parallels)

[JJHello]

I recently just got a new Macbook Air, and I need to run Windows on it for work. I plan to use Parallels instead of Bootcamp (does Parallels use less HD space in general? I'm trying to be conservative of how much space I use in my SSD), but after searching through the forums, I read that it's not possible to use the Remote DVD sharing to boot the Windows installation disk? Is this true? I don't really want to drop the money to get a superddrive that I'm going to only use once.

Is it also possible to perhaps rip the iso file and run it off the mac harddrive?

Thanks!

 

[Shadoobie]

I didn't use Parallels, but I did use VMWare Fusion. It shouldn't matter. Bootcamp helped me create a bootable thumb drive and downloaded the Windows drivers to it.

You don't need to complete Bootcamp through to installing an OS. You should be able to check simply to allow Bootcamp configure a bootable flash drive and stop the process there.

ETA: You will need an ISO of the OS you want to install--in your case Windows.

 

[JJHello]

I didn't use Parallels, but I did use VMWare Fusion. It shouldn't matter. Bootcamp helped me create a bootable thumb drive and downloaded the Windows drivers to it.

You don't need to complete Bootcamp through to installing an OS. You should be able to check simply to allow Bootcamp configure a bootable flash drive and stop the process there.

ETA: You will need an ISO of the OS you want to install--in your case Windows.

Do you mean Bootcamp helped you put the ISO file of the OS on a USB drive? Or is it just the Windows drivers?

 

[Shadoobie]

Do you mean Bootcamp helped you put the ISO file of the OS on a USB drive? Or is it just the Windows drivers?

That's precisely what I'm saying. Bootcamp Assistant created a bootable USB drive for me using the Windows 7 ISO and copied the Windows drivers to it as well.

The USB drive is now a Win7 bootable install.

 

[xraydoc]

If you're using a software VM like Parallels you do not need the Boot Camp drivers. Parallels or whichever software you use will include its own drivers necessary to make use of the Mac's hardware.

However, in answer to your original question, one method (Boot Camp) versus the other (Parallels) doesn't necessarily use less disk space than the other. It all depends on how much you set aside for the Windows environment. One caveat to this is that Parallels or other software solutions can often reduce or expand the size of the Windows "partition" on the fly as necessary.

Edit: If you're installing thru Parallels, then you CAN use the remote CD feature or an ISO image of the Windows install disc since the Mac never boots out of Mac OS. If you go the Boot Camp route, then I believe you will (at least temporarily) need an optical drive or make a bootable Windows USB thumb drive.

Do note that while Parallels may in the end use less disk space, it will also bump up against your 4GB RAM ceiling since the Mac OS remains running at the same time as Windows. Boot Camp, on the other hand, allows Windows access to all the RAM without sharing it with the Mac OS at the same time.

 

[michaelz]

Air doesn't come with DVD drive. So, unless you already have an ISO file, you need to make one use bootcamp assistant.