Switcher with New MBP Help Decide Install Windows or Not?

[wirelessmacuser]

I have two questions please:

1) I just purchased a new Unibody MacBook Pro 15" 2.66/4GB/320GB

In addition, I purchased a full retail copy of WinXP SP3. I am trying to decide if I should install it using Boot Camp or use either Parallels Desktop 5, or VMware Fusion 3, so as not to have to reboot.

Here is what I want to do with my new MBP:

Be able to run the Windows version of Office, as I use Outlook and rely heavily on it. Also it syncs with my BlackBerry which is very important as I have 1,000 contacts, tasks, calendar etc.

Since Outlook is something that I'm in and out of all day long, checking my calendar, writing client notes, etc. The ability to run it side by side with OS X would be very handy.

Now for a totally difference approach:


2) I would love to dump Outlook if there was a reasonable option on the Mac Side so I would not have to run Windows on my new Mac.

Also I just purchased an iPhone3Gs which I would like to use to replace my BlackBerry. Then I could be All Apple which would suit me just fine and is actually my preference.

Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[EndlessMac]

1) I personally like installing it using Boot Camp and then installing either Parallels or VMware Fusion. Either application will use your Boot Camp Windows installation to run Windows inside your Mac OS. This way if you ever have to use Windows natively for full performance then you can just boot into Windows. Doing it this way you don't have to choose one or the other meaning you can either run Windows side by side with Mac or you can also boot into Windows by itself which gives you better Windows performance.

If you only install Windows under Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion then you have to reinstall Windows under Boot Camp if you want to boot only into Windows. Windows will probably need another valid product registration key since Windows considers this as two different installations.

2) It depends on what you use Outlook for. Mac has it's own email program called Mail and it has a nice calendar program called iCal. Those two applications do interact with each other and I'm told it syncs up really well with the iPhone since you said you just got one. For other smart phones I believe you need additional software to sync them up. Although some of them are supported through Mac's iSync application. I'm sure there is a way to export your contacts to Apple's Address Book but I haven't done so for Outlook some maybe someone else can help with that.

 

[steezy1337]

Mail.app is a perfectly good mail client. i'd say just go for it and see how it goes, if you don't like using all Apple products you still have other options. just because you switch what computer you use doesn't mean you have to convert everything you do to fit the mould.

 

[kate-willbury]

converting fully into the mac eco-system is a horrible idea. trust me, you'll find out soon enough when you start hitting all of the limitations of the iphone/mac osx.