Virtualization, Windows XP or Vista

[cworsley4]

I need windows for gaming and a couple apps and since it is almost Christmas I thought that it might be worth asking for. Should I get parallels or VMWare Fusionwhich one will work better for my needs. Is it worth virtualizing or is it best to use Boot Camp (I have Leopard).Also which version of Windows should i useXP PRro or Vista. I want to here frompeople that have experienced this for them selves to post responces.
MBP 2.4 2 gig

IF i virtualize do i need more RAM ???

 

[clevin]

for gaming, bootcamp is your best option, VM will not be able to handle any 3D slightly intense games.

if your games are old, like 5 years old, they might not run under vista, if you only play newest games, like in past 2 years, you can install vista.

 

[Guy Incognito]

IF i virtualize do i need more RAM ???

Yes, either max out your system's RAM or don't bother. XP VMs will run fine with 512MB RAM dedicated to the VM. I've found Vista to be unusable (using either Parallels or Fusion); bear in mind that Vista consumes roughly twice the resources that XP does.

For gaming you're probably better off with Boot Camp anyway.

 

[GregE]

FYI, Fusion has a $20 rebate right now.

http://www.rebates-vmware.com/fusionrebate2007/

I like Vista but I will probably go with XP Pro when I do it.

 

[Mac Curious]

How do I know how much RAM is dedicated to the VM with Fusion? Thanks.

Mac Curious