VMWare vs Parallel Desktop 4.0 for Windows 7?

[iWoz]

Anyone with first hand experience of these two?

I will be using it on the iMac 27'

Or is using bootcamp just as good?

 

[gorjan]

Why not use VirtualBox from Sun? It's free, and more than enough for basic use. I don't get why people only compare Parallel and VMWare, and forget about VirtualBox. It's free after all...

 

[Mhaddy]

I'm running the W7 RC on Parallels 4 and find it (at times) a bit slow on an early 2008 Mac Pro with 6GB RAM. Perhaps I'm expecting too much or don't have something configured properly but when I install SL, I'll try VirtualBox or VMWare Fusion 3.

Edit - re Bootcamp, it depends what you're using W7 for. If it's just to run some Windows-specific applications like vba macros in Excel, you're fine in either of the VM options. If you're doing heavy graphics work or gaming, I'd suggest Bootcamp.

 

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....there was basically the exact same thread/question started yesterday by someone else - and I'm sure that was not the first one either.....search before starting new threads please, as the forum rules and guidelines strongly suggest....oh yeah!

 

[iWoz]

Why not use VirtualBox from Sun? It's free, and more than enough for basic use. I don't get why people only compare Parallel and VMWare, and forget about VirtualBox. It's free after all...

Thanks, will most certainly give it a try.


Cheers

 

[uberamd]

Why not use VirtualBox from Sun? It's free, and more than enough for basic use. I don't get why people only compare Parallel and VMWare, and forget about VirtualBox. It's free after all...

A few reasons. The biggest being that some people (myself included) want to install Windows 7 in boot camp but also be able to boot that boot camp install from within OS X. Parallels and VMware Fusion both allow you to do this, VirtualBox does not (as far as I know).

I say go with VMware Fusion. Parallels is incredibly annoying in the fact that it requires you to reactivate Windows when using a boot camp partition within OS X. My Windows 7 Ultimate license is 1 activation only so I am stuck calling Microsoft and going through their cryptic phone system before talking to someone and explaining the situation to get a new product activation ID.

Avoid the hassle, go VMware.

 

[Bbusyb]

Parallels is incredibly annoying in the fact that it requires you to reactivate Windows when using a boot camp partition within OS X.

I've actually run into this same issue using VMware fusion as well, so its not a problem that's inherent to Parallels.

I think part of the issue is what the VM settings are for you Bootcamp VM. I stopped having this issue once I set the Bootcamp VM to have similar specs to my actual machine, i.e similar processor, etc.

Windows has always had this issue that if the hardware substantially changes, which includes the Processor it does want you to reactivate.

 

[uberamd]

I've actually run into this same issue using VMware fusion as well, so its not a problem that's inherent to Parallels.

I think part of the issue is what the VM settings are for you Bootcamp VM. I stopped having this issue once I set the Bootcamp VM to have similar specs to my actual machine, i.e similar processor, etc.

Windows has always had this issue that if the hardware substantially changes, which includes the Processor it does want you to reactivate.

Ah, thats interesting. I have setup my boot camp partition from VMware fusion using default settings about 10 times issue free. In contrast, I have used the little parallels boot camp preparation thing 4 times and each time it required reactivation. Strange.

 

[Bbusyb]

Ah, thats interesting. I have setup my boot camp partition from VMware fusion using default settings about 10 times issue free. In contrast, I have used the little parallels boot camp preparation thing 4 times and each time it required reactivation. Strange.

I've only had VMware running for a month or so, and have run into activation request 2-3 times. I usually don't use bootcamp that much, as I Most of what I need can be done from inside OSX. Its only when I need a liitle more performance, I boot into Win7 Directly.

I'll have to see whether I run into any more activition request over the next few week, as I just finished an upgrade to Version 3.0.

Performance does seem a little better under 3.0 but its still too early to tell.

 

[iWoz]

A few reasons. The biggest being that some people (myself included) want to install Windows 7 in boot camp but also be able to boot that boot camp install from within OS X. Parallels and VMware Fusion both allow you to do this, VirtualBox does not (as far as I know).

I say go with VMware Fusion. Parallels is incredibly annoying in the fact that it requires you to reactivate Windows when using a boot camp partition within OS X. My Windows 7 Ultimate license is 1 activation only so I am stuck calling Microsoft and going through their cryptic phone system before talking to someone and explaining the situation to get a new product activation ID.

Avoid the hassle, go VMware.

Thanks, the kind of feedback I was after 🙂