Why parallels when you have bootcamp+macdrive?

[liquidsense]

I'm sorry if this has been asked, or if there is a very simple answer. I've searched every post on this forum that has "macdrive" in the title, and various other posts, but I cannot find the answer.

What are the advantages of using Parallels or VMWare Fusion over Bootcamp+Macdrive?

I personally and running Bootcamp (and find it irritating that I cannot read and write my mac files). Accordingly, Macdrive is probably in the near future for me. I don't like the idea of Parallels because of performance issues. But, there must be substantive advantages, yes?

 

[pastrychef]

Parallels/Fusion do very different things from MacDrive. Parallels/Fusion allows you to run Windows (or other OSes) and their apps from within Mac OS X. MacDrive allows you to read/write to Mac partitions when you are booted in to Windows.

 

[jfull15]

Yeah, Parallels and VMWare, allow you to just open up your alternative OS ontop of your Mac Desktop, versus having to restart into your boot camp partition.

 

[liquidsense]

OK, I see. I apologize for not being clear in my original post. Upon re-reading my original post, I can see why it was misunderstood.

I think I understand how Bootcamp and Parallels is different. But for the average user, that has just migrated from Windows to OSX, who wants to have some functional use of Windows, why not go with Bootcamp+Macdrive? Is there any reason I should use Parallels instead? All I know is that Parallels would be significantly slower than Bootcamp. So why would I want to use Parallels?

Put another way: I read the Mac wikis provided on this forum. In a section that contrasted Bootcamp from Parallels, one of the primary disadvantages listed under Bootcamp was: "There are limitations to the manipulation of files between hard drive partitions as described above."

So, I guess my question is: if you use Macdrive to surpass that aforementioned disadvantage, then wouldn't Bootcamp be the best option? I mean, there is no speed loss, and no issues between manipulation of files, right?

 

[jfull15]

OK, I see. I apologize for not being clear in my original post. Upon re-reading my original post, I can see why it was misunderstood.

I think I understand how Bootcamp and Parallels is different. But for the average user, that has just migrated from Windows to OSX, who wants to have some functional use of Windows, why not go with Bootcamp+Macdrive? Is there any reason I should use Parallels instead? All I know is that Parallels would be significantly slower than Bootcamp. So why would I want to use Parallels?

Put another way: I read the Mac wikis provided on this forum. In a section that contrasted Bootcamp from Parallels, one of the primary disadvantages listed under Bootcamp was: "There are limitations to the manipulation of files between hard drive partitions as described above."

So, I guess my question is: if you use Macdrive to surpass that aforementioned disadvantage, then wouldn't Bootcamp be the best option? I mean, there is no speed loss, and no issues between manipulation of files, right?

I'm not sure on that, but I know that Bootcamp is alot harder to use for general users versus parallels, so when I convinced certain people to make the switch, I installed Parallels for them because they would have no Idea what to do with running Bootcamp.. basically for me the main difference is convenience and ease of usability..

 

[kuwisdelu]

The primary difference is convenience: Bootcamp requires a restart while Parallels/Fusion doesn't.

Yes, with Bootcamp you get native speeds, but with 2+ GB of RAM running Windows through emulation in Fusion is still quite fast.

Look at it this way: I need Windows for one program that doesn't have a Mac version. It's some statistical data analysis software, and sometimes I need to output graphs and plots to use in my reports, so I just export those in Windows, and then drag and drop them from the Windows desktop to my Mac desktop, and from there into iWork. I definitely don't want to restart and do all of my work in Windows just to use one program--I want to run it in a window like any other OS X program, so I just use Fusion. Why should I restart just for the use of one program, and be bothered by having to work in a Windows environment when I could be working in OS X?

That's the advantage. If you need a Windows program here or there, you don't need to restart.

For me, the only time I would want to use Bootcamp would be for 3D games, for which Parallels and Fusion aren't as good.

 

[jfull15]

The primary difference is convenience: Bootcamp requires a restart while Parallels/Fusion doesn't.

Yes, with Bootcamp you get native speeds, but with 2+ GB of RAM running Windows through emulation in Fusion is still quite fast.

Look at it this way: I need Windows for one program that doesn't have a Mac version. It's some statistical data analysis software, and sometimes I need to output graphs and plots to use in my reports, so I just export those in Windows, and then drag and drop them from the Windows desktop to my Mac desktop, and from there into iWork. I definitely don't want to restart and do all of my work in Windows just to use one program--I want to run it in a window like any other OS X program, so I just use Fusion. Why should I restart just for the use of one program, and be bothered by having to work in a Windows environment when I could be working in OS X?

That's the advantage. If you need a Windows program here or there, you don't need to restart.

For me, the only time I would want to use Bootcamp would be for 3D games, for which Parallels and Fusion aren't as good.

yep. exactly. thank you.

 

[Celidor]

OK, I see. I apologize for not being clear in my original post. Upon re-reading my original post, I can see why it was misunderstood.

I think I understand how Bootcamp and Parallels is different. But for the average user, that has just migrated from Windows to OSX, who wants to have some functional use of Windows, why not go with Bootcamp+Macdrive? Is there any reason I should use Parallels instead? All I know is that Parallels would be significantly slower than Bootcamp. So why would I want to use Parallels?

Put another way: I read the Mac wikis provided on this forum. In a section that contrasted Bootcamp from Parallels, one of the primary disadvantages listed under Bootcamp was: "There are limitations to the manipulation of files between hard drive partitions as described above."

So, I guess my question is: if you use Macdrive to surpass that aforementioned disadvantage, then wouldn't Bootcamp be the best option? I mean, there is no speed loss, and no issues between manipulation of files, right?

I found myself wondering the same things. All anyone seems to talk about is Parallel's ability to run programs not the issue of file compatibility.

I have Mac and Windows installed on seperate hard drives. Macdrive lets me have my media files on OS X and be freely accessable instantly with no loss in speed from Windows. As if the Mac hard drive was a Windows formatted drive.

Before I had to copy files onto both hard drives. Parallel does not do this as well and Boot Camp runs programs at native speed. Running programs from a different OS is cool but I will just use boot camp for programs.

Reading your post has given me more confidence to upgrade the mac drive from trial to full.