Hey Mac users!!!!

[jekirby]

I have to install windows xp pro on my new macbook pro so I can use my cabinet design, optimization, pcIII software, etc. I have looked at Parallels, VM Fusionware and considered boot camp. Do any of you have any opinions or suggestions. Thanks.

Cross posted, so answer only one.

 

[EODSarge]

If rebooting into windows doesn't bother you, just use bootcamp- it's built in. If you decide later you don't want to keep booting back and forth, you can install VMWare and it'll use your bootcamp partition. Haven't used parallels, but VMWare did fine for the few applications I had to have.

 

[dcarver]

I love VmWare Fusion. I run XP, Server 2k8, and Windeers 7 on it - they all run great.

Be sure to have lots of RAM.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Bootcamp works fine if (as mentioned previously) you don't mind re-booting into Windows. I tried Parallels Desktop 3, and had more crashes than a NASCAR race and in the end I took it off my machine. Could have been me, could have been the software, could have been the machine... Hell, could have been gremlins... There's a new version out now (V4), which may or may not be better ...

Also as mentioned, make sure you've got as much RAM and drive space as you can afford... and then some.

Griff

 

[johnny80s]

There were a lot of problems with Parallels 3.

Max out your RAM. I run 4 gigs and give half to XP Pro.

I was told not to run my bootcamp partition as my virtual machine and did have problems with this under Parallels. I have not had problems with VM Ware and would recommend it.

I would definitely get VMWare again.

 

[happyPuppy]

Try Virtualbox from Sun Microsystems. It is free and does the same as VMWare. Some good install videos on the Sun site too.

 

[johnny80s]

Try Virtualbox from Sun Microsystems. It is free and does the same as VMWare. Some good install videos on the Sun site too.

It is nowhere as full featured as VM Ware though. But it is free.

 

[jekirby]

There were a lot of problems with Parallels 3.
Max out your RAM. I run 4 gigs and give half to XP Pro.

I was told not to run my bootcamp partition as my virtual machine and did have problems with this under Parallels. I have not had problems with VM Ware and would recommend it.

I would definitely get VMWare again.

So do you still run bootcamp partition as vm with vmware or did you just scrap the bootcamp partition?

 

[jekirby]

Thanks for the help folks. I decided that I could use boot camp now and 'upgrade' to Fusion if I needed to. The Mac has a lot of cool features that just kicks pc butt.

 

[Joevelocity]

Thanks for the help folks. I decided that I could use boot camp now and 'upgrade' to Fusion if I needed to. The Mac has a lot of cool features that just kicks pc butt.

One word of advice if you go with bootcamp with aspirations of moving to VMFusion....leave a decent amount of disk space on the MAC side so you can install VMFusion and build a total new VM session in the future. I made a mistake of allocating too much space to MS Windows. Cleaning up after bootcamp can be PIA.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[jekirby]

Thanks for the help folks. I decided that I could use boot camp now and 'upgrade' to Fusion if I needed to. The Mac has a lot of cool features that just kicks pc butt.

One word of advice if you go with bootcamp with aspirations of moving to VMFusion....leave a decent amount of disk space on the MAC side so you can install VMFusion and build a total new VM session in the future. I made a mistake of allocating too much space to MS Windows. Cleaning up after bootcamp can be PIA.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Joe.

'