Windows to Mac

[kroner]

Looking to run a couple of applications that are window based to run on a mac.

Had a look at VMware and another viable option is Crossover.

Anyone have any experience with this ? and is there a portable usb option ?

[andmor]

I gave crossover a go when trying sage accounts & payroll but just would not work. Found the best solution was just to run a virtual machine with full blown windows on it and it works just fine.

Virtualbox is free and does the job

[maltloaf]

Parallels is amazing and turns up at least once a year as part of one of the various bundle deals. I've been a paid up user of it for years.

[B B Leo]

im with malty on this one

[stevo25]

Parallels for me too

[kroner]

Using Parallels can i install windows with a "cough" pre activated copy of windows ?

Looking at the guide it gets to the point of asking for a the windows serial.

[B B Leo]

Using Parallels can i install windows with a "cough" pre activated copy of windows ?

Looking at the guide it gets to the point of asking for a the windows serial.

yes

[Hangman]

If you have access to Windows with Software Assurance via a volume license agreement you could use Windows 8 to go

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/jj737992

[kroner]

Went with Parallels and have to say great bit of software.

Only downside was it wouldn't let install a pre-activated copy of windows as asked for a serial key.

Quick google and i found one which once in i then ran the loader

[Brydo666]

Just installed Parallels on my new MBA as I love using OSX but hate using Office for Mac.

Overall I'm happy with the way it performs but when installing I selected the option to run everything in the VM as I'd like it all contained within the VM app. However it's showing my Windows Apps in Spotlight and each app launched within the VM shows as it's own instance on the OSX Dock. Is this something that could be disabled?

[liveseytowers]

Can you not just dual boot to Windows? Guess you'd need a license key unless you can aquire one. I dual boot my MacBook Pro to Windows 8.1 and cant remember the last time I used OSX. Dreadful OS

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[maltloaf]

Windows under parallels runs pretty much as well as if it was running natively, plus you get the total integration between the two systems.

As for osx being dreadful, that's a bit of a ridiculous statement. It is as basic or powerful as you need it to be and as customisable as you want it to be, so it's more likely that you just don't know how to get the best out of it or you are so Microsoft brain washed that non Windows = shit.

I use both and they co exist perfectly in my world. The way Windows works and the hoop jumping Microsoft make you jump through to administer properly boils my piss but I need it for certain jobs and some things it's good at.

The last dreadful MacOS was system 8. The last dreadful Windows was Vista imho.

[liveseytowers]

It's all down to personal preferences. I've tried really hard to love it but it regularly makes me scream at my laptop. I can't remember what my main gripes were with it now though but generally I find it the complete opposite to what you said and it's a right pain in the ass to administer. My Ubuntu laptop was much more intuitive. Anyway I've gone off topic.

So parallels is a way to run Windows as a VM? Or something like Wine on Linux that lets you install Windows apps?

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[maltloaf]

Parallels runs any x86 style os as a vm but they are very much as native.

Full screen you wouldn't know it wasn't native, except you can swipe and get back to your Mac desktop. You can also run various modes to integrate the two such as running Windows apps as if they were Mac etc.

[Bobby Bouché]

I use Parallels and find it flawless. For university work Office mac took only half hour to get used to it.

[leigh46137]

Looking to run a couple of applications that are window based to run on a mac.

Had a look at VMware and another viable option is Crossover.

Anyone have any experience with this ? and is there a portable usb option ?

I would also go with Parallels, but there is also Virtualbox as another option.

[XBOX4LIFE]

Where do the parralels bundle appear ? Mac App Store ?
I would guess it'll show up in a thread when its on sale but it would be nice to keep an eye open for it

[andmor]

Where do the parralels bundle appear ? Mac App Store ?
I would guess it'll show up in a thread when its on sale but it would be nice to keep an eye open for it

Usually on the cult of mac site.. this was the promo last year

https://deals.cultofmac.com/sales/th...-8?rid=422166#

In the meantime try virtualbox, its free and may do everything you want it to do..

[B B Leo]

just be carefull at at the minute with the new os Yosemite coming out parells might need new version

[martindixon18]

I use BootChamp and i'm on Yosemite (10.10), mainly because its already preinstalled and its not that often that i have to use my windows partition.