This is interesting Mac & Windows get Together

[vizwhiz]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/19/technology/fastforward_parallels.fortune/index.htm

 

This sounds promising

 

quote from article

 

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- The lines between the Mac OS and Windows are starting to blur. And that portends major changes going forward in the world of PCs. At MacWorld, a little company called Parallels won awards for the latest version of its hit product, which enables you to run both operating systems at the same time on a Macintosh. It's a major breakthrough.

While the last version of Parallels allowed you to run both operating systems at once, it still required you to switch back and forth between the two. Now, however, Parallels' Coherence product, which the company says will ship by mid-February, lets you keep multiple windows open on your desktop, just as you normally would, running a variety of applications. Except now you can switch between windows running Windows and Mac applications just as if they were all Mac. (Parallels costs $79, though Mac owners also have to buy a copy of Windows to use it.)

 

This could be really useful

 

so when do we get To run Mac software on a Windows platform?

 

Thanks

 

Randy

[AJLynn]

I've been using this for a few days and it's really impressive. I've got an OSX dock bar on the left of my screen and a Windows 2000 Start bar on the bottom. The Start bar can be hidden and I can get the Start button by switching to Parallels and hitting the left CMD key (which maps to the Windows key under Parallels) and Windows apps appear as OSX Dock icons, so it's pretty seamless. It also can convert a Bootcamp Windows install to a Parallels Windows install.

 

The disadvantages are that you have to split your RAM (though Parallels initially is allocated a small amount of RAM by OSX and expands as Windows requires) and you get some video acceleration, but it's software and it's nowhere near what you get when Windows has direct access to the video card.

 

Emulating OSX under Windows doesn't sound like something that will ever happen legally, and anyway, there wouldn't be anywhere near the incentive - there's much more Windows-only software than Mac-only.

 

BTW, many users can skip the extra cost of Windows - there is almost nothing that runs on XP but not 2000 and doesn't require hardware 3D, and you don't deal with the Windows interface very much, just the programs which appear to be funcioning in OSX, so 2000 is just as good as XP. And how many people don't either have a copy of 2000 sitting around unused or know somebody who does?

[edub]

AJ,

 

are you saying that WIN200 runs just as well under Parallels as XP does? I thought you HAD to use XP?? I thought maybe there was a driver support issue, or something?

 

If you're right, then it should definitely be a little money saver, although with people switching to Vista (do they?) XP might also become cheaper.

[AJLynn]

Parallels will run any PC operating system - it can function as a generic PC emultor. It has a driver set that will automatically install after you install XP, and will install on 2k if you choose Install Parallels Tools from the Actions menu. I'm pretty sure it require 2k or XP to use Convergence (but maybe it works with Vista), but yes, 2k appears to work just as well as XP. It's Bootcamp that only works with XP (and it has a new install, non upgrade, SP2 included, Pro or Home but not Media Center, disc).

 

I suppose that eventually Vista will be adopted, and XP discs and licenses will be collecting dust, but I don't see it happening as quickly, with all the Vista problems. I've overheard CompUSA guys telling people not to buy Vista - and that's when you know the situation is bad.

[Ernest Burden III]

Andrew, your head is about to explode. I don't think there's room in there for one tiny bit more knowledge. Better go watch some cartoons for a few hours to clear space.

[Antisthenes]

 

so when do we get To run Mac software on a Windows platform?

 

Thanks

 

Randy

 

 

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

 

now?