How Can I Use Windows Programs On My Mac?

[garro]

I was just wondering if there is any way to use Windows software on a Mac without installing Windows? I know it is relatively easy to install Windows using bootcamp but I don't want to this because it uses so much memory and I don't want to open myself to the many viruses associated with Windows. Any ideas?

[hughden]

You could use Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/).

More convenient than Boot camp as you can run Windows and Mac OS side by side. You still have to install Windows; but it does not seem to slow things down. I have had Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Dreamweaver, plus other Mac applications running on the Mac at the same time as running software on Windows in Parallels; and there was no noticeable slowdown on my humble Macbook (although I do have 2GB of memory).

[malcolmswaine]

You may want to look into (in my opinion) a great piece of software 'VMWare'.

Good luck

Malc

[Guest Reimar]

both of the posted solutions need an installation of Windows but he OP is looking for an solution without installing windows.

For that you can also use Virtual PC from Microsoft which is Freeware and downladable from MS Website.

Edited August 5, 2007 by Reimar

[nikster]

both of the posted solutions need an installation of Windows but he OP is looking for an solution without installing windows.

For that you can also use Virtual PC from Microsoft which is Freeware and downladable from MS Website.

I think you are mistaken on that - VPC from MS also requires a windows install, it's a virual PC like the two others. Maybe MS includes it but I have used VPC on Windows and most certainly had to install Windows on it. As far as I know VPC on Mac is not really a contender - it grew out of the old PowerPC era VPC which would run at 1/10th native speed. Sloooooow. Parallels and VMWare run at near native speed.

Parallels or VMWare are the way to go. I haven't used VMWare but heard good things about it. I am using Parallels and find it pretty good - you can try both they have a 30 day trial license. Windows where it belongs, in a little window on my desktop

Parallels coherence mode makes it so the Windows desktop is hidden which is pretty interesting. It looks like you are running Windows applications right on your Mac. There are still some minor glitches and the task bar is showing too but all in all, it's fantastic. The only downside is that you have to allocate a lot of memory to Windows to make it fast so better have 2GB or more.

VMWare has a similar feature. I have heard VMWare is able to use both processor cores on a core 2, Parallels can only do one. But both are evolving rapidly so I'd think they will be neck to neck for a while to come. Parallels has better support for 3D graphics so you can play games with Parallels, not quite as fast as running Windows natively via Bootcamp but acceptable. Or so I hear, I haven't been able to try this out yet...

Edited August 5, 2007 by nikster

[Guest Reimar]

both of the posted solutions need an installation of Windows but he OP is looking for an solution without installing windows.

For that you can also use Virtual PC from Microsoft which is Freeware and downladable from MS Website.

I think you are mistaken on that - VPC from MS also requires a windows install, it's a virual PC like the two others. Maybe MS includes it but I have used VPC on Windows and most certainly had to install Windows on it. As far as I know VPC on Mac is not really a contender - it grew out of the old PowerPC era VPC which would run at 1/10th native speed. Sloooooow. Parallels and VMWare run at near native speed.

So there is no way to run Windows without installing Windows.

Parallels or VMWare are the way to go. I haven't used VMWare but heard good things about it. I am using Parallels and find it pretty good - you can try both they have a 30 day trial license. Windows where it belongs, in a little window on my desktop

Parallels coherence mode makes it so the Windows desktop is hidden which is pretty interesting. It looks like you are running Windows applications right on your Mac. There are still some minor glitches and the task bar is showing too but all in all, it's fantastic. The only downside is that you have to allocate a lot of memory to Windows to make it fast so better have 2GB or more.

VMWare has a similar feature. I have heard VMWare is able to use both processor cores on a core 2, Parallels can only do one. But both are evolving rapidly so I'd think they will be neck to neck for a while to come. Parallels has better support for 3D graphics so you can play games with Parallels, not quite as fast as running Windows natively via Bootcamp but acceptable. Or so I hear, I haven't been able to try this out yet...

No I don't mistaken because I was meaning that you can also use VPC from MS and I do believe that everybody (may I mistaken here and NOT everybody) knows that you need to install an let say "Guest-OS" under Virtual PC same as VMWare and so.

Excuse me that I may confusing a bit!

[phazey]

Crossover Mac does not need windows (it's WINE for OSX)

[Richard-BKK]

Crossover Mac works great, we use this package for our Mac's and Linux boxes. I have to say not everything works, but then if you are using a Mac you not need the "big" programs to work with Windows (they work better with Os X anyway)

[nikster]

I just checked the MS website though and noticed that Virtual PC does not run on Intel based Macs. It only runs on PowerPC based ones (and is dead slow there).

I didn't know they make Crossover for Macs! Cool! I stand corrected.

[steffi]

Virtual PC emulates in software and doesn't see the intel hardware. I suspect it runs under Rosetta on intel hardware.

Virtual PC is history as far as I'm concerned. I myself using VMWare Fusion and I find it to be pretty much flawless. Only

when I need access to all the hardware for games 3d accelleration with DirectX 9 so I have to use bootcamp. Both the

products mentioned can boot your bootcamp partition. Consider making 10-15 gb available to Windows in the bootcamp partition and boot that in VMWare or Parallels depending on your needs.

When I'm flashing my phone. I typically boot directly into a bootcamp instead of running any virtualization software.

both of the posted solutions need an installation of Windows but he OP is looking for an solution without installing windows.

For that you can also use Virtual PC from Microsoft which is Freeware and downladable from MS Website.

I think you are mistaken on that - VPC from MS also requires a windows install, it's a virual PC like the two others. Maybe MS includes it but I have used VPC on Windows and most certainly had to install Windows on it. As far as I know VPC on Mac is not really a contender - it grew out of the old PowerPC era VPC which would run at 1/10th native speed. Sloooooow. Parallels and VMWare run at near native speed.

So there is no way to run Windows without installing Windows.

Parallels or VMWare are the way to go. I haven't used VMWare but heard good things about it. I am using Parallels and find it pretty good - you can try both they have a 30 day trial license. Windows where it belongs, in a little window on my desktop

Parallels coherence mode makes it so the Windows desktop is hidden which is pretty interesting. It looks like you are running Windows applications right on your Mac. There are still some minor glitches and the task bar is showing too but all in all, it's fantastic. The only downside is that you have to allocate a lot of memory to Windows to make it fast so better have 2GB or more.

VMWare has a similar feature. I have heard VMWare is able to use both processor cores on a core 2, Parallels can only do one. But both are evolving rapidly so I'd think they will be neck to neck for a while to come. Parallels has better support for 3D graphics so you can play games with Parallels, not quite as fast as running Windows natively via Bootcamp but acceptable. Or so I hear, I haven't been able to try this out yet...

No I don't mistaken because I was meaning that you can also use VPC from MS and I do believe that everybody (may I mistaken here and NOT everybody) knows that you need to install an let say "Guest-OS" under Virtual PC same as VMWare and so.

Excuse me that I may confusing a bit!