Age old questions parallels vs. boot camp

I have heard for a while that bootcamp was better then parallels but now that parallels has revamped its approach does any have any thoughts I will be buying something soon whats your thoughts

Hi,
although Parallels has revamped, the main differences between BootCamp and Paralells still remain the same.
If you need 'full-speed' of Windows on a Mac and/or use programs that need to have direct access to the hardware, then you have to use BootCamp.
Especially when you are planning to run hardware-accelerated-graphics, like games.
For an every-day usage of Windows 'Office-like' programs and/or if you need to run Mac OSX programs and Windows programs concurrently, then Parallels (or VMWare Fusion or VirtualBox) are more suitable.
Before buying any Virtualization app, have a look at VirtualBox http://www.virtualbox.org/ . It's Open Source and free to use and has made some great progress in the last months.
Hope it helps
Stefan

Similar Messages

VMware Fusion vs. Parallels (with Boot Camp) -- help please!

Hello. I have just reinstalled Mac OS X (Leopard) on my MacBook and am looking to install Windows XP SP2. I will be installing a Boot Camp partition -- I know that much -- but I also want to use Parallels or Fusions so that I have the option of running the Boot Camp partition within OS X. Somehow, over my years as a Mac user, I have acquired both of these applications (Fusion and Parallels), and I was wondering if anyone has any information on the differences between the two. Two questions:
1.) As I just mentioned, I'm just looking for any information on the differences between the two apps -- what features one offers that the the other doesn't -- why I might want to choose one over the other -- and so forth.
2.) Since I have both apps, would it be possible to have both installed at the same time? In other words, could I have both Fusion and Parallels installed on my computer, and then, when it comes time to open Windows, choose which app I want to open and use? (not sure there'd be any point to this, but just in theory, could it be done?)
Thanks in advance -- any info in regard to either question is much appreciated.

Thanks for the replies. Although I've never used Fusion before, I've installed Parallels with Boot Camp partition three or four times before on this computer, and it has always worked great for me, so I know I want to use Boot Camp. And as far as the application goes, sounds like I'll be using Parallels, mainly because it's what I'm used to. That Wikipedia link was exactly what I was looking for -- I had checked Wikipedia before I posted the topic here, but I didn't find that comparison page. Anyways, they look about the same (Parallels and Fusion, that is) for anything I'd be concerned with, but where there were any differences, they seemed to work in favor of Parallels (except for Linux-related features, in which Fusion seemed to have the upper hand, but I don't use Linux). So, again, thanks for taking the time to respond -- much appreciated. Have a good one.

Parallels Desktop, Boot camp or something else

I am wanting to run Windows on my MacBook Pro - but didn't know what route to go. Has anyone tried Parallels, Fusion, boot camp, etc - What are the pros/cons of them. I am currently running Tiger on mine.
And just to make sure...I do have to my Windows XP correct - Is there a packaged deal out there where you buy boot camp and XP?
THANKS!

Windows on Intel Macs
There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.
1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows XP w/Service Pak 2 or Vista. Follow instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the computer into OS X or Windows.
2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. Parallels is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. VM Fusion is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows applications without having to install Windows. The Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.
5. Last is Q. Q is a freeware emulator that is compatible with Intel Macs. It is much slower than the virtualization software, Parallels and VM Fusion.
Note that Parallels and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system.
See MacTech.com's Virtualization Benchmarking for comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion.
Boot Camp is only available with Leopard. The Boot Camp Beta that was used with Tiger has expired and is no longer available for use. So contrary to the other poster's comment, Boot Camp isn't truly "free." You must purchase Leopard to get it.

Parallels or boot camp and internet connections

hi.
i have a macbook and i just purchased a new usb modem made by a company called zte, model mz 16 if it matters. i live in india and bought the modem through a mobile phone company called airtel which, unsurprisingly, only offers drivers and support for windows machines.
any suggestions on where i can get a driver? or, perhaps. will it work on parallels or boot camp? meaning, if i can install the software via parallels or boot camp can i surf on my mac os rather than in the windows interface?
thanks for your advice.

*"any suggestions on where i can get a driver? "*
ZTE would need to provide the drivers and if they don't make them then you're out of luck.
*"if i can install the software via parallels or boot camp can i surf on my mac os rather than in the windows interface?"*
No. You'll only be able to surf in Windows if you isntalled the drivers into your installation of Boot Camp.

Parallels to Boot Camp migration

I want to migrate from parallels to Boot Camp and do not want to lose my Outlook email or files I have creasted. Anyone have suggestions or has anyone done this with success? Thanks,
Michael

I'm still looking for this too...
Its a real pain in the tush, you still can't convert a parallels disk into a boot camp partition.
Parallels and VMware can't share the same image.
but both can boot off a boot camp partition.
VMware and Parallels can't read eachothers disk format, but can convert it into their own.
Its a messed up world we live in...

Would i be better off using parallels than boot camp

IS it easier to install parallels than boot camp?, Inonly want to be able to use the windows based version of Quicken

For $79 retail (or less) Parallels will give you the convenience of running your PC programs concurrently with your Mac programs. Bootcamp will require a reboot each time you want to switch environments.
You are aware that Intuit sells Quicken 2007 for Lion, Mt.Lion, Mavericks for $15?
http://quicken.intuit.com/personal-finance-software/quicken-2007-osx-lion.jsp

Parallel vs Boot Camp

Let me first start by saying I am a newbie to the mac, but I am enjoying the experience so far. The only PC program that I currently miss and need to get back to is MS Money. That would be the only program that I would be interested in running, everything else is fine...so what would the suggestions be, run parallels or boot camp. I know just enough about computer to be dangerous.
Thanks
Newbie
PS I have an intel based imac running 10.5.5

Hi and welcome to Discussions,
for only using MS Money I would really suggest to use a Virtualization app like Parallels, VMWare Fusion or VirtualBox (which currently is free to use).
With MS Money speed is not as important as ease-to-use and with any of the a.m. apps you don't have to reboot your Mac in order to run Windows.
Best approach to this would be to use VirtualBox to install Windows and MS Money and see how it works for you before spending money on one of the other two.
http://www.virtualbox.org/
Regards
Stefan

I just switched from pc to mac. what is the best way to keep Windows? Parallel or Boot camp?

I have just switched from pc to mac. What is the best way to keep Windows, Parallel of Boot camp?

Parallels should be able to handle that without any problems.
There is a version of both of those that will run on the Mac. So you might consider upgrading to that version instead of going with Windows on your Mac.
Allan

Windows XP and Parallels or Boot Camp

I'd like to run Windows on my Mac. I have a Windows XP Home Edition disc in my restoration discs from Gateway. Can I use this disc when I install Parallels or Boot Camp when it asks to insert my Windows disk? Thanks.

Where is the Gateway? You can't re-use a license for Windows on more than one machine. Since your Gateway license is OEM, you can't legally use it on anything but that Gateway. The disk may or may not work. There is no way to tell. You definitely won't be able to activate unless the Gateway is definitively dead.
My advice is to get yourself a new, legal license for XP from NewEgg for $137 (XP Pro) or $100 (XP Home). Newegg sells legal OEM versions that are usable. Don't buy anything from Craigslist or eBay.

Better to use Parallels or Boot Camp?

Hey there,
I've been reading where Parallels 6 "has been shown on average to run 40 percent faster than last year's edition, according to people familiar with the matter. Those same people said that the upgrade -- expected to retail for the same $79.99 price as its predecessor -- will also feature Windows boot times that are roughly two times faster than version 3.1 of its primary competitor: VMWare Fusion."
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/09/08/parallels6_to_run_40_faster_launch_windows_2x_faster_thanfusion.html
I'm curious as to whether it's better to run Windows 7 through Parallels or Boot Camp from a performance issue? If I want to play the new Civ 5 game, will I get better performance through Parallels or Boot Camp?
Thanks!
Eric Nanneman

If you want to play a game, you'll need Bootcamp. 3D performance leaves a lot to be desired in both Parallels and VMWare.
On another note, I really expect that Civ 5 will be released for Mac.
Regards,
-Ryan

Newbie question: Running Parallels from Boot Camp on separate drive

All: I'm new to the Mac world, so bear with me. I'm awaiting arrival of a Mac Pro that has two separate 250GB drives. I plan on running Parallels because there are certain Windows apps that I need to access periodically--but not enough to open up Boot Camp separately. Someone suggested the following, but I need help in figuring out how this works:
+"...install Boot Camp on another internal drive (Since you have 4 drive sleds build into the Mac) and run Parallels from that Boot Camp volume. This way you have a dedicated drive for Windows, so its faster and its not using the boot drive at all. You can boot to it natively if you really need the speed and power for gaming or just use Parallels when your in OS X."+
So in other words, if I already have two drives, I can have my main drive running normal Mac apps, and then if I need to run Windows, I install Parallels and all my Windows apps, along with Boot Camp and Windows XP, on the second drive and use it from there whenever I need to run Windows??

I don't think BootCamp allows an installation on another drive, but Parallels and other software will.
You might repost this in the BootCamp forum where there are many more users running Winders under all kinds of 3rd party software.
Here's the link:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=237

Can no longer opt boot to Windows; Parallels and Boot Camp issues

So I was reinstalling my Parallels since it wasn't reading my Boot Camp partition correctly and I removed my old boot camp profile in Parallels. I figured this would only affect Parallels. After all, I was going to make a new one since my Parallels wasn't working very well. The removal of the profile seemed painless and it was instantaneous (so I don't think it formatted the partition). I then went to restart, and now my comp won't boot to the partition.
I can no longer view (or access) my files from Windows. I panicked and restored the profile from the trash, but I still can't access the partition. I can't even see Windows from the Start Up disk, but Parallels can detect that I have Windows 7 (even though it won't boot properly).What do I need to do to be able to get my Windows partition back? Do you have any idea whats going on with my comp? Can the removal of a virtual machine profile delete an entire OS in an instant?
Disk Utility says that my partition needs to be repaired, but I don't want to do anything until I get an expert opinion.
Macbook Pro
Early 2011
OS 10.9.5
500.11 GB Apple HDD
2 GHz Intel Core i7
16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Parallels 9.0.24172
Windows 7 Professional
Please tell me what I need to do! Thank you!

This is a table I use to verify that Testdisk is correct.
GPT 3 Start
GPT 3 Size
GPT 3 End
NTFS Start
Sector Offset
NTFS Size
NTFS End
584882296
1269536
586151832
586151936
104
390621177
976773113
Leave your Testdisk display and start a new Terminal Window. Please use the following steps. The 104 sector positive offset is a good sign.
You need to use the following steps. If you see any error messages during the following steps, please stop and post back here with the error message. The following steps have values from your Testdisk output (and you can verify) in Steps 7 and 8.
Rebuild GPT4 using start/end offsets
Sudo gdisk /dev/rdisk0
P (print the full list of parts)
D (delete)
4 (part 4)
N (new part)
4   (part 4)
586151936 - Start offset in bytes (start point for Bootcamp part)
+ 390621177 - (Size offset as opposed to End offset)
0700     (Windows part type)
P           (print list of all parts just to see what changes will be made)
W         (Write the new GPT)
Y           (Yes! really write the new GPT)
This will delete and re-write the GPT partition info for /dev/disk0s4.
Rebuild MBR to match the new GPT information thus resetting the Hybrid MBR. Use defaults for other questions (like partition codes). The only values that need modifications are the Boot flags and step 6. Accept all other defaults that Gdisk offers.
Sudo gdisk /dev/disk0
P (Print list of parts)
R   (Recover)
H (chooses Hybrid)
Partitions numbers to be hybridized: 2 3 4
Y (Good for GRUB question)
N (part 2 boot flag)
N (part 3 boot flag)
Y (part 4 boot flag make NTFS bootable partition)
W (Write the new MBR)
Y    (Yes! write the new MBR)
Reboot
Here is an example of the Q&A in the second set of commands.
Place EFI GPT (0xEE) partition first in MBR (good for GRUB)? (Y/N): Y
Creating entry for GPT partition #2 (MBR partition #2)
Enter an MBR hex code (default AF): Press Enter/Return
Set the bootable flag? (Y/N): N
Creating entry for GPT partition #3 (MBR partition #3)
Enter an MBR hex code (default AB): Press Enter/Return
Set the bootable flag? (Y/N): N
Creating entry for GPT partition #4 (MBR partition #4)
Enter an MBR hex code (default 07): 07
Set the bootable flag? (Y/N): Y
Test 1 - Does Bootcamp Volume show up in Finder?
Test 2 - Can you see files in Bootcamp Volume?
Test 3 - Can you select Bootcamp in System Preferences -> Startup Disk?
Test 4 - If Test 3 is successful, select Bootcamp and Click Restart.

2 silly questions what is boot camp and do I need it? & How to transfer PC

Okay, I've just ordered my first mac it's a 17" 1.83 refurb iMac, I've noticed a lot of stuff about boot camp, what is it? Does it allow me to transfer my old pc files to my Imac? The only files I will be transfering are pictures and music files can anyone tell me how easy or hard this will be, Thanks again

There are no silly questions.
Boot Camp (which is still a beta until Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' comes out) allows you to boot your Intel-based Mac in either Windows XP or Mac OS X. It will make an extra partition on your internal hard drive on which you can install WinXP SP2.
To transfer you PC files onto your Mac you will not need Boot Camp. There are several ways to do it, but perhaps the easiest is to burn you files on a CD-R or DVD-R and insert the disc into your Mac.
For your music files: start iTunes and import all music files from your CD/DVD (File menu > Import).
For your pics: start iPhoto and import all your pictures from the CD/DVD (File menu > Import in Library). iPhoto is really the best way to keep track of all your current and future pics and share them with anyone.
Good luck and welcome to the Mac world!

Windows 8-Parallels 8-boot camp-disk cannot be Partitioned

Ok, I wanted to try out Windows 8 on my Mac, so I got the Parallels 8 bundle pack...but after looking into it...I was led to believe that initially using boot camp and then migrating that to Parallels is a better route. So first question is...Is that true? Should I really start with Boot Camp?. Secondly...(which is what led me to ask if I should really do it this way) I tried to run Boot Camp Assistant and I got "The disk cannot be Partitioned because some files cannot be moved...Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again." Backup, Format, and Restore scares the crap out of me...I'm terrified that I'll lose everything. I have a TB external HDD to which some is partitioned for Time Machine and the rest partitioned as personal storage...personal storage is where I have my iTunes library and iPhoto library stored and a bunch of other stuff. Now some of what I've read is to get a new external HDD, zero it, back up and restore...my question is do I really need to do that with my current set-up? If I already have the external HDD with my time machine back ups on it? I've also read that this may not be necessary...and that it may be possible to restart in recovery mode and "Repair". I apologize for the long winded question...I just want to make sure I give enough info and that someone can help. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

You do not need to use Boot Camp nor install Windows on a Boot Camp partition in order to use Parallels. I think you may have misunderstood. If you already have Windows installed in Boot Camp, then Parallels is able to use that installation for it virtual machine.
On its own Parallels creates its own disc image on which it installs Windows. That disc image functions as a normal Windows hard drive. You can create any number of virtual machines where each one has its own separate disc image.
"The disk cannot be Partitioned because some files cannot be moved...Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again."
The above error occurs because you have asked for an amount of space for the Windows partition which cannot be accommodated because Boot Camp Assistant was unable to find sufficient contiguous space to satisfy the request without having to move some files. However, those files could not be moved. The solutions are: 1. reduce the size demanded until Boot Camp is able to accept it; 2. re-partition the drive back to a single volume, reinstall OS X, create the desired Boot Camp partition, then restore all your files.

Using A skype adapter on Parallels or Boot camp. Please take a peek

good day to each of you.
I now have my new Mac Pro 3.0x4
I'd like to load Vista when I purchase it to this MP.
I would also like to run skype and a USB skype adapter
on the MP so.... I am assuming I have to keep Vista running
so the Skype phone works, Right.
And again assuming, parallels is the answer in that case
and not book camp correct?
Any doing this please?
Thank you all.

Can I ask why you don't just use the apple version of Skype? You can find it at skype.com
But if you must use parrarel and vista to have skype, (which I see absolutely no reason for), those two programs must be open if you are to recieve any phone calls. (I belive, never tried parallel).
If you use boot camp you need to restart your computer, start vista and start skype, before receiving any calls.
To conclude, you don't need vista (at all if you ask me) to use Skype.

Age old questions parallels vs. boot camp

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