Since Apple’s switch to the Intel Platform, people were wait for a solution to be release that allowed Microsoft Windows to run on Apple Hardware.
Apple was first to the Market with “Boot Camp” which allows users to run Windows and other operating systems natively on an Apple computer. While Parallels and a host of other companies have created virtualization software that allows you to run an operating system inside Apple OSX. Both are great products and are sure to boost Apples market share but, you may tend to favor one over the other, depending on your needs.
I have used both of these options and I like Parallels Desktop over Boot Camp. Why? Because I tend to use a lot of windows applications for programming and business so I tend to switch back and forth from Mac OSX and Windows frequently. Parallels provides the best solution given that it’s a virtualization software and not an emulator like Virtual PC. With Parallels desktop you are getting close to native performance, without the need to reboot every time you desire to use a different OS, unlike Apple’s Boot Camp. With that said Apple’s Boot camp is suitable for users that spend large amounts of time on a single platform and don’t feel the need to transfer frequently from one OS to another. It’s a great solution to run games natively on an environment other then OSX without performance loss. However, the draw back of running an OS natively means that you must house it on a separate hard drive or on one that is partitioned versus Parallels option of a virtual drive.
One important note to keep in mind when running Windows is even on an Apple Machine you will get viruses. Please do invest in Anti Virus software!
Installation
Apple’s Boot Camp is a Beta release that will be incorporated into Apples next major OSX update, 10.5 Leopard. The installation is precise and must be followed in order for it to work properly. You begin by downloading the necessary software from the Official Apple Site. Once the download is completed run the install file in OSX. You will need a blank cd-r when prompted to burn the drivers for your machine. After this process your machine will restart and you will then have to go through the typical Windows install (About 25-35 Minutes excluding updates and service packs). Lastly it will prompt you to install the drivers with the cd that you created earlier on. And that’s it, your all done! The Next time you start your computer a Boot loader will appear prompting you to use the OS of choice you wish to Boot. Again with this option you will be running Windows or a 2nd OS natively so you will be getting 100% performance, just as you would running it on a PC.
Parallels Desktop is also under Beta but and will soon be a final release (Price at $79.99, $39.99 if you pre-order). Installation for Parallels is a breeze. You begin by going to Parallels official website to download their latest release client and request an activation key. The activation key will be sent to your email within a matter of seconds. To install Parallels you launch the installer in OSX and it takes you through a process of windows with simple directions to follow (Less then 2 minute). When that is completed you can then launch the application and create a guest OS profile. With the guest OS profile the user can allocate virtual memory to the OS they wish to run as well as a host of other features. Once that is done you would then be required to install the OS of choice by going through the ordinary OS install procedures (Windows would take 25 to 35 minutes excluding updates).
Another virtualization option available is OPenOSX WinTel. It’s similar to Parallel’s Desktop however it lacks the support and features Parallel’s provides.
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