With a bit of work the virtual environment for Windows will integrate nicely with the MacOS X environment it lives in. Windows will be able to see Mac drives as SMB volumes, clipboards will pass back and forth easily, applications will intercommunicate via native mechanisms. Give it a bit of time and it will be a reasonable (if ugly) environment.
I'll still exit the virtual Windows environment whenever possible.
It doesn't matter what Partition Magic supports. Windows Installer will see the disk, and you will have the option of creating a new partition. You will simply tell the Windows Installer to shrink your HardDisk from X to Y. Windows will shrink it, and then re-format it to NTFS.
It manages to do that with ext2/3 partitions, and even ReiserFS, so I don't see why it wouldn't manage to do that with HFS/+.
Um, except by resizing, you will lose all data. So unless you have two hard drives, in which case resizing doesn't matter, you don't have many options as an average user (except for reinstalling Mac OS X as well).
Um, except by resizing, you will lose all data. So unless you have two hard drives, in which case resizing doesn't matter, you don't have many options as an average user (except for reinstalling Mac OS X as well).
Um, what? You have a 250GB harddrive. Your OS X installation is eating 10GB (just a number) and your files are eating 30GB. That leaves you with 210.
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition. Thus you have:
150 + 60 + 40 = 250GB.
Your data is moved to make room for the partition. How else do you think Linux users install 7 different Linux distros in one harddrive? Not by using Partition Magic, I tells ya.
Um, what? You have a 250GB harddrive. Your OS X installation is eating 10GB (just a number) and your files are eating 30GB. That leaves you with 210.
Yes, on that particular partition. Of course, you only have one partition to begin with, since that's how the Mac was initially set up by Apple. Hardly anyone changes that.
Quote:
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition.
Meep! All OS X data is lost.
Quote:
Your data is moved to make room for the partition.
Wishful thinking.
Quote:
How else do you think Linux users install 7 different Linux distros in one harddrive? Not by using Partition Magic, I tells ya.
They use similar tools, such as parted.
None of the Microsoft- (or Apple-, for that matter) supplied partitioning tools ever supported lossless resizing. I really can't see that changing for Vista, but I can always be pleasantly surprised.
that makes sense if you're going from the direction:
Apple User -----> Windows User
I'm coming from:
Windows User ------> Apple User
As soon as I learn enough, I'll be:
Apple User. [Former Windows User]
Let's follow your scenario: you run WINDOWS (if it installs). My Windows external Hard Drive won't even pick up on my Mac btw.
Set Windows Firewall to block everything (I've blocked myself out this way!)
Turn on all virus protection (you'll still be at risk of contracting a virus)
You will still need to download Windows patches for bugs they discover years down the line. Also, the system WILL still crash: I regularly use TIFF files and my PS CS regularly crashes on Windows. Not so on Tiger OS.
With respect to the speed differences; I use a bloated Windows XP system with a 1.73Ghz laptop and an Apple Powerbook with a 1.67Ghz. Running PS CS on both, the Apple is way faster. There simply is no bloated accessory software to slow down my OS (Anti-virus/firewall). When you open a window, check your CPU processes and watch how much of the memory is zapped on 1 application. Turn on two applications and watch what happens: running Norton Systemswork compromises my use of PS CS drastically. I just don't get this inefficiency with the Apple. I guess that is the area of multitasking. Start doing video editing and checking your emails, and again, the same problem.
I've only started appreciating stability of the Mac OS - before I relied on having back-ups on a daily basis on Windows ...just in case. The time it takes to go through that routine is inefficient compared to working on a stable OS. There is a huge advantage in an OS that isn't running on a mosaic pattern like Win XP.
Nuts, I'm starting to sound like an advert for Apple...
[B]Yes, on that particular partition. Of course, you only have one partition to begin with, since that's how the Mac was initially set up by Apple. Hardly anyone changes that.
That's their problem.
Quote:
Meep! All OS X data is lost.
Have you ever tried this? It might be different in OS X, but in Linux, you do not lose you data.
Quote:
Wishful thinking.
Nope. It's happening in the Linux world.
Quote:
They use similar tools, such as parted.
No they don't. Most Linux installers (at least all major distros) include a partition manager in the installer itself. That's how you dual boot without losing your Windows partition/data. You pop in your SuSE DVD and you're good to go. Their installer does the job for you - partitioning, formatting, installing.
Quote:
None of the Microsoft- (or Apple-, for that matter) supplied partitioning tools ever supported lossless resizing. I really can't see that changing for Vista, but I can always be pleasantly surprised.
No they don't. Most Linux installers (at least all major distros) include a partition manager in the installer itself.
Which usually uses parted.
Quote:
Their installer does the job for you - partitioning, formatting, installing.
Vista's doesn't.
How would it, anyway? That assumes Vista can shift files around on other file systems, such as ext3 and HFS+, which requires write support for those file systems, which Windows never had to begin with. (Yes, I realize there's third-party plug-ins for that.)
Gene: by default, repartitioning an HFS+ drive using Disk Utility wipes the entire disk clean. There are utilities to preserve the data, but they're not the default. As Chucker points out, a partitioning tool needs to know the internals of the various file systems it will deal with, and unless Vista and vanilla Linux distros have grown the capability to deal with HFS+ effectively at that low level, then your cross-OS partitioning tool is a no-go at this point.
Let's follow your scenario: you run WINDOWS (if it installs). My Windows external Hard Drive won't even pick up on my Mac btw.
If you are going to run VPC then it will run on your /. drive. I imagine that you could run it on a different drive, but you have to install it that way. You cannot take a HD from a PC and put it in an external drive and expect to be able to see anything other than data. It is possible to drop into Unix and poke around, but to run Windows you need to install it using VPC.
Quote:
Set Windows Firewall to block everything (I've blocked myself out this way!)
Turn on all virus protection (you'll still be at risk of contracting a virus)
First you cannot firewall yourself out, don't worry about that. With a good and very tight Firewall, I don't think your that much at risk.
Quote:
You will still need to download Windows patches for bugs they discover years down the line. Also, the system WILL still crash: I regularly use TIFF files and my PS CS regularly crashes on Windows. Not so on Tiger OS.
Yea, I would move your .tiff files over to the Mac side prior to messing around with them. As far as the patches to your windows machine, surf over to MS.com twice a year in your Mac environment and request them to send you all applicable patches coverning the last 6 months. They will mail them to you on CD, you will pay about $20 for this.
Quote:
With respect to the speed differences; I use a bloated Windows XP system with a 1.73Ghz laptop and an Apple Powerbook with a 1.67Ghz. Running PS CS on both, the Apple is way faster. There simply is no bloated accessory software to slow down my OS (Anti-virus/firewall). When you open a window, check your CPU processes and watch how much of the memory is zapped on 1 application. Turn on two applications and watch what happens: running Norton Systemswork compromises my use of PS CS drastically. I just don't get this inefficiency with the Apple. I guess that is the area of multitasking. Start doing video editing and checking your emails, and again, the same problem.
I've only started appreciating stability of the Mac OS - before I relied on having back-ups on a daily basis on Windows ...just in case. The time it takes to go through that routine is inefficient compared to working on a stable OS. There is a huge advantage in an OS that isn't running on a mosaic pattern like Win XP.
Nuts, I'm starting to sound like an advert for Apple...
Well I can tell you that everyone of the Pros on this board do back-up ...just in case. It is a wise practice. Surf over to www.macosxhints.com and search for a back-up script, let your laptop sleep at night and the script should wake it up and perform your back-up and go back to sleep. If you value your work back it up. As far as the stability goes, OSX is pretty rock solid but there will be things that crop up, such the first iteration of a new OS technology, File Vault comes to mind. Tread carefully is these areas with anything you value until the kinks are worked out. Basically what the crowd does is let Apple release a new OS version and wait about 4 to six months for Apple too fix all of the little glitches, not that you could not use 10.4.0 but there were little things that were weird, such as web framework leaking memory. From what I've heard there were many holes. But yes OSX is good at multitasking and the stability is great, let me repeat what they said at hacker world "there is a base of 40,000+ viruses for Windows, and none for the Mac" Security is the strong hold of OSX, I believe that Mel has set-up a BSD machine and exposed it to the internet for months, no firewall and Virus protection - No problem. OSX sits on a version of FreeBSD and Mach. For us the Internet currently is something that we can romp through and never have to worry about. If it were not for this security there would be lots more Pro Mac users not surfing the web on their work machine, so enjoy the security.
No one's mentioned WINE? I'm surprised. It would let you run many (most) Windows apps, excluding high-end games, without ever having to even boot Windows inside a VirtualPC-esque space.
It's an idea.
The DARWINE project is coming along nicely. They already have simple applications like Wordpad.exe up and running on an Intel Mac OS X. It looks pretty ugly; since you have the pretty OS X titlebar with its gel buttons and, below that, the Wordpad titlebar menus - complete with a flat grey background and horrible scroll arrows. But... Regardless of how ugly the marriage between WinXP and OS X might be, the fact that the Darwine project has gotten to the point of window management, menus, and the ability to run simple Windows applications is a major achievement.
Just as has been seen with the Wine project in Linux, the Darwine project will be a long and hard road; filled with driver issues that will drive everyone crazy. Don't expect to be running the latest high-end Windows game any time soon!
Say you just wanted a Windows environment for gaming purposes ONLY?
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
i have one studid work program that requres windows(2k,xp etc) and IE 5+ that's why i'm not upgrading my dell till the dust settles and you guys can show me the way.
Say you just wanted a Windows environment for gaming purposes ONLY?
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
So...okay, hotshot...there's a bomb on a bus.
Whadda ya do?!
Depends on your needs. Cheap PC would be the best cover, that way if VPC on an Intel Mac bombs you can always upgrade. It depends also if the games are relying on DirectX or if they going around to metal. If DirectX then all bets are off, if not the Intel Mac has a good chance. The boon will be for programming in general, in that the crowd that understands how to optimize x86 code is very large by any standards, while the group that understands how to optimize PPC code is very small by any standard. We will get the tweeks almost for free, at least compared to PPC optimizations. Games would require such tweeking so I see this as very good for games.
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition.
The Windows Installer can partition Harddrives, but there is no way within the standard Windows Tools to resize a partition.
if you want to change a 100 GB Partition to 2 50 GB, the only way it works with the default windows Partitioning tool is deleting the 100GB Partition and create 2 50GB Partitions.
Thats why there is Partition magic, witch can resize ext2/3 stuff (and FAT/NTFS) but i havent checked if it works on HFS (i doubt it somehow)
I'm definitely installing Mac OS X and Windows on my next Mac/OSx86 homebrew comp. The minute it takes to reboot isn't much of an issue for me, considering that I won't be intending to switch between them rapidly. (I'm planning to install games on the Windows partition, as well as an AIM client and web browser, but not much more.)
At the moment, it is sheer speculation. Nobody knows for sure, either way.
No, sorry, Windows has been booted on Intel Macs and Phil Schiller has said that Apple won't actively try to block installations of Windows on their machines. I mean, why would they? It's just another perk of buying a Mac, and might push some PC buyers to get a Mac.
That said, it likely won't be an extremely user-friendly process to install both, but I was able to install OS X and Windows on an unsupported PC without a UI, so no doubt visa-versa will be even easier on a Mac.
Say you just wanted a Windows environment for gaming purposes ONLY?
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
So...okay, hotshot...there's a bomb on a bus.
Whadda ya do?!
You download WINE. Based on the history of Linux-based software in OSX, there will also come along a frontend that eliminates the admittedly yucky messing around with config files. Hopefully that will progress into somehow integrating into the Dock to make it so that running Windows apps in OSX is trasparent. OSX has had a very positive indirect effect so far on OSS, from what I can see, and I don't see it changing any time soon.
Comments
I'll still exit the virtual Windows environment whenever possible.
Originally posted by Gene Clean
It doesn't matter what Partition Magic supports. Windows Installer will see the disk, and you will have the option of creating a new partition. You will simply tell the Windows Installer to shrink your HardDisk from X to Y. Windows will shrink it, and then re-format it to NTFS.
It manages to do that with ext2/3 partitions, and even ReiserFS, so I don't see why it wouldn't manage to do that with HFS/+.
Um, except by resizing, you will lose all data. So unless you have two hard drives, in which case resizing doesn't matter, you don't have many options as an average user (except for reinstalling Mac OS X as well).
Originally posted by Chucker
Um, except by resizing, you will lose all data. So unless you have two hard drives, in which case resizing doesn't matter, you don't have many options as an average user (except for reinstalling Mac OS X as well).
Um, what? You have a 250GB harddrive. Your OS X installation is eating 10GB (just a number) and your files are eating 30GB. That leaves you with 210.
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition. Thus you have:
150 + 60 + 40 = 250GB.
Your data is moved to make room for the partition. How else do you think Linux users install 7 different Linux distros in one harddrive? Not by using Partition Magic, I tells ya.
Originally posted by Gene Clean
Um, what? You have a 250GB harddrive. Your OS X installation is eating 10GB (just a number) and your files are eating 30GB. That leaves you with 210.
Yes, on that particular partition. Of course, you only have one partition to begin with, since that's how the Mac was initially set up by Apple. Hardly anyone changes that.
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition.
Meep! All OS X data is lost.
Your data is moved to make room for the partition.
Wishful thinking.
How else do you think Linux users install 7 different Linux distros in one harddrive? Not by using Partition Magic, I tells ya.
They use similar tools, such as parted.
None of the Microsoft- (or Apple-, for that matter) supplied partitioning tools ever supported lossless resizing. I really can't see that changing for Vista, but I can always be pleasantly surprised.
that makes sense if you're going from the direction:
Apple User -----> Windows User
I'm coming from:
Windows User ------> Apple User
As soon as I learn enough, I'll be:
Apple User. [Former Windows User]
Let's follow your scenario: you run WINDOWS (if it installs). My Windows external Hard Drive won't even pick up on my Mac btw.
Set Windows Firewall to block everything (I've blocked myself out this way!)
Turn on all virus protection (you'll still be at risk of contracting a virus)
You will still need to download Windows patches for bugs they discover years down the line. Also, the system WILL still crash: I regularly use TIFF files and my PS CS regularly crashes on Windows. Not so on Tiger OS.
With respect to the speed differences; I use a bloated Windows XP system with a 1.73Ghz laptop and an Apple Powerbook with a 1.67Ghz. Running PS CS on both, the Apple is way faster. There simply is no bloated accessory software to slow down my OS (Anti-virus/firewall). When you open a window, check your CPU processes and watch how much of the memory is zapped on 1 application. Turn on two applications and watch what happens: running Norton Systemswork compromises my use of PS CS drastically. I just don't get this inefficiency with the Apple. I guess that is the area of multitasking. Start doing video editing and checking your emails, and again, the same problem.
I've only started appreciating stability of the Mac OS - before I relied on having back-ups on a daily basis on Windows ...just in case. The time it takes to go through that routine is inefficient compared to working on a stable OS. There is a huge advantage in an OS that isn't running on a mosaic pattern like Win XP.
Nuts, I'm starting to sound like an advert for Apple...
Originally posted by Chucker
[B]Yes, on that particular partition. Of course, you only have one partition to begin with, since that's how the Mac was initially set up by Apple. Hardly anyone changes that.
That's their problem.
Meep! All OS X data is lost.
Have you ever tried this? It might be different in OS X, but in Linux, you do not lose you data.
Wishful thinking.
Nope. It's happening in the Linux world.
They use similar tools, such as parted.
No they don't. Most Linux installers (at least all major distros) include a partition manager in the installer itself. That's how you dual boot without losing your Windows partition/data. You pop in your SuSE DVD and you're good to go. Their installer does the job for you - partitioning, formatting, installing.
None of the Microsoft- (or Apple-, for that matter) supplied partitioning tools ever supported lossless resizing. I really can't see that changing for Vista, but I can always be pleasantly surprised.
That doesn't mean it won't change.
Originally posted by Gene Clean
No they don't. Most Linux installers (at least all major distros) include a partition manager in the installer itself.
Which usually uses parted.
Their installer does the job for you - partitioning, formatting, installing.
Vista's doesn't.
How would it, anyway? That assumes Vista can shift files around on other file systems, such as ext3 and HFS+, which requires write support for those file systems, which Windows never had to begin with. (Yes, I realize there's third-party plug-ins for that.)
Originally posted by Justin
Hey Brandon - SNIP -
Let's follow your scenario: you run WINDOWS (if it installs). My Windows external Hard Drive won't even pick up on my Mac btw.
If you are going to run VPC then it will run on your /. drive. I imagine that you could run it on a different drive, but you have to install it that way. You cannot take a HD from a PC and put it in an external drive and expect to be able to see anything other than data. It is possible to drop into Unix and poke around, but to run Windows you need to install it using VPC.
Quote:
Set Windows Firewall to block everything (I've blocked myself out this way!)
Turn on all virus protection (you'll still be at risk of contracting a virus)
First you cannot firewall yourself out, don't worry about that. With a good and very tight Firewall, I don't think your that much at risk.
Quote:
You will still need to download Windows patches for bugs they discover years down the line. Also, the system WILL still crash: I regularly use TIFF files and my PS CS regularly crashes on Windows. Not so on Tiger OS.
Yea, I would move your .tiff files over to the Mac side prior to messing around with them. As far as the patches to your windows machine, surf over to MS.com twice a year in your Mac environment and request them to send you all applicable patches coverning the last 6 months. They will mail them to you on CD, you will pay about $20 for this.
Quote:
With respect to the speed differences; I use a bloated Windows XP system with a 1.73Ghz laptop and an Apple Powerbook with a 1.67Ghz. Running PS CS on both, the Apple is way faster. There simply is no bloated accessory software to slow down my OS (Anti-virus/firewall). When you open a window, check your CPU processes and watch how much of the memory is zapped on 1 application. Turn on two applications and watch what happens: running Norton Systemswork compromises my use of PS CS drastically. I just don't get this inefficiency with the Apple. I guess that is the area of multitasking. Start doing video editing and checking your emails, and again, the same problem.
I've only started appreciating stability of the Mac OS - before I relied on having back-ups on a daily basis on Windows ...just in case. The time it takes to go through that routine is inefficient compared to working on a stable OS. There is a huge advantage in an OS that isn't running on a mosaic pattern like Win XP.
Nuts, I'm starting to sound like an advert for Apple...
Well I can tell you that everyone of the Pros on this board do back-up ...just in case. It is a wise practice. Surf over to www.macosxhints.com and search for a back-up script, let your laptop sleep at night and the script should wake it up and perform your back-up and go back to sleep. If you value your work back it up. As far as the stability goes, OSX is pretty rock solid but there will be things that crop up, such the first iteration of a new OS technology, File Vault comes to mind. Tread carefully is these areas with anything you value until the kinks are worked out. Basically what the crowd does is let Apple release a new OS version and wait about 4 to six months for Apple too fix all of the little glitches, not that you could not use 10.4.0 but there were little things that were weird, such as web framework leaking memory. From what I've heard there were many holes. But yes OSX is good at multitasking and the stability is great, let me repeat what they said at hacker world "there is a base of 40,000+ viruses for Windows, and none for the Mac" Security is the strong hold of OSX, I believe that Mel has set-up a BSD machine and exposed it to the internet for months, no firewall and Virus protection - No problem. OSX sits on a version of FreeBSD and Mach. For us the Internet currently is something that we can romp through and never have to worry about. If it were not for this security there would be lots more Pro Mac users not surfing the web on their work machine, so enjoy the security.
Originally posted by Kickaha
No one's mentioned WINE? I'm surprised. It would let you run many (most) Windows apps, excluding high-end games, without ever having to even boot Windows inside a VirtualPC-esque space.
It's an idea.
The DARWINE project is coming along nicely. They already have simple applications like Wordpad.exe up and running on an Intel Mac OS X. It looks pretty ugly; since you have the pretty OS X titlebar with its gel buttons and, below that, the Wordpad titlebar menus - complete with a flat grey background and horrible scroll arrows. But... Regardless of how ugly the marriage between WinXP and OS X might be, the fact that the Darwine project has gotten to the point of window management, menus, and the ability to run simple Windows applications is a major achievement.
Just as has been seen with the Wine project in Linux, the Darwine project will be a long and hard road; filled with driver issues that will drive everyone crazy. Don't expect to be running the latest high-end Windows game any time soon!
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
So...okay, hotshot...there's a bomb on a bus.
Whadda ya do?!
Originally posted by Mac~N~Cheese
Whadda ya do?!
You either dual-boot or use a cheap PC.
Originally posted by Chucker
You either dual-boot or use a cheap PC.
i hope you can switch back and forth easily
i have one studid work program that requres windows(2k,xp etc) and IE 5+ that's why i'm not upgrading my dell till the dust settles and you guys can show me the way.
Originally posted by Mac~N~Cheese
Say you just wanted a Windows environment for gaming purposes ONLY?
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
So...okay, hotshot...there's a bomb on a bus.
Whadda ya do?!
Depends on your needs. Cheap PC would be the best cover, that way if VPC on an Intel Mac bombs you can always upgrade. It depends also if the games are relying on DirectX or if they going around to metal. If DirectX then all bets are off, if not the Intel Mac has a good chance. The boon will be for programming in general, in that the crowd that understands how to optimize x86 code is very large by any standards, while the group that understands how to optimize PPC code is very small by any standard. We will get the tweeks almost for free, at least compared to PPC optimizations. Games would require such tweeking so I see this as very good for games.
You tell Windows to shrink your drive to 150, and apply the difference towards a new 60GB partition.
The Windows Installer can partition Harddrives, but there is no way within the standard Windows Tools to resize a partition.
if you want to change a 100 GB Partition to 2 50 GB, the only way it works with the default windows Partitioning tool is deleting the 100GB Partition and create 2 50GB Partitions.
Thats why there is Partition magic, witch can resize ext2/3 stuff (and FAT/NTFS) but i havent checked if it works on HFS (i doubt it somehow)
Originally posted by Chucker
You either dual-boot or use a cheap PC.
Dual-booting sounds fine to me, in and of itself, but is that really going to be possible or just wishfull thinking on someone's part?
I've read posts that say 'Yes' to both sides of that debate.
Originally posted by Kickaha
At the moment, it is sheer speculation. Nobody knows for sure, either way.
No, sorry, Windows has been booted on Intel Macs and Phil Schiller has said that Apple won't actively try to block installations of Windows on their machines. I mean, why would they? It's just another perk of buying a Mac, and might push some PC buyers to get a Mac.
That said, it likely won't be an extremely user-friendly process to install both, but I was able to install OS X and Windows on an unsupported PC without a UI, so no doubt visa-versa will be even easier on a Mac.
Originally posted by Mac~N~Cheese
Say you just wanted a Windows environment for gaming purposes ONLY?
Say you found no apps you cared enough about to buy a PC...apps that didn't have a superior Mac counterpart anyway.
Say you were only considering some basic PC that you could doctor and get you playing the games that weren't available for the Mac.
Would you buy some entry level cheapo PC now or wait and hope to play on a Mactel?
I know VPC is getting better all the time, but last time I checked (I have VPC 5), it didn't support any sort of 3D graphic acceleration, which is...lets face it...a dealbreaker with 99.999% of today's games.
So...okay, hotshot...there's a bomb on a bus.
Whadda ya do?!
You download WINE. Based on the history of Linux-based software in OSX, there will also come along a frontend that eliminates the admittedly yucky messing around with config files. Hopefully that will progress into somehow integrating into the Dock to make it so that running Windows apps in OSX is trasparent. OSX has had a very positive indirect effect so far on OSS, from what I can see, and I don't see it changing any time soon.