Running Windows on Mac

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michael0919michael0919
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I have been using Macs since the first year they came out, and I have no intention of changing. However, I am now doing financial bookkeeping and consulting and I am troubled that both the top HP Scanner and QuickBooks Online run only under windows.



I need an expert (Genius) to tell me. On a new iMac, can I really load Windows (I don't mind buying it) and expect to be fully compatible with both of these with no "monkeying around?"



Are we there yet?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    bbwibbwi Posts: 812member
    Yes, you can really load Windows and be fully compatible. Not sure what you mean by "monkeying around". As long as you meet their requirements there should be no monkeying around
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  • Reply 2 of 7
    michael0919michael0919 Posts: 8member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bbwi View Post


    Yes, you can really load Windows and be fully compatible. Not sure what you mean by "monkeying around". As long as you meet their requirements there should be no monkeying around



    So, do I just order a copy of Vista Business and install it as if I had a PC? I am very good at Mac, pretty good at Windows. But since I am using this for a business, if I set everything up (and spend money) assuming Windows will run, I can't afford to find out there are glitches and I need some kind of workaround. (That's what I meant by "monkeying around."



    I notice that Microsoft does not seem to mention installing it on a Mac. If I have problems with Vista, do you know if Microsoft will answer my questions?



    I can't afford to buy the scanner and QB Online and find out it still won't run.
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  • Reply 3 of 7
    bbwibbwi Posts: 812member
    If you buy a retail copy of Vista then yes, MS will support it. They will not support the hardware but will support Windows itself. Hardware is always supported by the vendor who made the hardware.



    Installing Windows on a Mac using Boot Camp is really easy and works great. Any hardware you buy or website you visit will not know that you're actually running Windows on a Mac. The scanner will simply think it is plugged into a PC.



    I would make sure to use Boot Camp rather than Fusion or Parallels. Those programs you may have some issues. But Boot Camp is different and should work exactly like a PC would
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  • Reply 4 of 7
    michael0919michael0919 Posts: 8member
    Thanks. You've been great.
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  • Reply 5 of 7
    kingofsomewherehotkingofsomewherehot Posts: 4,185member
    Just start-up Boot Camp Assistant (inside the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.) It'll walk you through the simple process of partitioning your drive so that you can install Windows.

    Then, whenever you start the computer you can choose to start using either OSX or Windows.
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  • Reply 6 of 7
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    It seems like your work in windows will be light. You want to run a browser, IE I assume, to use the Quickbooks web app and some HP software to use an HP scanner. Is that all?



    If so you should definitely consider the virtualization option. I use VMWare for light windows use and it's great. It also allows you to easily switch back to the Mac environment. For occasional Windows use it's easier than rebooting.



    VMWare can be downloaded and given a test drive. However you'll want to use XP and not Vista as XP performs much better in a virtual environment. But give the work you intend to do in Windows, I wouldn't think that to be a big problem.
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  • Reply 7 of 7
    michael0919michael0919 Posts: 8member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    It seems like your work in windows will be light. You want to run a browser, IE I assume, to use the Quickbooks web app and some HP software to use an HP scanner. Is that all?



    If so you should definitely consider the virtualization option. I use VMWare for light windows use and it's great. It also allows you to easily switch back to the Mac environment. For occasional Windows use it's easier than rebooting.



    VMWare can be downloaded and given a test drive. However you'll want to use XP and not Vista as XP performs much better in a virtual environment. But give the work you intend to do in Windows, I wouldn't think that to be a big problem.



    Thanks. In the business world I am finding there may be more specialized software I need access to. If installing Vista works as well as I have heard so far, I think it is the better solution. Nothing is more expensive than lost time, and I will need to switch back and forth very rarely.
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