New iMac owner with Windows question

robertm101 · January 30, 2007 4:53PM

I just ordered my iMAc 20" with Intel core 2 and I want to run windows. Can I get the full version of windows vista or just go with windows xp. Also I saw a program called VIRTUAL PC FOR MAC 7.0 WITH WINDOWS XP HOME.

What exactly is this and what do i need just for home use. I know i need boot camp and I will be getting parallel.

Thanks.

ireland · January 30, 2007 4:55PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertm101

Can I get the full version of windows vista or just go with windows xp.

Can you clarify this question?

robertm101 · January 30, 2007 5:13PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireland

Can you clarify this question?

I just ordered an iMac 20" with intel duo core 2.

I want to run windows on it. I was just going to buy a full version of windows xp, but if I am going to spend the money should I just get Vista or stick with Xp.

Also I saw microsoft software called VIRTUAL PC FOR MAC 7.0 WITH WINDOWS XP HOME. What exactly is this software and could I use that instead of xp.

Thanks

addabox · January 30, 2007 5:18PM

MS bought Virtual PC and now bundles it with XP.

However, since the advent of dual booting Macs, Virtual PC is completely irrelevant, a holdover from pre-Intel days.

What you want to do is get a copy of XP and a copy of Parallels. Parallels will run XP side by side with your Mac environment, more or less at full speed (Virtual PC was famously dog slow).

As far as XP vs. Vista, I would go with XP at this point. The Parallels people have been making huge strides in speed and functionality, and whatever Vista breaks on PCs it is likely to break on a Mac.

rich-myster · February 2, 2007 3:30PM

or if it's not necessary to have xp, go for an even lower version of windows, like 98 or something, but seeing as you have xp, just use xp

addabox · February 2, 2007 5:56PM

Huh. Looks like Vista's licensing small print makes it illegal to run Vista in software like Parallels for all editions but Business.

backtomac · February 2, 2007 7:01PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertm101

I just ordered my iMAc 20" with Intel core 2 and I want to run windows. Can I get the full version of windows vista or just go with windows xp. Also I saw a program called VIRTUAL PC FOR MAC 7.0 WITH WINDOWS XP HOME.

What exactly is this and what do i need just for home use. I know i need boot camp and I will be getting parallel.

Thanks.

What do you want to do with you windows boot? If you want to game then get the boot camp download and follow directions. Windows will run full speed. If you want to run some windows apps that don't come on the Mac, then Parallels is probably the best solution as you do not have reboot your machine each time you want to change OS environments. If you just need to work with MS office documents then just get Office for the Mac as it is cross platform compatible. No need for windows. Think about what you want to do in windows as it will determine your solution.

kickaha · February 2, 2007 7:05PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by addabox

However, since the advent of dual booting Macs, Virtual PC is completely irrelevant, a holdover from pre-Intel days.

Not only that, but VirtualPC a) won't even run on an Intel Mac, and b) MS isn't going to update it to do so.

It's a dead product.

kcmac · February 3, 2007 10:21AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Not only that, but VirtualPC a) won't even run on an Intel Mac, and b) MS isn't going to update it to do so.

It's a dead product.

And just as we all thought it would be when they bought it.

Good riddance. Go Parallels, BootCamp, CrossoverMac, et al. At least, if ya want Windows on your Mac. For me? No.

iqatedo · November 24, 2007 4:34AM

Please forgive me resurrecting this old thread. This comes after a search of posts.

I have finally bitten the bullet and bought my first Intel Mac, a 15" MacBook Pro. This is one heck of a computer!

However, has anyone advice to offer about taking a fully licensed copy of XP Pro out of VirtualPC and loading it under Fusion. VMWare requires a bootable disk. I unzipped the copy from VPC and was left with a 1.33GB package entitled 'Windows XP Professional.vhd.002'.

All the best

pb · November 29, 2007 5:07AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IQatEdo

However, has anyone advice to offer about taking a fully licensed copy of XP Pro out of VirtualPC and loading it under Fusion. VMWare requires a bootable disk. I unzipped the copy from VPC and was left with a 1.33GB package entitled 'Windows XP Professional.vhd.002'.

All the best

That's actually an interesting question. There are many VPC users that would like to import their disk images to VMWare. But the information you can find about this is rather conflicting or ambiguous. In this Macworld discussion someone says that this is not possible, while someone else says that it is. You can try and tell us what it gives.

EDIT: I found this one too. So it should somehow work.

iqatedo · November 29, 2007 9:55AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PB

That's actually an interesting question. There are many VPC users that would like to import their disk images to VMWare. But the information you can find about this is rather conflicting or ambiguous. In this Macworld discussion someone says that this is not possible, while someone else says that it is. You can try and tell us what it gives.

EDIT: I found this one too. So it should somehow work.

Thank you - a bit to think about.

Incidentally, I do not have VPC 7 running currently but would like to work with the install disks.

All the best.

New iMac owner with Windows question

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