The top four applications for running Windows on an Intel-based Mac are Boot Camp, Parallels, Fusion and VirtualBox. All four work well and are easy to use. All four work well and are easy to use. Determining which one performs best, provides the best value, and best meets your needs can be difficult. Well, the Windows Express option does most of the work for you, which takes the fun, or at least the challenge, out of it. The Windows Express option also doesn't let you directly configure many settings, including type of network, memory, disk space, and other parameters. Computer's performance mostly depends on several hardware components: CPU, RAM and hard disk. While CPU cannot be replaced at hand, most of Mac computers enabled for RAM and hard disk upgrade. Upgrading Your Mac with a Solid State Drive. If your Mac uses a hard disk drive (HDD), it is highly recommended to replace the drive with a solid state one (SSD). This is the #1 recommendation for all Mac users which gives significant performance boost to Mac at 2-3 times.
- Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Mac Free
- Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Macbook
- Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Macbook Pro
For many Mac users, running Windows applications is a necessity. Perhaps your employer uses software that’s available only for Windows, or requires use of a Web site that relies on some Windows-only technology. For years, these users haven’t had many options.
Microsoft’s was the best choice, but even on the fastest Macs, it provided a less-than-speedy Windows experience. Apple’s switch to Intel CPUs, however, means that running is suddenly much easier—there is no longer a need to emulate an entire CPU, as new Macs now use the same CPU as their Windows counterparts. This means that, in theory, running Windows on OS X should be both simpler and much faster than it was with Virtual PC. Apple’s allows new Intel Macs to boot directly into Windows XP (Pro or Home versions) and run it natively, with full support for accelerated graphics and hardware devices (other than the built-in iSight camera, that is). But rebooting is time consuming, and Mac users would much rather stay in OS X and just run Windows when needed. Plus, Boot Camp only supports Windows XP.
Enter Parallels Desktop for Mac, an OS X solution for running “guest” operating systems within OS X. Parallels utilizes the Intel chip’s hardware (VT).
Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Mac Free
Although that’s a mouthful of buzzwords, what it means is simple: VT lets an Intel CPU act as if it were several distinct CPUs, which in turn enables guest operating systems to run much faster. What it really means to you, the user, is that you can run a wide variety of operating systems, including multiple versions of Windows—from 3.1 to 2000 to XP—as well as multiple versions of Linux, at very good speeds, and without ever rebooting your machine. Installation Installing Parallels is no different than installing any other OS X program that uses an installer. Double-click the installer, follow the prompts, and wait for it to finish. After installation, you’ll find the program in the Parallels folder in the Applications folder.
Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Macbook
Behind the scenes, Parallels has installed quite a few things on your machine, including a kernel extension (a low-level tool that modifies the core of OS X) to enable its magic. An included uninstaller worked well when I tested it, removing the program and its associated parts.
Setting up As noted, Parallels can run many different operating systems. After launching the application, the first thing you must do is create a virtual machine (VM), specifying which OS you’re planning to install.
Getting The Most Speed Out Of Parallels For Macbook Pro
You do this by answering a few questions in an easy-to-use setup wizard. Based on the OS you choose, Parallels appoints values for the hard drive size, CD-ROM, video, RAM, etc. (You can customize these settings, if you wish.) Once everything’s set up, the next step is to install your chosen operating system. Parallels doesn’t include any operating systems, so it’s up to you to supply them. In the case of Windows, you’ll need the actual installation CDs.