Should I buy a Mac or just stay with windows?

censuspro

My windows laptop is coming to the end of of it's life and am trying to decide if I should buy a mac as a replacement. However, all of the applications on my laptop run only on windows based i.e accounts, payroll etc. Also, I'm a heavy user of ms excel and have heard that the mac version doesn't have the same functionality as ms version.

Be that as it may, I've started to become bored with windows and the reason I was considering getting a Mac was for all my music, photo, video etc.

Is it feasible to run windows on a mac book pro and if so, is it painfully complicated or would I jeopardize my warranty? Another alternative would be to host all my windows programs remotely but I don't know how practical that would be and although I've used remote services like logmein.com the screen size and resolution is terrible.

Any thoughts or suggestions.

shanec1928

censuspro wrote: »

My windows laptop is coming to the end of of it's life and am trying to decide if I should buy a mac as a replacement. However, all of the applications on my laptop run only on windows based i.e accounts, payroll etc. Also, I'm a heavy user of ms excel and have heard that the mac version doesn't have the same functionality as ms version.

Be that as it may, I've started to become bored with windows and the reason I was considering getting a Mac was for all my music, photo, video etc.

Is it feasible to run windows on a mac book pro and if so, is it painfully complicated or would I jeopardize my warranty? Another alternative would be to host all my windows programs remotely but I don't know how practical that would be and although I've used remote services like logmein.com the screen size and resolution is terrible.

Any thoughts or suggestions.

simple look up parallels,vmware fusion which are virtual machines or boot camp which is already on the machine which allows you to partition the hard drive for installing windows that way. cant comment on excel have it but wouldn't be a big user of it in general

ZENER

Stick with Windows. It'll avoid another Mac V Windows thread and also it's obvious you rely more on MS than Apple.

Ken

7upfree

ZENER wrote: »

Stick with Windows. It'll avoid another Mac V Windows thread and also it's obvious you rely more on MS than Apple.

Ken

We use both on an iMac. Parallels runs Windows 7, Outlook, and Office 2007. Works well, but Windows can be sluggish on it. it is extremely easy to install. Unfortunately the iMac has been recalled to have its hard drive replaced.

avalon68

I used windows on an iMac via VMWare fusion - really easy to install, worked flawlessly - but the iMac was pimped out with the fastest processer and most RAM options when purchasing. Really it sounds like you would benefit more from buying a windows machine - imo its not really worth paying all that extra money for a mac if you will only end up running windows on it for most of your work. You could buy a really nice PC and still have money left over Dont get me wrong - I love my mbp, but it really sounds like you need windows more than apple right now. On the other hand if you have money to burn - my old boss had a macpro and two monitors - one running windows and one running OSX simultaneously. Best of both worlds

mathepac

Buy a Mac. I'm not sure how secure or sensible it is to have accounting and payroll data and software on a laptop, maybe you need a desk-top like an iMac. What do you auditors think?

Whether it's a MacBook Pro or an iMac you decide on if you need MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint or Outlook, all of those programs have run in fast native-mode (no emulator needed) for decades so whoever is telling you about difference may mean version differences, but version-for-version on Mac or Windoze, I haven't encountered any significant or insurmountable incompatibilities in more that 20 years using Macs in what was a Windoze world. May be you friend can give specifics, including version numbers etc.

Apart from Bootcamp (built-in) as mentioned already you have free and paid-for emulators as well as programs like WINE/Crossover which can run individual Windoze programs without the need to have a version of Windoze installed.

Your move to Mac can be made easier by some of the Migration Assistant functionality that Apple offers.

Buy a Mac, you'll never look back.

Steve, Steve! Get back in the box man, I don't need help here, honestly.

censuspro

So if I buy a Mac and have a Windows partition, would I have to log in and out of each os or is it just like opening and closing programs?

Also, is this something that an apple retailer would do as I don't want to risk going a this myself?

mathepac

censuspro wrote: »

So if I buy a Mac and have a Windows partition, would I have to log in and out of each os or is it just like opening and closing programs?

Also, is this something that an apple retailer would do as I don't want to risk going a this myself?

It depends on what you want to achieve.

If you install something like VMWare Fusion or Virtual Box (free) or Paralells DeskTop, you install them like any other app on your Mac and then install your licenced copy of Windoze. You launch Windoze by starting the emulator.

You can of course run seperate partitions for dual-booting or even install a single Windoze app by using CrossOver and then you can run that app without any Micro$oft OS.

Here's a Mac OS emulators 101 that explains the stuff better than I can - http://www.macwindows.com/emulator.html

HTH

mitosis

Why the feck would you buy a Mac to run Windows on? I never heard of anyone putting Mac OS on a Windows machine. OP, just buy what's appropriate to your needs. Bored of Windows? Try Linux.

censuspro

mitosis wrote: »

Why the feck would you buy a Mac to run Windows on? I never heard of anyone putting Mac OS on a Windows machine. OP, just buy what's appropriate to your needs. Bored of Windows? Try Linux.

But can I run all my windows programs on linux?

T-K-O

I have office on my mac and it is definitely not the same experience. If you get the MAC, use bootcamp to daul boot windows. That way you can logon to windows for work and OSX for media

squonk

Ok, OP, are you planning on exploring other things besides Windows apps that you would like to use the Mac for, like video editing, or music?

If I was you and wanted a Mac, I'd invest in something like Paralells or Fusion so that you can run your windows apps directly on your Mac desktop. It's fairly handy and straight forward. Your peformance might be sluggish but it depends on how much resources you give to the guest OS when you setup your VM.

With the Mac you get Time Machine which would be handy for you if you're using payroll and business sensitive stuff. That means you are in a good position if you experience hard drive failure or other such difficulties. You can restore from your backup disk quickly and easilly.

That's the big advantage you get with a Mac. The hardware is generally nicer designed than the Windows equivalent as well.

That being said, a Mac will cost you a lot more than a HP or Dell or whatever. The prices are taking a real hit at the moment so you need to consider that. If you want an imac though, the new one is the nicest and best one box solution out there.

As for the suggestion the OP use Linux, that's just retarded. Linux is still failing at being a general use OS that the average person can get to grips with. Ubuntu has made good strides but it still sucks from a casual use perspective. As usable UNIX platforms go, the Mac is the best at the moment.

avalon68

You sound like you need a pc but want a Mac . Why not get a pc for work stuff and then get a Mac book air for fun stuff. Has the added benefit of leaving work at work ... Trying to help you justify a Mac here :P

censuspro

That would be ideal but I couldn't justify the cost of two separate laptops.

avalon68 wrote: »

You sound like you need a pc but want a Mac . Why not get a pc for work stuff and then get a Mac book air for fun stuff. Has the added benefit of leaving work at work ... Trying to help you justify a Mac here :P

GhostInTheRuins

If you want a mac, get one. Then install windows with bootcamp. So when you want to do your work related stuff just boot up in windows, and for everything else boot up osx.

Greentree_uk

Some really poor advice without even discussing the software requirements. What software are you using? No reason I see so far for not owning a mac.

avalon68

I guess a lot of this will come down to your budget OP. for instance, if you are thinking of buying a base model 13 inch pro, then I think you would be better off with a pc. I have the 13 inch, I love it, but it does struggle when used intensive programmes and the screen size is painful for dealing with exel. I'm not sure how it would cope with running windows in something like VMware fusion and of course in terms of screen size you can hook up an external monitor ( but then you have the expense of another screen, and the outrageously priced apple adaptors!). I'm sure it could do it reasonably well, but add in some more programmes that you need to run and the performance may start to suffer. If you are going for a pimped out 15 inch mbp, then I'm sure everything would be smoother.

censuspro

The software I run for work purposes are ms office and a host of different accounting, payroll and tax programs none of which are compatible with apple.

I already have dual monitors hooked up to my Lenovo n500 but problem is that the laptop is approx 5 years old and only has one hdmi and one VGA port so I'm not maximizing the resolution on both monitors.

What are the thoughts on hosting my windows programs remotely or what about Windows 8 surface? I know it was only launched but is this an option or would it just be more if the same?

Greentree_uk

censuspro wrote: »

The software I run for work purposes are ms office and a host of different accounting, payroll and tax programs none of which are compatible with apple.

Would be good to get a list of those. Office should not be a problem.

censuspro wrote: »

What are the thoughts on hosting my windows programs remotely or what about Windows 8 surface? I know it was only launched but is this an option or would it just be more if the same?

Hosting remotely is absolutely an option, virtualizing is also another, using wineskin is also another. I have many instances of accounts programs running for clients with no problems on much slower machines than current models. Perhaps you should seek advice from some Experts. Contact a B2B Team at an Apple Reseller, they will be able to give you some good advice. Some comments on here are ridiculous, been virtualizing windows a long time. and not had issues with it. provided it is not used as your Main OS and you use it for work. I educate my users to use windows for their specific App, be it Sage (which can now be done in the cloud) or whatever. Use the mac for Email surfing and everything else. oh and go with a clean install, don't bring your existing slow windows machine into a VM.

censuspro

Excuse my ignorance but is remote hosting not the same as virtualization?

Greentree_uk wrote: »

Would be good to get a list of those. Office should not be a problem.



Hosting remotely is absolutely an option, virtualizing is also another, using wineskin is also another. I have many instances of accounts programs running for clients with no problems on much slower machines than current models. Perhaps you should seek advice from some Experts. Contact a B2B Team at an Apple Reseller, they will be able to give you some good advice. Some comments on here are ridiculous, been virtualizing windows a long time. and not had issues with it. provided it is not used as your Main OS and you use it for work. I educate my users to use windows for their specific App, be it Sage (which can now be done in the cloud) or whatever. Use the mac for Email surfing and everything else. oh and go with a clean install, don't bring your existing slow windows machine into a VM.

Greentree_uk

Hosting remotely can be the same as, but not necessarily. in this scenario you are remote controlling a remote machine. whether this is remote controlling a virtual machine on a remote server or an actual machine comes down to cost and choice. Virtualizing this way takes the Processor burden off your computer and onto another. Alternatively you can use VMware or Parallels on your own machine, which shares the resources (CPU HDD& Memory) of your machine.

areyawell

mitosis wrote: »

Why the feck would you buy a Mac to run Windows on? I never heard of anyone putting Mac OS on a Windows machine. OP, just buy what's appropriate to your needs. Bored of Windows? Try Linux.

Nearly everyone I know with a Mac have windows dual booted on it or run from a virtual machine