On Converting from PC to Mac...

Lang

Yep, if you haven't guessed yet from the topic, I decided to purchase a Macbook. I do have some qualms however, about how well I'll be able to transition.

The OSX is fine. I've had enough experience with it. I have a lot of programs (like Photoshop) that were Windows only, though, and I've looked up Parallels Desktop and Boot Camp and was wondering what your opinions are on how I could best use Windows programs for my Mac.

Also: Do you think I should get a DVD burner? I think the ComboDrive my lappy's coming with only writes CD-Rs and reads DVD+/-Rs.

Agentcel

I'm askin for a mac for christmas, so we're on the same boat.

Lang

My boat! My boat! *shoves you*

bruce

Maybe the Adobe disks are hybrid? Pop it in and see, if an OS X installer show up, you're in luck.

And yes, get a DVD drive. Trust me, it saves a lot of hassle.

Lang

Well, the software box says "Windows" on it... so I'm assuming it's Windows-only.

geoko

Congrats on the mac, welcome to our side! Here's the answers I've got for ya.

You are correct, Adobe discs are not Hybrid. However, as I'm sure you know, they do make a mac version. I'll assume you actually purchsed photoshop, and that's why you're concerned, so I'd contact adobe about possibly doing a cross platform upgrade if you're lookin to buy the mac version down the line... I can't remember if Adobe was one of the companies that does that or not. otherwise.... *cough*

From what I know of Boot Camp and Parallels: Boot Camp works well, the downside is that you have to restart to boot up in windows or mac os x, and the set up takes a while (you have to install a bunch of mac drivers on top of the already painful windows installing experience.) I've never personally installed parallels, but Paul has it, and I can tell you that it is AMAZINGLY slick. Jumping back and forth is easy as pie, and using to test web code on different OS's and browsers is a life saver. The downside to parallels is an obvious one, you're running multiple OS's at the same time on one computer, which is pretty processor intensive, meaning none of the open OS's will run as smoothly. If, for example, you're doing photoshopping in windows and checking you email / web browsing in mac os x, I'm sure it'd be fine. Now try opening final cut pro and Motion in mac os x, and photoshop and Nuendo in windows (i often have a slough of audio and video programs open when I'm working on my compy) and you're going to run into some major issues. So, basically, if you plan on doing lots of intense work in either OS, you're better off not having parallels running and just doing the restarts when necessary.

As for the DVD Burner, first off, unless they've changed this recently, I can tell you that when I worked for apple their "combo" drives would burn CD-R/RW, and read DVD, the "superdrive" will burn CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW (no DVD+R). But, here's my attitude on that (which is how I'm set up by the way) just go with the combo drive, and get an external burner if you really need one. If you're on the road and urgently need to move some data, a CD or two should be fine. For big transfers, a Firewire cable is much faster anyways. the laptop dvd burners aren't very fast, and do some serious damage to your battery life. You'll have much more flexibilty in the drive's capabilities if you go external, i.e. DVD+R, dual layer, lightscribe, higher speeds, etc. That's the route I took, and I haven't regretted it once yet.

mario

As an employee of a Mac repair shop, I've done plenty of Windows installs for customers. It basically boils down to this:

-If you want full 100% absolute Windows compatibility, a slightly lower price tag (just a copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or better) and don't mind restarting to go back and forth between Windows and Mac OS X, use Boot Camp
-If you want to be able to use both OSes simultaneously and don't need to worry about playing graphics-intensive Windows games, use Parallels

The current SuperDrives from Apple are dual-layer and can burn DVD+/-RW. If you already ordered your low-end MacBook, you can find internal SuperDrives for less than $100 if you look around. If you get a Pioneer DVR-112, it even comes with full OS X compatibility! That is to say, OS X 10.4 Tiger has all the drivers built into the operating system, so you get full burn support in Finder and iApps. We install this drive all the time, and it works beautifully. External drives are also an option, but I'm guessing you might not want to lose the portability in the process.

If you bring it up to Davis, I'll even do a free install for you! I can do it under five minutes, you can even time me if you like.

geoko

I still say go external. Even if you do get a free install. Mario breaks things all the time. I mean, you should see what he did to the insides of my ibook.

plus.... RACKMOUNTABLE!!! (I loves my LaCie!)

mario

You did that!! Now your hard drive is exposed to electromagnetic interference!

Also, I misspoke earlier. For a laptop SuperDrive, buy the Panasonic UJ-85J-B. The DVR-112 is a 5.25" drive for desktops.

geoko

*sigh* typical 3rd party repair shop. telling people to get the wrong parts, and pulling the old, "Oh! Ummmm... it was like that when you brought it in here?" Sure. I did it. Blame me. :P

FREE ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE!! bloody opressive shields, always getting the working EMI down.

mario

You didn't bring it in here! You cut into the EMI shield all on your own, buddy. Don't come crying to me when your hard drive dies from exposure to cosmic rays.

Nukivaj

Or water guns...

jason

Lang, I just got a middle-of-the-line MacBook myself, and they are nothing short of awesome. (As fast, if not faster for most things, as my dual processor G5 desktop. Yay, technology!) I've heard good things about VMWare Fusion + Unity as an alternative to Parallels.

Also: http://blog.1530technologies.com/2006/08/visual_studione.html
A little dated, but helpful.

I think your transition should be rather easy. I use Windows at work every day, and Mac at home every night, and aside from some ctrl/cmd confusion, it's pretty seamless. And there are enough Mac users here on the OB to help with pretty much any issue.

Lang

Thanks guys! Much love.

Also, it turns out I actually did get a SuperDrive pre-installed... but if it ever goes haywire I guess I know who to call!

mario

That would mean you got the spiffy mid-end model! That's good, because it has other cool stuff going for it beyond a SuperDrive (faster processor, bigger frontside bus and hard drive) that makes it totally worth the cost.

Lang

Yeah, it seemed like a good deal for only $200 more.

X'o'Lore

*hasn't actually read thread*

Just install XP! Everything runs on XP, why would you ever need anything else?

mario

MacBooks (and all Intel Macs) can run XP just fine alongside Mac OS X, if you have the need. You know, if you really want to sully it like that.

I kid, of course. Whenever I get my Intel iMac, I'll be putting some flavor of Windows on it for Gunbounding purposes. ^_^

bruce

I need Windows because no freaking msn clients for OS X support webcam properly, plus you know, GMod. But I only have a 60Gb drive with ~25Gb left right now, plus I do video editing, so I need as much space as possible. Unless someone wants to donate a 100Gb drive to the cause ;P

Hamelin

I recently bought a 500 GB drive for $120, they're coming down in price.

Lang

That is a sweet deal.

bruce

I am practically 100% certain that Mario has already told you this, but in case he hasn't, I will: Applecare Protection Plan. I know you have a year of hardware support, but you don't have phone support after 90 days, and phone support can come in handy, plus an extra three years tech support can't go amiss.

geoko

*nodnod* I always feel a bit shallow recommending it, seeing as how i was judged heavily on my ability to sell it at one point, but it's honestly worth it, especially on laptops. it's good world wide too, so if you do any international travel, it can come in handy. APP is definitely teh goodstuffs, especially if you can find a way to get yurself a student discount on it.

Kyle

I third that. APP has saved my butt before. And because of lazyness has cost me money. (that is because I didn't take my laptop in before the APP ended. Mario, I think that I need to take my ibook to your place of work).

Lang

I'm posting from mah new MacBook!

bruce

Played with photo booth yet?

It's only fun for about 5 minutes, but what a 5 minutes!

Lang

Well, I already had on another computer... where it lasted a bit more than 5 minutes. More people there compounded the fun, of course.

apas

As for XP, there's always virtualization of Linux, which would allow you to run Photoshop (hopefully) under Wine. It'd absolutely kill your battery, and, as far as my 1-st gen MacBook is concerned, processor. But, being as you already have a MacBook, it's worth a try.

For virtualization there's Parallels and Q, a Mac port of QEMU:

Homepage
Screenshot

I successfully ran Foresight under it on mah MacBook, but didn't quite have the patience...

EDIT: Ironically, I'm posting from a Windows machine.

Kyle

Go new computer!!!!!!!

bruce

Eew, don't bother with Q. The performance is abysmal.

apas

Yes, well that's why it's open source, so's it can be improved. I can say, though, that VMware Player on XP (with 512mb RAM and a Pentium 4) ran Foresight linux pretty fast- many times faster than Q... If only Fusion was free, too, so that I could compare the three.

Whether Fusion is better than Parallels, I can't say, but Q is still an option. A Wine port to OSX could also work, too, and probably much faster then any virtualization software.

Then there's also always OpenOSX's WinTel, something I never tried.

EDIT: Can't believe I saw it, but WinTel's really just a QEMU port (says it on the titlebar)