Mac Noob: How do you run pc programmes on your mac?

[Donnie]

Right, so just moved to a macbook pro from my clanky old windows laptop and am very impressed so far.

Other than getting to grips with the shortcuts and other quirks I am wondering how people here run windows based programmes on their mac?

Specifically for me I have a slideshow programme (Proshow gold) that is windows only and I'd like to run it on the mac.

Anyone got an idiot's guide?

 

[neil_g]

you dont, you need mac specific software/installations.

best you can do is bootcamp/parallels to run windows on the mac.

 

[wegotitugetit]

im in process of running parallels so i can try windows 8 basically it is like opening a programme then your in windows everything runs the same as a pc would but you can jump between the 2 os which i find usefull on my old mac ( new one currently 2 weeks ago and not installed it on there yet )

as for boot camp its a bit like going into bios and telling it to boot that hard drive except you dont it boots up windows in a seperate partition so you can access the osx software thats how i can tell it works never used boot camp before only seen / heared about it but cant tell you much more from there im sure neil g might he seems to be a mac expert

parallels is cheap enough

 

[Happy Snapper]

Never use any windows/Microsoft product again.
Look in the AppStore something will suit your needs

 

[Donnie]

Cheers guys.

I know that the best way would be to buy mac specific programmes but there's a few that aren't available that I find useful that there is no mac version. :-/

 

[wegotitugetit]

Cheers guys.

I know that the best way would be to buy mac specific programmes but there's a few that aren't available that I find useful that there is no mac version. :-/

Yes turbo lister for eBay is not and that is a reason why I use parallels

 

[PMK]

Parallels is your best option.

 

[Donnie]

I'll have a look, cheers all.

 

[gadgeteer]

There are a few options now. Parallels is one, VMWare another. But I've found them all pretty rubbish for anything graphically intensive such as a slideshow program like Proshow.

You might be better off bootcamping your mac and running Windows natively.

 

[Happy Snapper]

There are a few options now. Parallels is one, VMWare another. But I've found them all pretty rubbish for anything graphically intensive such as a slideshow program like Proshow.

You might be better off bootcamping your mac and running Windows natively.

Agree! Virtual box and others only have a small window.

 

[Donnie]

Hmmmm more research needed then.

 

[mid_gen]

Agree! Virtual box and others only have a small window.

You should really look at the fullscreen option......

 

[Donnie]

Have discovered that boot camp is pre installed already so think that's the way ill be going if I can figure it out

 

[neil_g]

might help - http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

essentially you just need a licenced copy of windows on a disk

 

[allanm]

I would second the bootcamp option, with reservations, its far faster than VMware or Parallels, but, you need to boot either system, you cant swap between the two.
If you can get away with using VM or Parallels, I would do, meanwhile, i would be looking at a Mac alternative to the software you want to use or buy a cheap laptop to run Windows stuff. Its probably cheaper than getting a licenced copy of Windows and buying VM or Parallels.
Allan