Windows choices

MrLatte23 · #1 April 26th, 2007, 09:45 PM

Unfortunately I need to load windows to occasionally log into work after hours. I dread opening up my MacPro (2 x 2.66 GHz - OS X 10.4.9 - 2 X 500/GB & 2 X 750 GB HD's) to the issues of windows and virii.

Coupla questions: of the 4 virtualization choices (Boot Camp, Parallels, CrossOver and VMWare) which is the safest? Maybe my lack of understanding of how the platforms are separated might be leading to my questions, but will simple partitions on my primary HD keep my Mac parts safe? Or could I use one of my other HD's for Windows without fear of something nasty jumping from one HD to another and potentially wiping out hundreds of GB's of pix and video files.

I'm considering buying a cheap PC to deal with the issue but feel dealing with a PC in my Mac house might remind me of why I no longer help my friends troubleshoot their PC problems. I guess I can use Mozilla to log-in but need to be on a PC (or virtual PC) to do so.

Lastly, does anyone have a favorite? I'm leaning toward Parallels since I only need to log into work. And will using PC virtualization like Parallels, CrossOver or VMWare provide whatever it is the company network needs to recognize that I"m on a PC and not just a Mac playing a PC on TV.

Thanks.

symphonix · #2 April 26th, 2007, 10:55 PM

What are you logging into? ie: what program or system? If it works under Mozilla on a PC, I'd imagine it would work fine under Mozilla on a Mac.

MisterMe · #3 April 26th, 2007, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrLatte23

...

Coupla questions: of the 4 virtualization choices (Boot Camp, Parallels, CrossOver and VMWare) which is the safest? Maybe my lack of understanding of how the platforms are separated might be leading to my questions, but will simple partitions on my primary HD keep my Mac parts safe? ...

The elements of your list are not mutually exclusive. They solve different problems.

Boot Camp is not a virtualization choice. It enables BIOS-emulation in your Mac's EFI firmware to allow it to dual-boot into Windows. It includes the drivers required for a Intel-based Apple computer to run Windows. Booted into Windows, your Apple computer is a Windows computer just like your HP/Compaq, Dell, or Al's Garage with everything that being a Windows computer implies.

Parallels is a virtualization environment. It allows you to run a large array of Intel-compatible OSes (not just Windows) at near native speeds on your Intel-based Mac. Whether you are running MS-DOS, Windows XP, Solaris, or some other OS, you have ready access to your MacOS X environment. Because Parallels is a virtual environment, your computer is isolated and protected from the Windows nasties.

VMWare, like Parallels, is a virtualization environment. Unlike Parallels, the MacOS X version of VMWare is still in beta.

CrossOver is a compatibility environment, not a virtualization environment. It allows some Windows apps to run on MacOS X without an installation of Windows.

MrLatte23 · #4 April 27th, 2007, 09:29 AM

I believe it's simply a Windows Server that I'm logging into. The instructions provided by the part-time IT guy said simply to: open Remote Log in on the desktop, then enter webmail.XXXxxx.com and then enter user name and password when prompted. No mention of a secondary software to install, so I would assume it's part of the XP OS.

So that would probably rule out the use of CrossOver as a solution if the remote log-in is a part of XP and CrossOver only runs particular software.