Real Estate Technology

Since the last post on me being back in the Mac corner, a long time reader of the blog asked what software I was using for virtualization (running Windows on a Mac along with OS X).

If you didn’t know, there are two ways of running Windows on a Mac, as a virtual operating system running at the same time as OS X. Another way to run Windows is to run it natively on a Mac using Boot Camp. Boot Camp is included in OS X Leopard and lets you boot right into Windows.

For virtualization, you can either use Parallels or VMWare Fusion. I tried both prior to committing to Parallels. Both do an admirable job of running either Windows XP or Vista on a Mac, however, they both differ in their implementation. Parallels integrates Windows seamlessly with OS X, while Fusion keeps both separate. It really depends on what your priorities are.

My MacBook Pro tends to run a bit hotter with Parallels then it did with Fusion, however the difference is not that great. I gave Boot Camp a shot, but the whole process caused my OS X installation to crash and I swore off Boot Camp. Plus, since I don’t intend to play any games or do any other highly graphic-intensive work on Windows, I have no reason to boot right into Windows.

I will be doing a further review of Fusion and Parallels in the near future. Stay tuned!