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Anything New in Virtualization-Win 7
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Senior User
Join Date: Sep 2002
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[i]Originally posted in the Reference sub-forum's "Virtualization Software Roundup" thread...
OK, I'm reviving threads from the dead for today.
This thread seems to have gone nowhere in 3 years but I'm about to install Windows 7 on a new iMac and I'm looking for updated info on virtualization. I've been running Vista through Fusion for several years with a moderate level of confusion with controls but overall it's functioned fine. I'm using 3D Studio Max which is confusing enough to having to figure out so a few switches between control and command keys wasn't too much of an imposition.
When I chose Fusion it seemed like the best choice from the experience of others. Now we're several versions down the line for both apps and VirtualBox has been added to the mix. Anything new and different on the Windows-on-a-Mac front? What are people liking? Not liking? Recommendations?
All help and opinions appreciated.
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Last edited by ghporter; Jul 9, 2010 at 04:59 PM.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Virtualbox is the fastest hypervisor in general (I'm assuming this is so on the Mac too) and is being improved at a pretty rapid pace. I would suggest using it.
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Administrator  Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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3D Studio Max has some pretty stiff hardware requirements-for that sort of app I'd install Win 7 native via Boot Camp.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Moderator  Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Polwaristan
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I've been pleased with virtualbox for Win7 x86 and x64.
But I also have Fusion and their last update came with some nice performance improvements. I usually use it for Win7 and am pleased with performance.
My MBP has 8 GB RAM and Win7 gets 3 GB. RAM obviously will have a huge impact on VM performance.
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Senior User
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I've been running Max in Fusion up to now with 4GB of ram installed and as long as I keep the Creative Suite turned off on the Mac side it only occasionally gets completely overloaded, usually during rendering.
I know I really ought to run it natively but I hate shutting down my whole Mac life for one application. 
I have to go check out VirtualBox.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
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Have any of you had any experience writing code in Win7 via virtualization? I'll be receiving a Windows Phone 7 in the next few months, and I'd love to write a few simple apps for it while the Marketplace is still pretty empty. But of course, you can only do that via Visual Studio on Windows. I'd rather not have to deal with the whole Boot Camp thing if at all avoidable, but my fear is that development will feel too slow in Virtualbox/VMWare/Parallels. I have a MBP 2.4 with 2 gigs of memory (that I'll upgrade to 4 before I do this).
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Any ramblings are entirely my own, and do not represent those of my employers, coworkers, friends, or species
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Clinically Insane
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TheoCryst: Windows 7 requires a lot of resources. I'd suggest testing Windows 7 + Virtualbox + with and without Remote Desktop (you might find that connecting via RDP to be faster and less cumbersome), but if it is still too laggy I'd suggest a dedicated PC you ran make RDP connections to for your dev work. Even a PC running Linux or some other OS + Virtualbox/VMWare Server you can RDP into would at least alleviate having to compete for resources on your Mac.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Back in the Good Ole US of A
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Originally Posted by TheoCryst 
Have any of you had any experience writing code in Win7 via virtualization?
Every day. I write software in the Windows environment for a living. Been using Win7 under Fusion since the first release candidate. No complaints but you want at least 4GB of RAM with at least 1GB for Win7. I've got 6GB and reserve 2GB for Win7. I'm running both Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2010 (sometimes at the same time).
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
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Both good ideas. My new memory is in the mail, and once it gets here I'll try it out virtualized. If that doesn't fly, I may end up using my media center Mini as a host and RDC into it. Thanks!
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Any ramblings are entirely my own, and do not represent those of my employers, coworkers, friends, or species
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Originally Posted by Atheist
Every day. I write software in the Windows environment for a living. Been using Win7 under Fusion since the first release candidate. No complaints but you want at least 4GB of RAM with at least 1GB for Win7. I've got 6GB and reserve 2GB for Win7. I'm running both Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2010 (sometimes at the same time).
Do you find access faster using RDC to your VMWare Fusion based VM, or do you just use the provided console, presumably in Unity mode?
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