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mac_pc · Sep 4, 2006, 06:04 PM

Is running windows on mac the EXACT SAME as running it on pc? Is there any differences I should know about?

mduell · Sep 4, 2006, 06:06 PM

Requires special video card drivers; you can't use the stock ones from ATi/nVidia.

Otherwise that's pretty much it.

mac_pc · Sep 4, 2006, 06:19 PM

What do you mean special video card drivers? Is that just for gaming? or does it make a difference in other configurations?

If I am using parallel, does it share the CPU between the mac and windows? So if I have like 5 internet explorers, msn, skype, word, on windows and switch to mac, would it become slower? or is it totally seperate?

pat++ · 07:00 PM

Yes, it's *exactly* the same as a PC if you use Boot Camp. If you use Parallels the CPU is shared between all applications (Mac/Windows).

BTW, this post has nothing to do with MacBooks. - In before the lock - . Starting to get tired of all these threads...

mduell · Sep 4, 2006, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by mac_pc

What do you mean special video card drivers? Is that just for gaming? or does it make a difference in other configurations?

If I am using parallel, does it share the CPU between the mac and windows? So if I have like 5 internet explorers, msn, skype, word, on windows and switch to mac, would it become slower? or is it totally seperate?

I mean you need to use the video card drivers from Apple if you're running it on bare hardware. If you're going to use Parallels, then use the recommended drivers from Parallels.

Yes, if you use Parallels, one CPU core will be shared (Parallels only supports virtualizing one core at present time).

ghporter · Sep 4, 2006, 07:28 PM

This should be in the Alternative Operating Systems forum, so I'm moving it there.

And to answer the question, if you're running Windows XP by setting up the Mac to dual boot via Boot Camp, it's EXACTLY like running XP on a PC. The "driver issues" mentioned above (needing "special drivers") are quite common in the PC world because new hardware comes out but isn't as quickly supported with drivers as the user community would like. No sweat.

If you're using Parallels, it's slightly different because Parallels sets up a virtual machine, and that virtual machine is not exactly like PC hardware.

mac_pc · Sep 4, 2006, 09:28 PM

So basically to get the best out of everything, it's safer to go with the Bootcamp rather than parallel?

Also, say if I use the bootcamp and unfortunately get a virus in the windows. Would it affect my usage in the Mac too when I boot it to os x?

I must say, macs are awesome. You can use both pc and mac with the exact same performance as a pc.

pat++ · Sep 4, 2006, 10:12 PM

If you get a virus on Windows, the Mac will NOT be affected at all. Windows cannot even read Mac partitions, so it's very unlikely that a virus could actually change something on the Mac partition...

ghporter · Sep 5, 2006, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by pat++

If you get a virus on Windows, the Mac will NOT be affected at all. Windows cannot even read Mac partitions, so it's very unlikely that a virus could actually change something on the Mac partition...

Not quite true. While the Windows OS can't read an HFS+ partition, it CAN format that partition, or even delete it. You NEED antivirus software for ANY Windows installation. Fortunately, there are several free ones (like Panda, for instance) that do the job just fine. And you definitely should run a software firewall (just like in OS X) to buffer against intrusions-the one that comes with XP is ok, but ZoneAlarm's free one is better.

mduell · Sep 5, 2006, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

And to answer the question, if you're running Windows XP by setting up the Mac to dual boot via Boot Camp, it's EXACTLY like running XP on a PC. The "driver issues" mentioned above (needing "special drivers") are quite common in the PC world because new hardware comes out but isn't as quickly supported with drivers as the user community would like. No sweat.

I don't think there are any other ATi- or nVidia-based graphics cards on the market that don't work with the stock Catalyst or Detonator drivers, respectively. The drivers are always available before the hardware ships.

ghporter · Sep 6, 2006, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

I don't think there are any other ATi- or nVidia-based graphics cards on the market that don't work with the stock Catalyst or Detonator drivers, respectively. The drivers are always available before the hardware ships.

Available, yes. But it's quite possible to cobble together a PC that won't work right even with good drivers because of the other hardware you install. XP is much better at sharing interrupts than any previous version of Windows, but you can still get some interesting conflicts-and they're harder to find and fix in XP because of the better sharing, at least in my experience.

Basically if you are going for a high performance PC that you build from scratch, it's not uncommon to have to deal with some driver issues, whether they're dealing with video, storage, or other systems. High bus speeds are often a problem when the inexperienced hobyist goes cheap on RAM or some odd peripheral (firewire cards have been a pain for me in the past).