running windows on mac

Running Windows On Mac

There are numerous reasons Apple computer users might want to engage in running Windows on Mac platforms. For example, a Mac user who uses a Windows computer at the office might want to take some work home, but OSX will not allow him or her to run Windows based applications by itself.

Some Mac users may want to have the best of both worlds available at their fingertips the reliability and design quality of Apple computers combined with the ability to run PC based applications in Windows. Luckily, Mac users can now run the Windows OS in the OSX environment by using an application called Boot Camp.

All Apple computers manufactured since the release of OSX 10.5 come with Boot Camp pre installed. What this application does is partition the computer's hard drive into two volumes.

One volume is the standard OSX partition, while the other is set up to recognize and operate Windows. Users get the opportunity to choose how much space they wish to devote to each partition, but the default setting only allows 5 gigabytes for Windows.

Most users will want to increase that number to at least 32 Gb, but that is completely dependent upon how much work they will do in the Windows environment. It cannot be overstated that once a partition is set, however, it cannot be restored to its original condition, nor can it be adjusted to allow for more space without completely reformatting the disk first.

Another choice to make is determining which OS will be used as the startup disk. Using the Mac OSX as the startup disk comes with the advantage of being able to run Windows from inside an OSX window, but many users will prefer to run Windows outright if they do a lot of work on the PC platform.

Although Boot Camp is part of OSX, users must obtain their own compatible Windows disk in order to install the Microsoft OS on Apple computers. Boot Camp will not work with Windows versions released prior to XP SP2, so it is important to make sure that the proper version is used.

During the setup process, Boot Camp also burns a disk that contains basic drivers which the computer will use to allow the system to work properly with Windows once it is installed. Specific drivers needed for some applications and utilities may need to be downloaded, though.

The great thing about being able to operate Windows on a Mac computer is that PC applications run just as well as they would on a Windows based machine. All Macs from the MacBook Air to the iMac run Boot Camp and Windows equally well, and there have been no known issues preventing PC users from running any of their favorite applications in OSX.

This is especially great for users who are new to Macs and wish to keep Windows as a type of security blanket. Some years ago, it may have seemed impossible, but these days it is easy to start running Windows on Mac computers.

It may not be a feature that everyone takes advantage of, but for those who do, it is a revolutionary development. To learn more, it is recommended to visit the support pages on Apple's official website.