By John Rizzo
Updated March 15, 2013
Even with all of the software available for OS X, many users still have a need to run Windows software on a Mac. You may need to run a Windows application or a game that isn't available on a Mac, or you may need access to a scanner or other peripheral that doesn't have drivers for the Mac. Or maybe you've sunk hundreds of dollars into Windows software that you want tor run on your Mac. Or maybe you prefer Windows and want to run it on Apple's sleek Mac hardware all the time.
Fortunately, there are different solutions that satisfy different types needs. There are a number of products that take advantage of the Intel processor, but use radically different approaches. These fall into three categories, each with different strong points. This report will help you determine which is the best for you. Here's the short version:
- Dual booting. Every Mac comes with software called Boot Camp that lets you install Windows and enable it to start up the Mac. You can choose to boot either from Windows or OS X, but you don't have access to both at the same time. Boot Camp is the fastest way to run Windows.
- Running Windows in a virtual machine. With this approach, you boot the Mac with OS X and run Windows in a virtualization application. The advantage is that you can switch between the Mac OS X and Windows environments without rebooting. Virtual machine software also supports more versions of Windows than does Boot Camp. The disadvantage to virtualization is that it takes more RAM memory and CPU utilization, leaving fewer of your Mac's resources for other applications. Most tools let you move files between the two operating systems and sharing peripherals and networking. The main products for doing this are Parallels Desktop
and VMware Fusion. Sun's VirtualBox is a free virtualizer that has some appeal.
- Running Windows apps directly in Mac OS X -- without Windows. CrossOver from CodeWeavers runs Windows applications directly in Mac OS X, without using Windows. Because you don't need to own a copy of Windows, CrossOver is the least expensive way to run Windows programs on a Mac. The trade off is that it doesn't run every Windows application.
This report provides a comparison of all of the options for running Windows on Intel Macs. The next section describes a dual-boot system, followed by the choices of virtual machines. After that is a description of Crossover for running Windows software without Windows.
Booting into Windows: the dual-boot Mac and Boot Camp
Although Macs and Windows PCs both are powered by Intel processors, you can't just stick a Windows installation disc into a Mac and expect it to install. Apple's Boot Camp gives Windows what it needs to start up a Mac. Boot Camp will create a separate partition on your hard disk for Windows.
You can boot the Mac into Windows by holding the Option key down while restarting. You then select the Windows Partition or the Mac partition, which appear as hard drive icons. The key is that you choose one or the other from which to boot the Mac. Unlike the virtualization products, Boot Camp does not give you access to OS X and Windows at the same time. You have to reboot back into Mac OS X to get access to your Mac software.
Choose to boot in Windows or OS X when you hold the Option key during startup.
You install Boot Camp and your copy of Windows with Boot Camp Assistant, located in the Applications>Utilities folder in Mac OS X. Directions are included once you launch the Assistant, where you can print them if you like. The Boot Camp Assistant "dynamically creates" the Windows partition for Windows, so you won't lose your Mac data. The Assistant then guides you through installing Windows, and installs drivers in Windows to support the Mac keyboard and other hardware and peripherals from within Windows. Boot Camp does not provide Windows; you'll need to supply your own copy.
Lion and Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and earlier came with the current version, Boot Camp 4, which supports only Windows 7. Earlier versions of Boot Camp also support Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista. Boot Camp 4 does not support Windows 8, but you can install Windows 8 and have it will run relatively well, though the Windows drivers for graphics are outdated. Apple added support of Windows 8 with Boot Camp 5 in the OS X 10.8.3 update. Windows 8 is only supported on more recent Mac models. (See a list here.)
Apple has said that Boot Camp runs Windows "completely natively," which makes it faster than virtualization software for hardware-intensive tasks. Windows with Boot Camp also uses less of the Mac's processor and memory because it is only running one operating system at a time. Boot Camp tends to be more compatible with gaming software than virtualization software.
Apple released the first Boot Camp on April 5, 2006. (Here's the original Apple press release.) Boot Camp versions 1.0 - 1.4 were officially beta (prerelease) versions. They ran only on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, and are also the only versions of Boot Camp to run on Tiger. Apple no longer offers Boot Camp for Tiger. If you want Boot Camp, you need Leopard or later. Lion came with Boot Camp 4. Mountain Lion 10.8.3 and later come with Boot Camp 5.
For more on Boot Camp, see our Boot Camp 4 Tips and Reports or Boot Camp 3 Tips and Reports.
Boot Camp 5
| Pros: | Best performance and compatibility with Windows applications; uses less RAM and processor power than virtual machines; Comes with the Mac, so the only cost is that of Windows |
| Cons: | Can't access Mac and Windows applications at the same time; A limited number of operating systems supported: Version 5 supports only Windows 7 and Windows 8; Win 8 doesn't run on all Macs |
Related Articles:
Running Windows in a Virtual Machine
A virtual machine is a simulated PC that runs in software on your Mac. It contains an operating system, called the guest OS; the copy of OS X that boots your Mac is called the host OS. With virtual machine software, you can run several guest operating systems, including as Windows 7, Windows 8, and Linux, all at the same time, within Mac OS X (as in the screen shot below.)
With a virtual machine, you can run Mac and Windows applications at the same time, and even copy and paste between them. You can run Windows in full-screen mode, as you might experience with Boot Camp, or in a OS X window. You can also hide the Windows desktop so that only the Windows applications are displayed. With any of these views, you still have access to all your Mac apps. Windows applications appear in the Mac's Dock and in LaunchPad (OS X 10.7 and later), letting you open Windows applications and switch between them without using the Windows interface.
You can move files between the different operating systems and even copy and paste between Windows and Macs applications and drag and drop files between Mac OS X and Windows. You can also have a Mac application launch when double clicking on a particular type of Windows file. For instance, if you can open all your Word files in Word for Mac, even when you double click a .doc file inside of Windows.
The trade off with virtualization is the burden of running two operating systems at the same time -- the OS X host OS and the Windows guest OS. This means more processor power and system memory used, and performance that is not as fast as booting from Windows with Boot Camp.
Another advantage of virtualization is that it supports more versions of Windows than does Boot Camp, including those before Windows XP SP2, than does Boot Camp, which currently only supports Windows 7. Virtualization also support Linux and Unix operating systems. An added bonus is that you can also run OS X or OS X Server on one Mac in a virtual machine, which can be useful for testing a new version of OS X before rolling it out. The versions of OS X that run in a virtual machine on a Mac are OS X 10.5 Leopard Server, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Server, OS X 10.7 Lion client and Lion Server, and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Server and Mountain Lion client.
Virtualization products let you take "snapshots" of a virtual machine, which saves the state of an operating system, including which Windows applications are open, as well as the current settings and configurations. If you ever mess up the system in your virtual machine, or it gets infected with a virus, you can revert to a previously saved snapshot.
You also don't need to shut down Windows when you're finished. When you quit the virtualization application or close the virtual machine, the software will ask you if you want to "suspend" the virtual machine. The next time you launch it, Windows will appear exactly as you left it, without having to go through Windows' startup process.
There are three virtual machine products for running Windows on Macs, which all support he features I've just described: Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, and Oracle's VirtualBox. Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion are close to each other in terms of features, but Parallels tends to run Windows faster, particularly in graphics. A third virtual machine product, VirtualBox, is free, but is in a class behind Parallels and VMware.
The next sections descriptions of the current state of virtualization packages for Intel-based Macs.
After that, I describe CrossOver, which is not a virtualization application at all, but is something else entirely.
Parallels Desktop 8
The day after Apple announced Boot Camp in 2006, Parallels surprised Apple-watchers by releasing a beta of Parallels Desktop. Since then, Parallels Desktop has been the first of the virtualization platforms to release new features. The company said that the software will run “nearly any x86-compatible OS.” Today, Parallels Desktop will run Windows 3.1-through Windows 8, several versions of Windows Server, as well as Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and others.
Parallels Desktop 8 running Windows 8 and Windows 7 virtual machines
Although Boot Camp is still the fastest way to run Windows on a Mac, Parallels Desktop 8 is the fastest of the virtualization products for the Mac. It also uses less of your Mac's processor than VMware Fusion, which means you run more applications at the same time without slowing down the whole Mac. Parallels is also faster in suspending and resuming a guest OS.
Of the three virtualization products, Parallels Desktop also does the best implementation of 2D and 3D graphics. Graphics-intensive PC games run smoother in Parallels Desktop 8 than in VMware Fusion 5, and with higher frame rates. Parallels also supports DirectX 10, while VMware Fusion currently supports the earlier DirectX 9.0c, which means that some newer games won't run at all in VMware Fusion 5. VMware Fusion will eventually catch up, but Parallels has always been out ahead of VMware when it comes to graphics acceleration.
Both Parallels and VMware have there own unique Mac integration interface goodies. Parallels Desktop Version 8 added an IE button to Mountain Lion's Safari toolbar. Clicking this button in Safari launches Internet Explorer (and Parallels if not already open) to the web page you were just viewing in Safari. You can also drag and drop files from the Mac Finder into Outlook for Windows to attach to an email, something you can't do in VMware Fusion. Parallels does a better job integrating with Launchpad in Lion and Mountain Lion. You have the option of choosing which Windows apps you want to appear in Launchpad. VMware Fusion only lets you turn Launchpad integration on or off, adding some Windows apps you don't want, and sometimes not including some that you do want.
Although Parallels Desktop 8 wins hands down in performance, it probably ties VMware Fusion 5 when it comes to user interface. Fusion also has some things going for it, as I describe next.
Parallels Desktop
| Pros: | The fastest virtual machine product for running Windows on a Mac, particularly for graphics; Some nice Mac and Mountain Lion integration features |
| Cons: | Slower than Boot Camp; like all virtual machine programs, takes more RAM and CPU than Boot Camp or CodeWeavers CrossOver |
Related:
VMware Fusion 5
VMware Fusion 5 is a close competitor to Parallels Desktop 8, not as fast as Parallels, may have the edge over Parallels Desktop 8 in terms of some useful interface features not found in Parallels Desktop. Although Parallels may do Launchpad better, VMware Fusion 5 has a better integration with Mission Control. Each open Windows application appear separately, just like Mac apps do. In Parallels Desktop, the Windows apps are combined into a single Parallels icon.
In VMware Fusion 5, Windows applications appear in the Mission Control view of Lion and Mountain Lion
In full screen mode, Fusion presents a small bar when you mouse over the center of the top edge of the screen. This bar presents options that let you do anything Fusion allows, including change to single window or Unity modes, suspend the virtual machine, take a snapshot, or a number of other tasks. In Parallels Desktop, you only have one choice when in full screen mode: to exit the mode into single mode.
Fusion does a better job with its virtual machine library, the window listing all the installed virtual machines. Fusion’s library lets you turn on and suspend multiple virtual machines and access their settings, all in one spot. In Parallels Desktop, clicking on a virtual machine in the list opens its window, covering the library window. Fusion 5's library added a choice between icon and list view, and lets you create folders in which to sort virtual machines. You can also view thumbnails of the snapshots stored for a virtual machine.
Although this is an article about Windows, but it's worth noting that with Linux/Unix virtual machines, Fusion lets you drag and drop files between Linux and Windows virtual machines and the OS X host. (Parallels do this only for Windows.) If you want to run Lion or Mountain Lion as a guest OS, it is easier to install Lion in a virtual machine in VMware Fusion than in Parallels Desktop. However, OS X guests doesn't support drag and dropping of files in either package.
VMware is also the biggest name in virtualization, and it's VMDK file format for virtual machines is a standard. Which means that VMware Fusion can run virtual machines created by VMware's virtualization software for Windows and Unix. VMware.com offers a huge number of free and paid "virtual appliances," which are VMDK virtual machines preconfigured with various Linux and Unix builds, both servers and clients. Parallels can import VMDK virtual machines, but the results aren't always successful.
VMware Fusion 5 also costs less than Parallels Desktop 8. You can try both for free in time-limited demos.
VMware Fusion 5
| Pros: | Superior integration with Mission Control, and good OS X integration; Uses a the standard VMDK format for virtual machines, giving you access to free Linux virtual appliances; Best way to run OS X Server in a virtual machine |
| Cons: | Not as fast as Parallels Desktop (or Boot Camp), particularly with graphics. Like all virtual machine programs, takes more RAM and CPU than Boot Camp or CodeWeavers CrossOver |
Related:
VirtualBox
Oracle's VirtualBox for Mac OS X is free software based on GPL open-source code. Oracle got VirtualBox when it acquired Sun, which purchased VirtualBox from a German company called Innotek. Like Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, VirtualBox can run Windows 7, supports USB, and can be scripted from the command line. VirtualBox also supports VMDK virtual machine format used by VMware, although importing a virtual machine can be challenging.
VirtualBox provides good virtualization, and uses VMware's VMDK format for compatibility with virtual appliances. But it lags behind Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. In VirtualBox, it is not as easy to install and set up virtual machines as in the other two. The interface isn't as polished as VMware and Parallels, and is not as integrated with Mac OS X. "Seamless" mode, which hides the Windows (or Linux) desktop, is not quite seamless -- it retains the Windows (or Linux) taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Windows applications don't get individual icons in the Dock or in the Application Switcher, as they do with Parallels and VMware. VirtualBox is slower than Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.
VirtualBox
| Pros: | It's free, though you still need to own a copy of Windows; Uses a standardized format for virtual machines that is use by VMware products for Windows |
| Cons: | The slowest of all solutions for running Windows applications on a Mac; interface is not as polished as other solutions |
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Running Windows Apps in OS X without Windows with CrossOver 12
The third way to run Windows applications on a Mac doesn't use the Windows operating system at all. CodeWeavers' CrossOver 12 is neither a virtualization environment or a dual boot enabler. CrossOver adds code (called Wine) to OS X that enables certain Windows applications need to directly in OS X.
With CrossOver, each Windows application document runs in a window along with your Mac apps. There is no Windows desktop or start menu, and Windows apps can minimize in the Mac OS X Dock. Users can launch Windows applications installed with CrossOver from the Finder or from a Dock menu or a Programs menu in the Mac OS X menu bar. CrossOver also provides a Windows Run Command window for running Windows command-line programs.
Because CrossOver doesn't require the user to own a copy of Windows, the total cost is lower than any virtualization solution and lower than Apple’s Boot Camp solution. And because CrossOver doesn't have the overhead of having a second operating system, and uses less memory and CPU bandwidth than do Parallels or VMware. CrossOver support for the Intel Mac’s native graphics acceleration, and performance is good for games and other tasks. And unlike the virtualization products, there is no need to wait to suspend or resume a guest OS, because there is no guest OS.
The trade off is that CrossOver won't run all Windows applications. Codeweavers.com has a database of 10,000 or so Windows apps that you can consult. There are over 1700 Windows apps listed at the "gold," the highest level of compatibility. There are also silver and bronze levels which run with varying levels of compatibility. Gold apps include business applications such as Microsoft software such as Office, Internet Explorer and ActiveX, and Access, as well as Quicken. Many gold apps are PC games. You can also check for supported Windows apps from within the CrossOver Software Installer.
Installing a Windows application on a Mac with CrossOver
Installing Windows applications can in some cases be accomplished with a single click. CodeWeavers aides installation for over 1200 Windows application with something called a crosstie, which is kind of an installation automator file. To use it, you search for your Windows app at the Compatibility Center at the CodeWeavers web site and click the Install via CrossTie button. Your browser downloads the file and CrossOver installs the Windows app for you (assuming you already have the Windows app installer file on your Mac).
CrossOver 12 is a good way to go if you have a small number of Windows applications to run on a Mac, or even just one, such as Internet Explorer with ActiveX. It's simple and cheap. You can test CrossOver for free with your app to see if it works well. If it doesn't, you can move on to Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or Boot Camp.
CrossOver 12
| Pro: |
The least expensive way to run Windows apps on a Mac, the only solution where Windows is not required; uses less CPU and RAM resources than virtualization; good graphics response on supported games; unlike Boot Camp, runs Mac and Windows applications at the same time. |
| Con: |
Does not run all Windows applications |
Related:
- CrossOver 12 runs Quicken 2013 and more games on Macs
- CrossOver Tips and Reports
