Using a Mac to Install Windows

I don’t think a PC is necessary for Internet marketing success, but it doesn’t mean I hate Windows.

Competition is healthy, in my opinion. Even if the operating system I prefer were the only one available, I would not want it to be the only option for everyone.

The ideal situation would see the two leading competitors split the market evenly, but we don’t live in an ideal world. (In a perfect world, the market share would be evenly divided between the three leading competitors—Windows, Mac, and Linux—with the remaining one percent left open to give a new operating system a fighting chance.)

Some niches exist where PC-compatible software is more readily available than Mac-compatible software, but Internet marketing is not one of them. This section is last since I am unaware of any necessary Windows-only software for an online marketer.

However, if you are a switcher moving to the Mac from Windows, you may bring along a particular “pet” application you have come to rely on. You might be a Mac user who can’t help but try out the latest and most excellent Windows-only Internet marketing tool.

However, the Windows portion of the Internet marketing world is rife with useless information. Numerous items out there are overpriced, underwhelming, or both. Although the number of Mac-compatible apps is smaller, the existing ones are often superior.

However, you can use Windows software on a Mac if you need to.

I was taken aback by Steve Jobs’s revelation a few years ago that the Macintosh community was moving away from PowerPC CPUs in favor of Intel ones. Perhaps I fell for the marketing blitz, but I thought PowerPC was the better option. I was also curious if the portability of Windows programs to the Mac would result in a decline in Mac-specific software.

My concerns were unwarranted. The Mac has devoted enough users to guarantee its continued existence in the computer industry.

Thanks to Intel processors, Mac users now have the fantastic option of running Windows programs when necessary without abandoning their preferred Mac platform. With Intel, Macs can run Windows and Windows apps without the required performance-killing emulation back when PowerPC was the only option. In a nutshell, this means that Windows and Windows apps operate as quickly on a Mac as they do on an HP or Dell computer.

Training Camp

Apple’s software utility called Boot Camp makes this a breeze. In the past few years, it has become standard on every Macintosh, allowing you to use Windows and Windows programs on your Mac without having to buy and install Windows separately.

The Utilities folder contains Boot Camp Assistant, which you may launch to create a partition on your Mac’s hard drive specifically for Windows. After that, use the Boot Camp helper and insert your Windows drive before clicking Start Installation. Then, during startup, you can access Windows by pressing the option key. Your Mac will boot into Windows, making it appear you use a standard personal computer.

VMWare Fusion with the Mac-compatible Parallels Desktop

Buy Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion and a copy of Windows if you want to use both operating systems simultaneously without rebooting. Some retailers, including MacMall, include a free copy of Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMWare Fusion with a new Mac (although you’ll still need to buy Windows). Since you will be dual-booting, it stands to reason that you will need a sizable amount of RAM to keep both systems functioning well.

It’s not as awkward as it sounds at first. For instance, you may easily switch between Windows and Mac software with Parallels by choosing the relevant window. The software can be configured to make it appear as though only the windows of the applications running in Windows are shown. The windows can be resized, and their icons can be found in the Dock.

Even though you’ll want to relocate the Mac OS Dock to a different screen edge, the Windows taskbar can display on any edge, just like when running Windows natively. It’s easy to forget that you’re running Windows on a Mac when you switch to the “Windows as a taskbar only” option (dubbed “Coherence Mode”). Another option is to use full Windows mode, making your Mac appear to be a Windows computer.

However, a copy of Windows may not be necessary if you intend to use a single or a small handful of Windows-specific applications.

Mac OS X CrossOver

You can run various Windows programs on your Mac with the help of CrossOver for Mac (CodeWeaver Software). This is accomplished by installing Windows native libraries, which gives the illusion to Windows programs that they are running on a genuine Windows OS.

Of course, there are certain restrictions; the most significant is that not all Windows programs will run on it. Take advantage of CodeWeaver’s 30-day free trial to see if it’s the right fit for you.

Priced at $40 and $70, respectively, Crossover Mac offers a Standard and a Professional edition. Games, numerous users, volume discounts, educational discounts, and improved support are all available in the professional edition.

If you only need to run a couple of Windows programs and you’ve tested them with the trial version and found that they run correctly in CrossOver Mac, that’s what you should get. Otherwise, install Windows and use Apple’s Boot Camp if you don’t mind restarting your Mac whenever you want to run your Windows programs.

It’s easy to think of Macs as the unloved offspring of the web marketing world. Yet, you might not be aware that many prominent figures in the field of Internet Marketing rely on Macs. Here’s where you can download a free, 75-page ebook with all the information you need to manage your online business using a Mac:

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