VMware or Parallels??

pc-modd · 7 Mar 2008 at 22:32

I wants to install Windows but what shall i get

- Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac

or

- VMware Fusion

They are both the same price.

Also I'm sure i read somewhere that you can install Windows using Boot camp but also open it virtually inside OS X.. Is it possible and if so which one can do it?

Ta

J1234 · 7 Mar 2008 at 22:34

Get VMware Fusion, as you said you can use a bootcamp partition to run virtually.

J1nxy · 8 Mar 2008 at 00:10

Both can open Boot Camp but personally I prefer VMware Fusion

Rambaud · 8 Mar 2008 at 18:33

I have both, and marginally prefer Parallels.

pc-modd · 8 Mar 2008 at 19:29

Rambaud said:
I have both, and marginally prefer Parallels.

Meh! and there was me just about to buy VM :eek:

Don't know what to do now..

J1nxy · 8 Mar 2008 at 19:49

Download a trial of each and give them both a bash...I'm just stating a personal preference, they both do pretty much the same thing.

Rambo · 9 Mar 2008 at 00:48

VMWare Fusion, much better. You have the ability to search through Windows apps like spotlight does, and then choose to run just that application.

Look at this video at 1:12:

VMWare Fusion > Parallels.

Edit: Bear in mind that video was posted 9 months ago, so much more features will be available now too.

electric ant · 9 Mar 2008 at 01:41

Another vote for VMware fusion here

lloydsj · 9 Mar 2008 at 13:27

can they both be used for other OS's too? i'll be gettin one shortly and will want to run linux on a VM too. Does this requirement sway the decision at all?

2blue4u · 9 Mar 2008 at 13:37

another vote for parallels here. The latest version is far better.

Billzz · 9 Mar 2008 at 13:48

I've found that Parallels runs faster than VMWare, I don't think you would go far wrong with either product to be honest.

Rambaud · 9 Mar 2008 at 14:01

lloydsj said:
can they both be used for other OS's too? i'll be gettin one shortly and will want to run linux on a VM too. Does this requirement sway the decision at all?

Yes, AFAIK.

I have run Ubuntu and Win 2000.

However, there are quite a few "complete" VMs whcih you can download for Fusion - not certain this is available for Parallels.

mortals · 9 Mar 2008 at 14:05

I'm using parallels for autocad and it seems pretty quick.

The lst time I ran VMWare Fusion was in the beta tho

so can't really say too much in comparing them.

Looking at the video posted above, VMWare and Parallels still seem very similar. You can run windows apps in coherence mode, similar to the VMWare mode.

J1nxy · 9 Mar 2008 at 15:29

As I said earlier pull a trial version of each and give them both a bash, if you like one more than the other then keep and ditch accordingly.

Steve

pc-modd · 9 Mar 2008 at 15:51

Iv'e decided on VMWare, will be going to buy it on monday