This time, however, that task-based approach didn’t work, largely because (with a couple exceptions that are noted below) the latest versions of Fusion and Parallels Desktop are nearly indistinguishable in performance. So, of those two, how do you decide which one is right for you? In the past, I tried to answer that question by comparing virtualization programs head-to-head, to see how they did on specific tasks. Which leaves Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion as your best alternatives. And while VirtualBox is free, setting it up is complicated-downright geeky, at times-and it lacks some bells and whistles you might want. But you have to reboot your system to use Boot Camp, so you can’t use it at the same time as OS X it’s Mac or Windows, but not both. Of those four options, Boot Camp offers the best performance your Mac is wholly given over to running Windows.

Or you could install one of three third-party virtualization programs: Parallels Desktop 7 ( ), VMware Fusion ( ), or VirtualBox ( ), each of which lets you run Windows (or another operating system) as if it were just another OS X application. You could use Apple’s own Boot Camp, which lets you install Windows on a separate partition of your hard drive. If you need a more flexible, full-fledged Windows installation, you still have several other options. (CrossOver’s vendor, CodeWeavers, maintains a list of compatible apps.) If you need to run just one or two specific Windows apps, you may be able to do so using CrossOver ( ), which can run such applications without requiring you to actually install Windows. Whatever your reason for running Windows, there are a number of ways your Mac can do it for you. Or maybe you want to play computer games that aren’t available for OS X.

That means there may be times when you need to run the Microsoft OS: perhaps there’s an application your company uses that’s only available for Windows, or you’re a web developer and you need to test your sites in a true native Windows web browser. Despite the Mac’s recent gains in market share, Windows is still the dominant operating system, especially in businesses.

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