# emulators or boot camp?



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

I alas am a windows user and am trying to help a friend who just bought a brand new mac intel based laptop. The hard part is he is many thousands of miles away and I know nothing about macs. We video conference using aim which thus far works well. However he cannot get into his favorite bridge site which is BBO( bridgebase ) online with the mac. They don't make software for macs. His object is to be able to use it as a mac ( OSX) most of the time but also be able to play on BBO and use the camera software with aim at the same time. Does anyone know if this is possible? If he uses either emulation software or something like bootcamp to boot into windows will he be able to use the camera and a program that is only windows compatible. If someone could suggest something specially something they have tried that works it would be appreciated. 
I can take apart a pc or build you one from scratch but I haven't a clue about macs.. 
Hopeless in Seattle.. 
( well Vancouver really but thought the other sounded better ) 
Thank you to all of you mac users in advance


----------



## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

Bootcamp definitely can do this. The built-in iSight camera is supported with via the drivers disc that you create during the process of installation.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Thank you very much. Do you actually burn a driver's cd? Do they have to be installed later as one does regularly in windows? Have you ever tried or seen anyone use bootcamp? I am really wondering how difficult it is going to be for my friend to install and operate? He is a new mac user and was barely an intermediate windows user.


----------



## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

I run Windows on my MacBook Pro quite often.

Yes. You burn a drivers CD. The BootCamp installer tells you to insert a disk. You insert the disk. It burns the disk. You remove the disk. You set it aside until you need it again.

You don't really _use_ Bootcamp. You run it once to set up the disk partition, burn the drivers CD and do whatever else it does behind the scenes. From then on you simply hold down the Option key when you want to select which OS to boot into, click on whichever you wish (Mac OS or Windows), and the computer boots up. There's nothing else to it.

Seriously, a mildly retarded bonobo with a neurological disorder and club fists could handle the installation (well, as long as it could also read and follow directions--okay, strike all that. But it _is_ very easy). The installation of the drivers is painless as well. Remember, Bootcamp is an _Apple_ product. It is streamlined, user-friendly and intuitive. The hardest part about this is going through Microsoft's installation process.

All you have to do to get this going is follow directions. Do thing 1. Do thing 2. Do thing 3. And so on.

He could have already had it done and been playing bridge in the time between my first reply and this one.


----------



## Cal UK (Jan 10, 2007)

If you want to use boot camp don't you need a copy of Windows? Just wondering cause i quite frankly trying it but if it requires me to buy Windows XP (from what I've heard it has to be service pack 2 as well) then sod that.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

So I assume when you have windows loaded it acts more or less as windows usually does and one can download and install programs from the net such as this bridgebase etc. Thanks so much for your help and advice. I didn't want him having to buy windows and then bootcamp and not have it work. He has a copy of windows for his old Dell machine and keep trying to explain to him that it won't work because the drivers will be specific to his old machine and that the licence is tied to his motherboard. As soon as I convince him of this we can get started with the installation.


----------



## shyataroo (Oct 6, 2006)

With boot camp your computer will boot into windows and act like a windows machine (complete with all the crashes and virus')


----------



## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

Cal UK said:


> If you want to use boot camp don't you need a copy of Windows? Just wondering cause i quite frankly trying it but if it requires me to buy Windows XP (from what I've heard it has to be service pack 2 as well) then sod that.


Yes. You need a copy of Windows. What, you expect Apple to build compatibility into the MacOS? Sod _that_.



catlady13 said:


> So I assume when you have windows loaded it acts more or less as windows usually does and one can download and install programs from the net such as this bridgebase etc. Thanks so much for your help and advice. I didn't want him having to buy windows and then bootcamp and not have it work. He has a copy of windows for his old Dell machine and keep trying to explain to him that it won't work because the drivers will be specific to his old machine and that the licence is tied to his motherboard. As soon as I convince him of this we can get started with the installation.


Once you've installed Windows it acts just like Windows. Because you're _booting into Windows_. It's no different from any other Windows computer once you're booted into it (well, except for there being a key between the space bar and the Alt key).

It is likely he'll need to buy a new copy of XP for this. I suppose if he unintalled or completely wiped the HD of his Dell he could legally install it on a new computer. The license is (typically) for the user, not the machine. But Microsoft has done stranger things than tie licenses to particular pieces of equipment, so he's better off getting a new copy just to be safe.



shyataroo said:


> STUFF.


Dude... Check your PMs. Quick.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Once again thank you for all of your help and advice. I am going to pass all of this on and try to assist with his installation if he needs it.


----------



## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Before installing a full Windows installation maybe download the trial for Codeweaver Office and see if it will work. Using the iSight camera may be the hardest part.

Another option is downloading and trying the trial of Parallels. This also installs a full Windows installation in a virtual machine, but with the new coherence supports, Windows apps integrate right in with the OS X desktop.
(You can have the OS X dock and Windows XP taskbar, both operation on the same desktop, very cool)


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

HI Headrush , thank you for the info.. have you actually tried either parallels or Codeweaver Office? Is the latter an emulation program?


----------



## Cal UK (Jan 10, 2007)

VegasACF said:


> Yes. You need a copy of Windows. What, you expect Apple to build compatibility into the MacOS? Sod _that_.
> 
> . Quick.


Nah I was just checking as I might get boot camp but if I need Windows sod that.


----------



## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

catlady13 said:


> HI Headrush , thank you for the info.. have you actually tried either parallels or Codeweaver Office? Is the latter an emulation program?


Yes I use both.

Codeweavers Office is a Win32 API, so not really emulation.
I run MS Office 2003 and several 2D and 3D games using this. (Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 & 2 and Steam based games)
So its hit and miss. Some Windows apps will work, while other won't. Check their online database or try the trial version. (Its fully working)

Parallels is a virtual machine and runs an entire Windows installation.
Most Windows apps will run with this with the exception of things regarding hardware based 3D acceleration. Hardware devices are very well supported. (USB devices)

Both can run Windows apps at near full performance. (If you have an Intel based Mac, Parallels will take advantage of the VT capability of that CPU)

More details can be found at the web site for each, and fully working trials.


----------

