News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

May 20, 2008

windows

Did you know you can run Windows on your Intel Mac?

Posted May. 20, ’08, 10:59 AM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Windows

borgattack1.jpgIf you answered “no” to that headline, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced some kind of head trauma and are currently suffering from retrograde amnesia. Because let’s be honest: At this point, years after the first Intel Macs were shipped to customers, everyone knows Macs can run Windows. It’s actually MacUser policy to remind people of that, like, every day. It’s also our policy to point you to every single article ever written that covers running Windows on your Mac—what to do, how to do it, and why to do it (still looking for a good answer on that one).

And today, we point you to Rob Griffith’s Best of Both Worlds series at the Mothership, where he dives deep into the never-exhausted issue of Windows-on-the-Mac.

But you may not know the answers to a bunch of other related questions: Why would you want to put Windows on your Mac in the first place? Which Windows programs are compelling and unique enough to justify the hassle of putting Windows on your Mac? Can you really incorporate those programs smoothly into your Mac workflow, or will they always feel clunky? In other words, while putting Windows on your Mac might sound great in theory, how does it all work out in reality?

It’s three pages long, and the first in a series of upcoming articles detailing how best to take advantage of the Two OS’s. One Computer. tech.

I was going to turn this post into one big spoof of “The Best of Both Worlds” episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation—the Mothership as the Enterprise, Windows as the Borg, and, of course, Rob Griffiths as an assimilated Captain Picard. But somehow I don’t think such a parody would’ve received the appreciation it so rightly would’ve deserved.

And I’m already writing for a Mac blog—there’s only so much nerdiness I can demonstrate before I start rolling my eyes at myself, you know?

(You have no idea how long it took to make that freakin’ graphic. Apparently Photoshop doesn’t have ‘shield’ or ‘tractor beam’ shape designs. Totally worth it, though.)


4 Comments

Steve said:

Unless you need to run a piece of essential Windows only software or a specific game, there's little point in running Windows. People move to Macs to get away from Windows, not to run it in the background. I find little to no need for Windows at home (I use it at work), and don't even have a PC. Personally I don't knwo of anything I need to do on Windows that can't be done on a Mac short of the above to instances.

May 20, 2008 11:37 AM
Nick said:

(This post is dedicated to the memory of those brave Macs that fell at Wolf 359.)

May 20, 2008 11:38 AM
Ben said:

I do a lot of Hebraic studies, and Bill Gates owns Israel. And, Apple tends to ignore that market. So, I have several language programs that are PC only, until the Intel Mac.

Also, I work out of a home office with three Macs. In order to keep up with the world outside, I need to look at a PC once in awhile. And, I am past 50, so I need to be reminded how bad Windoz is, once in awhile!

May 20, 2008 12:58 PM
PT said:

Going Intel and running Windows on the Mac is the best thing that happened in a long time. Now with one computer, I can be productive doing work stuff running Windows or I can do leisure stuff with the Mac OS. Life is good.

May 20, 2008 1:32 PM

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