Going back to a Mac. Some practical questions

[mystic]

A bit of background. Have had quite a few macs going right back to a Mac Classic with a 9" B&W screen! A couple of years ago got a small s/hand PC laptop running Vista mainly to deal with Mapsource and found myself using it for lots of other stuff as well since then. (My G4 powermac has sat sadly unused and neglected for quite a while - badly needs a new home cause just can't bring myself to take it down to the tip!)

Am about to splash out one of the new Macbooks. Understand that Apple's recent Intel-based processors allow hard drive paritioning for Windows. Now for the numpty questions revealing just how little I know about all this ..........

Have restore discs for Vista. How exactly do I go about sticking this onto a new Macbook hard drive?

Got a load of stuff - emails / address book / files / photos / bookmarks / etc on my PC laptop - that I would need to move over onto the new Mac.
Any advice / tips on the best way of doing this - and when its done - will I be able to read files previously created on the PC, when running on the new Mac OS?

 

[Arsey]

New macs/Macbooks etc come with intel procs and pre-installed Bootcamp.


You can just partition the HD with whatever split in memory you want and then install XP/Vista etc on the Windows side.

It's simple to do as with all mac progs.

BUT Bootcamp means you have to reboot each time to change between Mac Os and Windows.

So I use Parallels which lets XP run in the background and at the same time as Mac OS.

 

[cookie]

So I use Parallels which lets XP run in the background and at the same time as Mac OS.

i use a similar prog called Fusion to do the same job. both easier than bootcamp, but at a cost. look for offers, i saved about 50% when i bought Fusion.

TBH i rarely use windows at all these days, and am working towards never, which is the best option IMO

 

[mystic]

Thanks both for the tips

 

[EggChaser]

If your Vista Disks are restore disks that are tailored by the hardware vendor of your PC hardware, then it is unlikely that the will install on the MAC - depending on how much the hardware vendor has messed with the Vista installer might mean that you need a non-customised Vista install CD.

As other's have said Bootcamp is part of the Mac OS and is used to configure a bootable area for XP or Vista. Then install either Fusion or Parallel's in order to run the Windows OS from within Mac OS X and remove the reboot requirements.

 

[mystic]

If your Vista Disks are restore disks that are tailored by the hardware vendor of your PC hardware, then it is unlikely that the will install on the MAC - depending on how much the hardware vendor has messed with the Vista installer might mean that you need a non-customised Vista install CD.

Just dug them out .... the Vista disks supplied witah the PC (2 of them) appear to be 'copies' / one has "RECOVERY CD" handwritten on it, and the other ... "RECOVERY DVD" Guess I'll just have to try them keeping fingers crossed!

 

[Micky]

I've just gone totally and completely over to the new iMac and don't regret for a second.

Why would someone want to use Vista?

Bare in mind of course I'm a total numpty

 

[cookie]

As other's have said Bootcamp is part of the Mac OS and is used to configure a bootable area for XP or Vista. Then install either Fusion or Parallel's in order to run the Windows OS from within Mac OS X and remove the reboot requirements.

to clarify that - you don't need to touch boot camp, or create any partitions to install windows using Fusion, and i expect Parallels too.

you only need to frig around with that if you need/want to boot straight into windows, to gain a bit of performance perhaps?

the windows OS in Fusion sits in a totally separate file, which can be easily copied to another mac, or even put on a memory stick/HDD and swapped between any macs that have Fusion installed. there is no issue with windows activation or such like either after the first install

 

[mystic]

I've just gone totally and completely over to the new iMac and don't regret for a second.

Why would someone want to use Vista?

Bare in mind of course I'm a total numpty

Well that makes two of us then ......

Dont like Vista one bit ... its just that I dont have a copy (legal or otherwize) of XP - so beggers cant be chosers.
Glad you like your Mac - cant wait to get hold of mine.

 

[mystic]

to clarify that - you don't need to touch boot camp, or create any partitions to install windows using Fusion, and i expect Parallels too.

you only need to frig around with that if you need/want to boot straight into windows, to gain a bit of performance perhaps?

the windows OS in Fusion sits in a totally separate file, which can be easily copied to another mac, or even put on a memory stick/HDD and swapped between any macs that have Fusion installed. there is no issue with windows activation or such like either after the first install

Thanks Cookie

Heavens there are some clever clogs on this forum