Windows on the Mac
Emulation, Virtualisation and Dual-Boot - what it means, what it does, and how to get it.
Background
We live in a Microsoft Windows world. More than 90 percent of computers run this operating system, which has had implications for all users of 'minority' computer platforms - not to mention software competitors, society and government. Such issues are well documented elsewhere. What is of more concern to Mac-using OU students is how these issues impact on our studies, and what we can do to alleviate them. This page is intended to provide a few answers and solutions.Windows and the Open University
The Open University has standardised its entire computing provision around the Microsoft Windows platform. Although there are admirable (isolated) instances of courses using more open standards for files, programs and media (see the compatibility list) , life for a Mac user can be frustrating. Sometimes a course will use electronic media which is perfectly capable of being viewed on a Mac (for example PDF files, HTML, Java etc), but will have needlessly packaged such material in a Windows-only (.exe)installer - meaning that Mac users cannot open it to browse!As the compatibility list shows, certain courses (with one star) simply can't be studied using a Mac. The only solution is either to buy a whole new Windows computer, or else find a way to run the OU Windows programmes on our Macintosh machine. Luckily, there are ways to do this, and - thanks to recent events in the Mac world - the choices for Mac OU students needing Windows are now as good as they've ever been.
The old way - PowerPC,
VirtualPC and Emulation
From the mid-nineties right up until 2006, the Macintosh computer used
a completely different computer processor chip in its systems to that
used by other consumer PC makers. Whereas PCs have always used Intel's X86 family of
processors, the Mac was powered by IBM and Motorola's PowerPC chip. These
chips used an entirely different architecture, which meant that a
program written for use on one chip couldn't be run on computers
containing the other chip. Hence the Mac couldn't run Windows software.
The way around this problem was to write a program for the Mac which fooled the processor into thinking it is actually a Windows chip! This is done by translating each line of code in the Windows program as it is executed, so it runs on the Mac as if it was a Windows PC. Such programmes are called emulators, because they mimic the operation of another platform. The most popular of these programs for the Mac was VirtualPC. VirtualPC will run a separate Microsoft operating system within its own Mac window:-
This software - an old favourite with mac users at the OU - will run lots of OU software when Mac solutions have been exhausted. Development of the program has now been halted by Microsoft as newer solutions have superceded it (see below), so there won't be any more updates. But it's still available from certain sellers like Amazon marketplace - Google around to find the best price.
However, it's not the only emulator in town - programs like GuestPC and OpenOSX are less popular but cheaper, and other solutions are even free (see full list here). So, for the Mac user needing to run OU software, emulation seems perfect....
Issues with emulation
Well, seems perfect. Unfortunately, emulators are not perfect. There are setbacks with emulation - the chief of which is performance. Because emulators are having to translate Windows code as it's being executed, the Mac processor is having to do twice the work of a native PC machine. This means that emulators can be slow - sometimes very slow. For programs which don't need too much power, this won't be too bad (word processors, for example) and the older Windows operating systems can run at reasonable speed (e.g. Windows 98). But give an emulator some major work to do and a newer power-hungry operating system like Vista and it'll gasp for air. Also, there are certain programs that can't be fooled by emulators, and refuse to run properly. Check the compatibility list for course advice. Lastly, emulation is power hungry. If you have an older Mac with an ageing processor, you might come unstuck.Emulation - the bottom line
Emulation is a great tool that has helped PowerPC Mac users at the OU for years - but its not a miracle cure. If you have a Macintosh which was purchased before January 2006, then it will definitely contain a PowerPC chip, and emulation will be your only way of running Windows software without purchasing a PC. Do check with other users on Mac General, and on here, to see if your course can be run using this solution. To check if your Macintosh is a powerPC, do the following:-Click on the Apple menu (Top left) and select "About This Mac". A window something like the following will pop up:
This tells me that I have a PowerPC processor, and therefore must rely on emulation if I want to run Windows.
But what if I have a new Mac? One of the new range of Apple computers which includes the MacBook, the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air, Mac Pro or the latest iMac? Well, thanks to developments in the mac world back in 2006, your options have become a whole lot better....
Hell freezes over -
The mac goes Intel
In June 2005, Apple dropped a bombshell at its Worldwide Developers
Conference by announcing that - after years of opposition and
competition - it was moving its entire range of computers from PowerPC
to Intel chips. The transition is now complete. There were lots
of reasons for their move - chip
supply, performance, economics, processor development pipelines - but
the effect has been to kick-start a phenomenal boost in Mac sales from
2006 to the present day
that has added considerable
market-share to the platform. This has even been noticed by the
Open University themselves who - on March 14th 2008 - made an announcement to students that
pledged to support Macs on OU courses ... at some unspecified point in
the future.... ;-)Great - but what does this Intel announcement mean for OU students now? Well, now the Mac has the same type of chip inside that Windows PCs have. Which means that you could - in theory - run Windows on your Mac natively, at full speed, without using emulation! And with the very fast intel chips now in new Macs, it could run Windows very fast indeed.
But that's not all. Not content with just using the same chip as Windows users, Apple has also equipped its Macs with the in-built ability to run Windows!. They have introduced a piece of software called Boot Camp which helps Mac users to put a copy of Windows on their Macs - which can then share disk space with their mac system! Apple allowing their arch-enemy operating system to run on Macs? Most tech pundits thought the world had gone mad. But for Mac users who need to run Windows occasionally, suddenly it was the best of both worlds.
Boot Camp - booting into Windows on the Mac
Boot Camp is software that is included with the latest Mac operating system release (as of Feb 2009) - Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. You'll find it nestling in the Utilities folder. In order to use this software, you must have a computer running Leopard. New Macs (2008 onwards) include Leopard, while Leopard itself can be purchased from the Apple Store with a student discount. For details, see this page.Boot Camp works by dividing your Mac disk into two separate partitions, and then allowing you to place a copy of Windows XP or Vista onto the second partition (32 bit versions only) :-
This can then act as a dual-boot system - where you can decide at startup whether you want to run OS X or Windows. The Windows system on your mac will run just like on a PC - at full speed. Boot Camp also includes the means to burn a disc containing all the necessary Mac drivers to run devices under Windows.
What this means for OU students is that your new Mac can now potentially run every piece of software that the OU makes for Windows. As Apple does not license OS X to run on any other computer, this means that new Macs are the only machines on earth that can (legally) run both Windows and OS X!
Installing Boot
Camp
There are lots of good resources
regarding Installation on the web. The biggest task that you'll have as
a Mac student
is getting yourself a copy of Windows XP or Vista to put on your
system. Boot
Camp is fussy about which version goes on - it has to be a full retail copy of Windows XP
Service Pack 2 or later, or Vista, and it
has to be
on a single CD - which means that you can't put an old copy of
XP sp1 on there and hope to upgrade it later. This is quite a caveat -
full retail copies of Windows XP sp2 can cost a bit, and are now
discontinued by Microsoft in favour of the much-more-expensive Vista -
while upgrade CDs are
not allowed. However, if you have an old copy of XP (pre sp2) on a disk, a PC to borrow, as well as a bit of patience, you can get round this problem. What you need to do is slipstream your copy of XP onto one disk - then Boot Camp will accept it. This is what I did, and saved myself a fortune. Full instructions are here.
Issues with Boot Camp
In truth there aren't many - Boot Camp gives you a full running XP or Vista system on your mac. That said, there are general things that have to be borne in mind when using this for OU work:-1. You have to Boot out of the mac and into Windows to use it
This can be a bind if you want quickly to access a Windows program and you're currently doing something on your Mac.
You have to Close up -> restart -> boot into Windows - which can take minutes to do. There is another Windows-on-Mac solution which eliminates this problem (see below).
2. You can't access your Mac partition while in Windows.
It's an irritating fact that you can't actually see your main Mac volume from the Windows side. Let's say you've just booted into Windows on your Mac to check that an essay you've written on OS X works with some Windows software the OU's given you. Only when you've booted into Windows do you realise that the essay file is still sitting on your Mac desktop - you can't get at it from Windows, so you have to reboot back - copy the file to a portable disc - boot back into Windows - put the disc in and read it. All very tedious.
Actually there is a way around this - but it'll cost you. MacDrive is a Windows application that allows you to see and write to Mac volumes on your computer, and also on your network. If you install it onto the Windows install in Boot Camp, it'll see all your Mac disks and folders. Great news!
However, now you'll also expose your Mac side to that which Windows is perhaps most famous for....
3. Security Problems.
If you run Windows natively, then you are also prone to Windows viruses, adware, malware, etc. Antivirus security, regarded by some as an optional indulgence on the Mac, now becomes essential. If your Windows install can't see your mac partition, then neither can any nasties, and your Mac side is safe - but if you've installed Macdrive then it can.
4. The keyboard buttons and shortcuts on the Mac aren't the same as on Windows
You'll notice - particularly if you use a one-button mouse (or a laptop) - that Windows keyboards do things differently, and the solutions provided by Apple or others to 'normalise' your experience don't always go the whole way. Right-click is a major Windows navigation tool, but is absent from many Macs - the control button takes its place. Mac users are accustomed to using contol-click to get the contextual menu, and this can be simulated on Windows by use of this handy little utility.
Boot Camp - the bottom line
Boot Camp is arguably the best insurance policy for OU mac users that
there's ever been. Now you can have a PC on your mac running at native
speeds, with all the OU software you need to have in one handy machine.
The days of zero compatibility for Macs at the OU are potentially
numbered.
However, booting between systems isn't every Mac user's idea of a good
time. That said, in the absence of any alternatives, it
is a very fine solution. Except that since Boot Camp was released - there is an alternative. an excellent alternative.
The new way -
Virtualisation
Since Apple announced their move to
the new Intel chips, they've been busy looking for a way to exploit the
common chip architecture for the benefit of Mac users needing multiple
operating systems. Ideally they've wanted a way to run other OS's
without re-booting - in a Window of the mac, just like VirtualPC
(above) - except at more PC-native speeds. They've been helped by a new
feature of the latest Intel chip -
Virtualization Technology, which helps different operating systems
to run on the same chip whilst sharing resources efficiently. This is
commonly known as virtualization.
then in 2006 a company called Parallels released a program called Parallels Desktop
- and it took the Mac world by storm. Parallels
Desktop
fast user switching between different operating systems using Parallels.
Parallels is a marvel - it can not only run XP, but also Vista, Windows 2000, Win 98, 95, Linux and UNIX operating systems! It uses the same "guest OS" concept that emulators do - you install a 'virtual disk' on your Mac containing the guest OS, and it sits in a window on your mac desktop. With the push of a button, it can also switch to 'full-screen' mode - looking like a full PC. You can have multiple virtual discs on your system - hard disk space permitting. Parallels exploits a virtualization technology called paravirtualization - which means that a Windows operating system running on your Mac doesn't have to translate each line of Windows code before execution, but can talk directly to the chip. This saves huge amounts of time. The result? Emulation, but with near-native speeds.
Parallels runs Windows like a dream, and getting into your windows desktop is now as simple as opening the Parallels application in your mac dock. No reboots here. Also, you can share files between Mac and Windows desktops, and even cut and paste text between them! OU mac users can now quickly swap between Mac and Windows without leaving the comfort of their own desktop. And if that wasn't good enough, Parallels even allows you to use your Boot Camp partition within Parallels! - meaning that you can use the same Windows desktop whether you're running in Parallels or - if you need full speed - via a reboot in Boot Camp.
As of February 2009, Parallels has reached version 4 - but its progress has not been plain sailing. Update problems have recently marred its reputation - while new competitors are threatening to steal its turf - one of which is even a free product. (see below). Perhaps the biggest competitor to Parallels is VMWare.
VMWare Fusion
VMWare Fusion is a Mac
virtualisation solution by WMWare, a
long-established
virtualization company on the Windows side. It entered that Mac market
a little late, but has been gaining ground ever since. VMWare is almost a feature-for-feature match with Parallels - price included. OU Students are divided in their choice of favourite, as each does the job very well.
Though I have no experience with this software, the reputation of VMWare demands respect, and students can only be the winners from such cut-throat competition for their business.
There is a free demo for both Parallels and VMWare - check them out and see which suits.
A Question of Cost: The problem with VMWare and Parallels
Although the two solutions above are wonderful, there is, of course, a price to be paid. Mac OU students
are faced with not only the cost of Windows, but also the cost of
purchasing Parallels or VMWare. This is beginning to add up - and if
you are a penniless student trying to make ends meet, then these things
are a real concern. Up till recently, there has been no alternative to stumping up extra cash if you wanted virtualisation on the Mac. But now - thanks to a marvellous open-source project called VirtualBox, you can now get a virtualisation program like Parallels and VMWare absolutely free!
VirtualBox - virtualisation for free
VirtualBox is an Open Source software package sponsored by those clever people at Sun - the people who brought you the Java programming language. And - like Java - VirtualBox was designed to be run on many systems - Windows, Linux, OSX, Solaris. Perhaps the Open University could take a leaf out of its book ;-)
To download a copy of VirtualBox for Mac, simply visit:-
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
And install "VirtualBox for OSX hosts".
The full VirtualBox package is available in binary (executable) form free of charge. This version is free for personal use and evaluation under the terms of the VirtualBox Personal Use and Evaluation License.
VirtualBox running Windows XP on the Mac
Just like with Parallels and VMWare, you can have OS and Windows applications running at the same time in VirtualBox, and they can share folders on your hard disk, making it easy to share documents, screenhots, etc.
VirtualBox is remarkably polished for a free application. Setup is simple, with friendly wizards to guide you through. (see the VirtualBox page for detailed install instructions). OU users who've tried it with course software have siad that compatibility is very good - even with sophisticated web services software, customised editing tools, windows .exe executables, and so on.
Like VMWare and Parallels you can take "snapshots" of your virtual PC - allowing you to rollback your PC system if you get a crash and lose data.
Problems with VirtualBox?
Not many! You can't exactly complain about the price - which must have Parallels and VMWare shaking in their boots. But here are a few nitpicking observations:-Not 100% compatible
Some people have reported issues with audio when trying to use Lyceum (the Microsoft-only virtual learning environment used on some OU courses) with some VirtualBox setups. That said, poor old Lyceum can give OU students on any system. It's currently being phased out, so shouldn't be an issue long-term.
Networking Compatibility
There have been reported issues with wirelss compatibility, although it has worked fine for me. Networking in general is less polished than on VMWare or Parallels.
General Interface polish
VirtualBox - though very impressive - isn't quite as clean, polished and attractive to use as Parallels or VMWare. It's a relative newcomer, and not a commercial enterprise, so lacks some of the more sophisticated touches of its paid-for rivals. One particular feature missing is the ability to drag-and-drop files from the Mac side into Windows. Both VMWare and Parallels can do this. That said - it may be a feature in future....
Verdict
VirtualBox is a splendid addition to the virtualisation team for Mac users. For a student on a budget it is - frankly - unbeatable. This website will be featuring a great deal of VirtualBox in the future.
Issues with Virtualisation
So Virtualisation is the final word in running Windows on the Mac?
Well...
virtualization doesn't provide every
solution for a mac-user's
needs. First off, it's a memory-hog. It needs plenty of power to run those other systems. Get as much memory as you can. Secondly, it runs a virtual Windows environment, not a real one like Boot Camp creates. This virtual environment is a clever trick - software that pretends it's hardware. It's brilliant, but not perfect. Some complex programs mightn't perform well on this type of system - others may not run at all. Virtualisation must work around the fact that it's really one operating system running within another - sometimes it can come unstuck. Ask other Mac students about compatibility with course software, and keep your eyes on the compatibility list.
The future - running PC
apps without running Windows?
So is Virtualization the last word in running Windows apps on our Mac?
Or could there be an even better way? Well, possibly. For years now, some very clever chaps in the free-software community have been developing a free application called WINE. WINE does a very smart thing - it can run a Windows application - for example Microsoft word for Windows - without having to install the whole Windows operating system. The application runs like a normal app on your Mac! Now this software has been developed to run on the UNIX operating system, not on Macs. Ahh, but OS X just so happens to have UNIX at its core, so it mightn't take too much pain to adapt it to run on the Macintosh....
Crossover Mac
That's exactly what occurred to the makers of Crossover Mac. This is a proprietary development based
on WINE - and it's rather good. It aims to achieve Mac OU nirvana - the ability to run all our course software on our Macs without needing to install the Virus-fest that is Windows.
Crossover works by fooling the Windows program into thinking its working in a PC environment, whereas the Mac is actually translating the instructions the program needs to operate. This means that programs which work with Crossover act just like normal Mac programs do - they sit on your desktop, open, close, print, etc, just as you'd expect.
Now Crossover doesn't work for every Windows program. In fact, its compatibility list is, shall we say....select? But those apps that may not be 100 percent compatible, might still be perfectly workable. Including OU apps. So it's well worth giving crossover a try if you don't want to - or can't - use virtualisation.
The list of compatible crossover apps is here.
The best thing about Crossover is that you can try it out first before buying from here. Then, if you like it, you can enjoy education prices. (only 26 pounds as of Feb 2009)
So Crossover - while not the full solution - may certainly point to a more efficient way for Mac users to run Windows apps in the future.
.
Microsoft Visio running native on the Mac via Crossover
Machine requirements
for Windows on Mac
So there we have it. Emulation, virtualization and dual-booting can
help fill the gap for Mac users on OU courses that have only one star
(see compatibility list) by
imitating Windows on their machines. But what version do you choose for
your Mac? Below is a compatibility grid listing your options and requirements depending on what kind of Mac you have and the type of processor you need.
| |
A Mac PowerPC G3, G4, G5 running OS X (pre - 2006) | A Mac with an Intel Core processor (2006 -) | System Requirements
|
Cost and Availability
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 VirtualPC 6.1 |
YES
|
NO
|
Min.
500MHz PowerPC G3, G4, OSX 10.2.3 or later, min. 256 RAM |
Discontinued
- look on eBay or
Amazon Marketplace - from approx. 99 GBP with Windows included |
 VirtualPC 7.0 |
YES
|
NO
|
Min. 700MHz PowerPC G3, G4, G5, OSX 10.2.3 or later, min. 512 RAM | Discontinued
- look on eBay or
Amazon Marketplace - 80 pounds without Windows - up to 200 pounds with Windows inc. (you can install your own copy of Windows if you have it) |
 Boot Camp |
NO
|
YES
|
Intel
Mac (post 2006) |
Free A full copy of Windows XP SP2 or Vista required. Sold as part of MacOS X 10.5 Leopard |
VirtualBox |
NO |
YES |
Intel Mac
(post 2006) See here |
Free Download here. A copy of Windows required. (more information here) |
 Parallels
Desktop |
NO
|
YES
|
see here |
Available online from Parallels (79.99 USD), but an academic version is available from Apple education (39.10 pounds) |
 VMWare Fusion |
NO |
YES |
see here |
Available online from VMWare (79.99 USD), but an academic version is available from Apple education (39.10 pounds) |
Summary - Multiple OU desktops, or one OU standard?
The solutions above have made life for Mac users at the OU a lot easier. Any user buying a new Mac today is guaranteed of at least being able to run Windows on their machine if they have to. So that's an end to all compatibility problems at the OU, yes?No! These apps are a sticking plaster, not a cure. The only real cure would be for the university to publish all of its materials and media in a way that conforms to globally accepted open standards that all computer users could access - then Mac users would be able to view documents and study without having to pay substantial amounts of extra cash to guarantee accessibility. It's not impossible. The sad fact is that Mac users - by deciding to purchase a safe, stable, secure and reliable computer system - are penalised when it comes to access to this particular education. It's a real shame.
The recent moves by the OU to embrace the Moodle VLE is an exciting development in the right direction. We can only hope that at some point in the future, all the above solutions will be made redundant for a student wishing to study at the Open University on their Mac.
By Stephen McGann - updated February 2009
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