Hello,
I intend to buy me a MacBook pro soon, and I so their ad saying that a Mac can run windows and all programs (or so) for run software from windows programs on Mac should I buy a copy of windows? If so, why buy two computers and not having one?
Hello Adolf,
You have 3 options on how to run Windows programs on your MacBook:
1. Using Bootcamp. Bootcamp lets you dual-boot Mac OS and Windows. You can select which OS you want to boot in whether Windows or Mac OS. As a result, you can only run 1 OS at a time. You have to purchase a Windows installer if you want to use Bootcamp. Here's the complete set up guide and manual for Bootcamp:
https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1636/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.8.pdf
2. Using a virtual machine. You can choose from Parallels for Mac, VMware or VirtualBox. Of the 3, VirtualBox is the one that is absolutely free and is usually the one most computer enthusiasts prefer. Having a virtual machine means you can run Windows within Mac OS. That means both OS can run at the same time. One drawback though is you cannot utilize the full power of your MacBook since the 2 OS' will basically be sharing resources and CPU time. You will need to purchase a copy of Windows for this option.
3. Use Wine. Yes, Wine (https://www.winehq.org/), the application that lets you run Windows apps on Linux also supports Mac OS. PlayOnMac (https://www.playonmac.com/en/) makes it even easier to run Windows apps on your Mac OS. With this option, you don't have to buy a Windows OS installer.
