How do I run Windows or Windows programs on my Macintosh?

If you have a Macintosh computer, you can run Windows and Windows applications, but you need to install additional software. The specific software depends on what kind of Mac you have.

Intel-based Macintoshes

Because newer Macintoshes use Intel processors, they can run Windows and Windows applications as quickly as other PCs. Several different approaches are available for running Windows on Intel Macs. The first, taken by Apple's Boot Camp, is to dual-boot between OS X and Windows. This approach provides the most compatibility with Windows software and peripherals, but it does not allow you to run Windows and Mac OS X applications at the same time. A second method is to run Windows in a virtual machine within OS X. Parallels Desktop uses this method, and although it doesn't support as much Windows functionality as a dual-boot configuration, it allows you to run Mac and Windows applications concurrently.

PowerPC-based Macintoshes

To run Windows and Windows programs on a Macintosh with a PowerPC chip, you must install hardware emulation software. Hardware emulation works by mimicking hardware within an application. When you run a PC program in the emulation environment, the software intercepts commands and translates them into code your computer understands. In this way, you can run many PC applications and, with some programs, even multiple PC operating systems (e.g., Windows 98, Windows XP, Linux). Unfortunately, the speed will be much slower than on a PC or a Mac with an Intel chip. Nevertheless, if you use PC software only occasionally, or if you are not bothered by slow performance, hardware emulation software may be an acceptable option for you. These hardware emulation software products are currently available:

• Guest PC by Lismore Software Systems, Ltd.
  
  
• Bochs x86 PC emulator

Also see:

• In Mac OS X, how do I find out the IP address or domain name of another networked device?
• For Mac OS X, what are some useful utilities for troubleshooting and optimizing performance?
• Using Mac OS X, how do I repair permissions, and what does that do?
• In Mac OS X, how do I connect to and share files with a Windows computer?