Archive for November 2011
Can You Install Windows on a Mac Computer? – Running Windows Programs With a Mac Made Easy!
Do you love your Mac’s sleek design, extensive multimedia programs, and virus free operating system but just cannot manage without Windows’ applications? Yes it is a predicament many of us computer user face, what are you supposed to do when you own and love using a Mac but your work requires you to access windows? Many people have jobs that rely on Microsoft access, outlook, windows based 3-D graphics software, adobe Photoshop or any other piece of Windows corporate-ware. Now since these people really don’t want to buy two separate systems they are left asking the question “Can You install windows on a Mac Computer”? And the answer my friend is YES. You can easily run windows on a Mac, and be running windows programs with Mac computers, there a couple of ways to do it, and I will be outlining them below…
Since Apple’s transition to Intel processors in 2006, Windows applications run beautifully on the Mac. Every currently shipping Mac qualifies, but older Macs may not. You can run any Windows program and even play the best of windows 3-D games on your Mac with the right tools. Now there are two ways to run windows programs on Mac, both ways will require you to install windows on a Mac and they are:
1. Boot into Windows at startup – This way will dedicate 100% of the processors power to Windows and Windows applications. The only problem is that you can’t use Mac OS X and Mac applications again until you restart.
2. Use Virtualization software – This lets you run Mac OS X and Windows side by side. You can switch between them as easily as you’d switch between Mac applications.
The first option is known as duel booting and it means having more than one operating system installed on your System. When your computer starts, it prompts you and asks which operating system you’d like to run. To carry out this procedure you can use a program called Boot Camp which is available for download from the Apple website. The problem with this way is that you need to re-boot in order to switch between Mac and Windows applications. Now Depending on what you do and how you work, this is either a minor inconvenience or a big deal.
You see you can’t copy and paste between Mac and Windows programs. And when you want to run a Windows program, you have to close everything you were working on, shut down the Mac, and restart it in Windows – and then reverse the whole process when you’re done. This can become quite time consuming and annoying if you need to regularly switch between the two operating systems. So what is the solution to this problem?
This is where option 2 looks a lot more appealing, Virtualization! Virtualization, also known as Virtual Computing, allows you to run an OS inside an OS. It uses software to emulate PC hardware and create a “virtual machine” running alongside the Mac operating system, giving instant access to any desired Windows applications. This means you can run both windows application and Mac programs side by side and switch between the two seamlessly. The best Virtualization Software on the Market is released by Parallels Software, and the great thing about their program is that it is Free to download, so you can start running windows programs with a Mac today! If you use Microsoft Office for Work or frequently need access to Windows applications alongside your Mac software then Virtualization is the way to go.
Therefore if you were wondering, can you install Windows on a Mac Computer, then wonder no more as your dream has become reality. You have two options at your disposal; you can either use the duel booting method or grab some good virtualization software, most users find virtualization the most convenient route as you will be Running Windows programs with Mac and your original Mac Programs side by side. For a more thorough look at how the two methods work and the tools required to Run windows on a Mac visit the link below…
Choosing Great Accessories and Add-Ons For Your Apple Mac Computer
Apple computer’s ongoing technology innovations and recent market-share gains have opened a much broader range of Mac compatible accessories and peripherals than in years past. Choosing the right Apple gizmos or add-on today isn’t nearly as much of a challenge as in the past. Macintosh owners had more problems finding gadgets back in the days of proprietary Apple connectors, limited driver availability, other incompatibility issues, and having to choose from a narrower list Mac supported devices.
In the past decade, Apple has made great strides in supporting and even pioneering open and industry standards. Now we’re faced with almost too many choices. The majority of computer peripherals today are far more likely to be cross-platform and fully Mac compatible. But there’s still differences. Apple owners tend to have a strong sense of function and aesthetic: We want gizmos and gadgets that adhere to the motto ‘It Just Works.’ But we also like add-ons that match and compliment our computer’s design and our own sense of style, whether it’s on the go with a MacBook laptop or at our desktop iMac or Mac mini.
If you’re shopping for an Apple compatible All-In-One printer, webcam, wired USB device, or wireless Bluetooth computer speaker system, digital camera, scanner, hard drive or memory upgrade; some choices stand out. An online trip to the Apple Store on the web is often a good indicator of products they know by and large work well with the Mac. But there, you’re likely to see and pay full list price for accessories that could be had for less nearly anywhere else.
Opt for quality peripherals over price and you’ll have a better Mac computing experience in the long run. By comparison shopping wisely, you can find great deals on highly rated, top Mac accessories that will be a joy to use for years to come. Cheap, import and knock-off accessories are usually just that. An ill-fitting laptop case, lousy speakers with poor frequency response, a blurry webcam with an empty sounding microphone, a temperamental inkjet printer that jams, clogs and costs a fortune to replace the ink on will all lead to regrets and frustration.
Trust major brands that have a history of supporting the Apple Macintosh platform. Look to companies that specialize in innovative Apple specific, Mac compatible products designed with your exact needs in mind. Look to midrange Mac-friendly products in the Good, Better, Best spectrum to find the optimal value for your money. Be skeptical of computer magazines and gadget-freak websites that tend to feature and review expensive, high-end gear for the well-heeled customer. They’re likely to feature headphones in the $150-300 range when there’s some awesome iPod, iPhone, and iPad headset solutions for a fraction of that with excellent audiophile sound quality.
Apple’s has built in OSX device drivers for literally hundreds of gizmos and gadgets to make installation as simple as merely plugging in many devices. Staying current with software updates to the operating system will insure smoother operation with less bugs. When supporting applications or 3rd-party drivers are needed, some vendors provide downright elegant OSX software, while others unfortunately fail to deliver a truly ‘Mac-like’ interface, which can negatively impact your buying experience.
Do a bit of homework before choosing the best Mac accessories for your home, business or travel needs. Hyped product announcements or press releases aren’t always the best source. Online product reviews, especially those tempered with customer reviews and feedback can give you a better sense of design, function and usability in the real world where it counts.
How To Play Movies On An Apple Mac Computer
I got a question where someone asked me how to “play movies on Apple computer”. The answer to this depends on what you mean by playing movies.
The reason I’m mentioning this is because the person who asked just said they wanted to know “how to play movies on Apple computer” and didn’t mention if they meant a DVD movie, a movie they’d downloaded off the Internet, or a video file (or movie) on a web page. Depending on which they meant, the answer is a little different.
First off, let’s assume that when they said “play movies on Apple computer” that they meant a DVD movie.
Well, that’s a very simple answer: any Mac (Apple computers are called Macs, with specific models like iMac, MacBook, etc.) made in the last several years can play DVDs. 99% of the time, just pop the DVD in the drive, and DVD Player will open automatically and start playing the movie.
Worst case scenario, you’ll need to open your hard drive, then open the Applications folder, then look for the file DVD Player, and double-click it, and the movie will play. It’s very rare for you to have to do anything more than pop the DVD in the drive.
So another possible meaning for “play movies on Apple computer” would be a movie you’ve downloaded off the Internet. There’s a lot of different types of video files (video just means moving pictures, just like a movie) that are sent by email, or that can be downloaded off a web site.
If you want to play a movie or TV show you’ve bought from the iTunes Store, iTunes itself will play the movie using Quicktime. Quicktime is a program made by Apple for both their own Apple Mac computers, as well as for Windows PCs, and it comes automatically with iTunes.
Quicktime can play a lot of different types of video files, so it’s one way to play movies on Apple computer. If you’ve got a movie file that you got by email, or that you saved from a website, Quicktime will probably play it, and it is already installed on every computer made by Apple.
There are exceptions, so if you can’t play a video file (movie) when you double-click it, and Quicktime gives you an error message, then another option is the free VLC Player.
VLC Player is a free program that will play just about any type of video file you can get off the Internet, personally it’s my favorite way to play movies on Apple computers. VLC Player is also available for Windows.
Lastly, if the person who asked how to “play movies on Apple computer” was talking about playing the movie on a web page, then again, Quicktime will work for a lot of these movies, and VLC might do the trick too (although I’ve had problems in the past getting it to play movies that are “embedded” in web pages).
One of the most popular ways to put videos onto web pages is in Flash format. Flash Player is free, and comes already installed on most computers. As time passes, though, this looks likely to be replaced by “HTML5″ which will let your web browser play videos without having to add Flash Player or any other extra “browser plug-ins”.