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Dilemma of a Mac user in need of Windows


Veracohr

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Here's the deal: I use a Mac, but for school and long-term use in the realm of electronic circuit simulating, I need Windows in order to use a Windows-only simulation program.

 

My options are:

 

- Pay $200 to buy Windows that I can load and use on my Mac, which I'd rather not do;

 

- Pay a little more and get a cheap, used laptop with Windows already on it, and have a dedicated computer just for such purposes, plus keep unwanted stuff off my Mac.

 

I'm having a tough time deciding, but I need to make a decision soon. I stopped at a used computer store today to look at options; there was a $175 laptop but the thing was huge and had only a Pentium 4. It would work for what I need (the simulation software doesn't need much power) but it's always good to plan for the future. Plus the thing was huge.

 

There was also a $300 computer that was much smaller, kind of a small step up from a netbook. Powered by an AMD something. It would be much nicer to carry around, but of course it's a little more expensive. Still, only $100 more than putting Windows on my Mac, although this computer comes with Windows XP (both did), while the $200 to put it on my Mac would be for Windows 7. Not that the simulation software cares; it can run on anything from Windows 98 to Windows 7.

 

Someone give me some advice please!

 

Edit: oh yeah, I can get a student price of $70 I think for an upgrade to Windows 7. The student price is only for the upgrade, not a full install. Having never owned Windows I don't know how the licensing works. If I get a used computer with Windows XP loaded on it, will Microsoft consider me a legitimate owner of Windows and thus eligible for an upgrade license?

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Why don't you want to install Win7 on your Mac? You'll have the latest version of Windows, and it's a pretty decent version. Plus you only have to lug around 1 computer, and everything stays on one computer.

 

Is the simulation software heavy on the processor/ram? 'Cause then you mayn't want an old Win computer. I guess not, but just in case.

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Why don't you want to install Win7 on your Mac?

I guess I just don't want to take up so much space with a second OS that I need only for one small program. I suppose I could get a larger hard drive for my computer.

 

A guy I work with told me yesterday that while Mac is OK working with Windows, Windows 7 has problems sharing a machine with another OS. Not sure how true that is.

 

Is the simulation software heavy on the processor/ram?

No, but if I got another computer I'd like to get something that wasn't a dinosaur.

 

How about loading windows on a virtual machine (vmware, virtualpc) on your mac? You might have an old license of windows from an old computer knocking about you might be able to use.

 

I don't have any Windows computers lying about. I've never been a Windows user except at work.

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I used to share my iMac with Windows 7 only for a specific program for Forex trading. It never crushed or caused problems to Mac or Windows. I would let Windows running overnight with a Forex robot (that eventually took me to bankruptcy) and would switch to the Mac side for "normal" work in the morning. Though it always bothered me to have Windows running on my Mac. I guess I am a Apple fanboy :D .

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Ooh, I found a much better option! There's a Windows emulator called CrossOver that has the program I need to use (LTSpice) in their database of software that works. Plus a user comment that it works well. Only $50. I'm downloading the demo tonight!

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Whoa! this talk is so unfashionable to those of us who have an Ichip implant.

Get with the program, since the Anaconda OS came out in 2017 all physical devices became obsolete.

 

+1 sometimes I wish I was born at a time when brain computer interfaces are standard.
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