Windows on Mac: Worth the price, or just say no?

Hi, Im a Mac and Im a PC. We have all heard the commercials. They are very entertaining, if not based loosely in fact. Yet, as I outlined in a column here in May of 2007 (http://newsletters.hagerman.com/newsletters/ebul55-WP.htm), they are more about entertainment than facts. As I mentioned then, these advertisements point out the flaws, shortcomings or features on Microsofts products, while inferring the problems Microsoft has with endless patches just goes on and on. Now, Windows on a Mac? Yes, but you will be surprised by the details.

Im a PC?
Microsoft has played this card: Im a PC. In their ad they say all the things Windows can do. From my perspective, it is more information than entertainment. The term PC today means just about as much a saying Kleenex for any brand of tissue, Xerox for a photocopy, Jell-O for gelatin desert by any brand name and even the frozen summer favorite, the Popsicle. The PC in PC stands for Personal Computer. By its very definition, the Personal Computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator. This is in contrast to the batch processing or time-sharing models which allowed large, expensive mainframe systems to be used by many people, usually at the same time, or large data processing systems which required a full-time staff to operate efficiently. Therefore, a personal computer may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, tablet computer or a netbook. The most common current operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Solaris, while the most common microprocessors are x86-compatible CPUs, ARM architecture CPUs and PowerPC CPUs. Yes, Macs are PCs! Blasphemy, you say? Not really.

Im a Mac and a PC?
Yes. Apple is again promoting a product that allows the Mac to run Windows and Mac OS. The product is called Boot Camp. In the document from Apple, they say that Boot Camp enables you to install Windows on your Intel-based Mac computer, using a Microsoft Windows install disc that you provide. Windows is installed on its own partition. After installation, you can use either Windows or Mac OS X on your Mac. Seems simple, right? Yes and no. When you use Boot Camp on your Mac, the drivers for the hardware come from Apple, using the Install the Boot Camp drivers on your Windows volume. Herein lies the problem. Most Windows programs are designed to interface with the devices and driver designed for peripherals standard PC Hardware, not the hardware from Apple. While the claim from Apple is that you can run your Windows programs, you better check with your software vendor. Not all programs will work. What about those viruses and worms and spyware that Windows is prone to that Mac is not (even though the news shows otherwise)? Make sure you have anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware and firewall software active on that Mac when you are running Windows. Worthy of note is that with the recently released Snow Leopard operating system, Apple has expanded a download warning feature contained in Mac OS X 10.5 to create rudimentary anti-malware detection. Why would they need to do that if Mac is so safe? And why would Mac-only antivirus maker Intego exist? Hmmmm? Its simply because the Mac and PC advertisements are all about marketing and entertainment, and ignore the fact that any computer attached to the internet can be breached.

Autodesk Products Run On Boot Camp?!
Well, some do. That was the point of the comment above that not all programs will work in the boot camp environment. Autodesk has a limited set of programs that will run in the Boot Camp environment on Mac. These products, at the time of this writing include but are limited to:

AutoCAD 2010
Autodesk 3ds Max 2010
Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010
AutoCAD Inventor Professional Suite 2010
AutoCAD Inventor Suite 2010
Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010
Autodesk Revit MEP 2010
Autodesk Revit Structure 2010

Additionally, they note for Macintosh users:

You can install Autodesk Inventor on a Macintosh computer on a Windows partition. The system must use Boot Camp to manage a dual OS configuration and meet the minimum system requirements.
Apple OS X 10.5.x or higher
Boot Camp V 2.0 or higher
Intel based Mac (64-bit Windows Vista requires an Intel Core 2 duo or Xeon processor)
Minimum 3GB RAM (Recommend 4-GB for 32-bit guest OS, 8-GB or more for 64-bit guest OS)
Minimum 20GB disk space for Apple OS partition, minimum 20-GB for guest OS partition

What about the cost?
Computerworld reported in July 2009 that, of the computers costing $1000 or more, Macs accounted for a whopping 91 percent of the money spent. One could assume this means that Mac makes only high end PCs. You could also assume that PCs other than Mac have become a commodity and that the price of a Mac is artificially inflated. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle and the devil is in the details. It should be noted for these numbers and the chart at the right to have meaning, that the 91 percent share of the PC marketplace of PCs over $1,000 that Apple leads in only accounts for 7 percent of the total volume in PC sales. For the sake of argument, I will refer to PCs as the common Windows personal computer and Mac as Mac. Tim Cook said at the last conference call as Apple has said many times, that their goal has been and continues to be to build the best computers in the world and when we can do that at lower prices, we do that. When we cant, we won't put the Apple brand on a product that doesnt stand for innovation and doesnt have the legendary ease of use that we are known for. No sales pitch there. The other reason is competition. How many PC makers can you think of? Lets get a count, show of fingers please? Now, how many Mac and Mac clone makers can you come up with? The only Mac clone maker I can think of is Psystar, the Mac clone maker being sued by Apple Inc. because it installs Mac OS X on generic Intel-based systems. The bottom line is you will pay more for a Mac. The Mac Pro featuring the Intel starts at $2,499, featuring a quad core One 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor, 3GB (three 1GB) memory, 640GB hard drive, 18x double-layer SuperDrive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB (prices from the Apple Store 9/11/2009). Adding a monitor and Wi-Fi card brings the total to $3,448. Then add the new copy of Windows you will be buying. A similar PC from Dell comes in at about $2800.

Where does that leave you?
Simply put, can you run some software on a Mac, running Windows with Boot Camp? Yes. Will it cost more? Yes. Will it support everything you can run on a standard Windows PC? No. So what you really wind up with is this: Windows on a Mac, which based on the advertisements from Apple, that same operating system that is supposed to make PCs unreliable. The only difference is you bought and paid for higher-priced hardware with an extra program and had to purchase an additional operating system-in this case, Microsoft Windows-to do it. A better solution would be for them to buy professional CAD workstation hardware with certified components from a major vendor, in my opinion. What can you do with that Mac? Well, if it is an iMac, they have a kit that will make it into an aquarium! I just love that picture!

How can I get more information on this subject?
Check with the vendor of the software you propose to run if you are really thinking about going the way of Mac and using Boot Camp and loading Windows. Dont be surprised to find that, as we did, not all applications are supported. You may even get comments from vendor inquiries like We have not tested this configuration and it is technically not supported. However, if you choose to install and it works, if you then run into problems, we will ask that the problem be demonstrated to exist when running on a standard PC platform. Contact us! If you have questions or comments about this article, contact me.

All product names / logos, company names / logos are copyrights of their respective holders. John Boline is an MCSE, CNE, USE, a member of the Network Professional Association and the Microsoft Partner Research Panel, . The content herein is often based on late-breaking events. Much of the material is based on information from sources that are believed to be reliable. Hagerman & Company, Inc. disclaims all warranties as to the ultimate accuracy or completeness of the information. Hagerman & Company, Inc. and its employees shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained within this article or for any interpretations thereof. The recommendations, positions and best practice policies outlined herein represent Hagerman & Company, Inc. initial analysis and therefore are subject to change as further information which may have bearing on these positions is made available. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Hagerman & Company, Inc. assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements made in this newsletter to reflect any change in circumstances, after the date of publication. Entire contents 2009 Hagerman & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden

This page last edited on Wednesday, November 10, 2010