For most users this means installing both operating systems and then deciding which one to use. Another way to do this is through a nifty trick called virtualisation, which allows you to fool Windows – or any other operating system – that it has the whole machine to itself when it’s actually running on top of the Mac operating system. You can install almost any application and it will run as if it was on a normal PC.<\/p>\n
VMWare is a top dog in virtualisation, and most of its money comes from providing software to big companies. However, it also makes a product called Fusion, which does virtualisation on the Mac.<\/p>\n
I have played with similar software but it has never been this easy. This was probably the easiest Windows installation I have done, including installing Windows on a normal PC. Instead of sitting around waiting for Windows to do all the things it needed to do, I could continue working on my computer while it was installing. When you need to start Windows, you just fire up Fusion, pick the operating system you want and it picks up where you left off. No restarting needed.<\/p>\n
Fusion also has a nifty feature called Unity Mode, which makes it look as if your Windows applications are running without Windows. All you see is the program, like Word or Excel, and not the Windows start bar. This is all hidden away. There is an additional cost for doing this. You need lots of memory, a newish Apple computer and you have to buy Fusion as well as the Windows OS of your choice.<\/p>\n
However, the flexibility it gives you in your working environment is second to none.<\/p>\n