The beauty about virtualization programs is that you can run both OS X and Windows side-by-side, and both programs feature a 'Unity' interface whereby your Windows applications appear in OS X and can be launched natively, meaning you aren't committed to working inside Windows. You've also got the beauty of being able to run other operating systems, such as Linux, using these programs (Linux can be run under Boot Camp, however it isn't supported by Apple and can be a bit temperamental).

The two leaders out there are VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop, and both of them offer pretty much the same set of features. Personally, I would recommend a virtualization program.

Of course, Boot Camp is great if you're going to be using nothing but Windows, but if you want to use both Windows and OS X side-by-side, then it isn't an ideal option. The disadvantage is that if you want to use OS X, you will have to save everything you're doing in Windows and reboot your Mac. Running Windows under Boot Camp will give you a slightly better user experience as your Mac's system resources are being used exclusively for one operating system, Windows, not two.

You can run Windows side-by-side using a virtualization package such as Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion.īoth ways have their advantages and disadvantages, of course.

You can use Apple's Boot Camp to create a Windows partition on your Mac's hard drive, allowing you to boot either into OS X or Windows when you start your Mac.

In short, there are two ways of running Windows on your Mac.

Use windows programs on mac