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OnaBoat's avatar

Fusion 2 vs Parallels 4: Which is better for running Windows XP on a MacBook Pro?

Asked by OnaBoat (362points) October 21st, 2009

In your experience, which is better for running Windows XP Pro on a MacBook Pro – VMWare Fusion 2 or Parallels 4? Why? How do they compare on features and performance?

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4 Answers

patg7590's avatar

I use VMware myself, I use it to access my physical bootcamp partition without rebooting. It works well and I’ve never had any problems. It even has Unity mode so you can run Windows apps in their own windows right along with Mac apps.

I’ve never used parallels, what is it you’re looking to do with them? They are best for light use, no gaming or anything heavy allowed, since they just emulate a graphics card more or less; VMware at least, I assume Parallels is similar.

jbradc's avatar

I use VMware Fusion 2 on my MacBook Pro (17) and my MacPro desktop to run XP. I have never used Parallels but from what I have read Fusion has a smaller footprint and makes better use of system resources. BTW Fusion 3 is shipping next month.

Menekali's avatar

Neither. Fusion 3 will be more memory efficient than either, and run a bit more smoothly on less than adequate hardware. Definitely worth the wait!

jrpowell's avatar

I use VirtualBox. It is free so you can check it out. It works for me.

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