VMware Fusion users question.

[keithdunlop]

I am planning to purchase LumaPix FotoFusion to speed up my album production (I currently use CS3 for albums and

this is not a question about the virtues of template software), but I also work on Macs.

 

I have no problem with having to run Windows on my Intel-based Macs, but how to go about it has me asking

questions. I currently run OS-X 10.4.11. So if I want to run FotoFusion I need to buy an upgrade to Leopard so I

can have access to Boot Camp, and I also need to buy a copy of Windows. Then I can buy and run FotoFusion.

However, several people say they run FotoFusion with VMware Fusion rather than Boot Camp. Why? If VMware is a

better platform to run Windows on Mac with, should I stick with OS-X 10.4?

 

So, I guess this is a question about VMware vs. Boot Camp, or am I missing something?

 

Thanks in advance.

[colin_mattson1]

VMWare allows you to run Windows and Mac OS X at the same time, whereas Boot Camp requires rebooting into the other

OS.

[chris_werner]

The advantage of Boot Camp is that it's free with Leopard, but since it forces you into an upgrade, that may not

matter for you. The disadvantage is that you have to move between OS's if you're working in both.

 

The advantage of VMWare Fusion is that it is more seamless in that you run it while you are in the Mac OS just in

another window. I find it much more user friendly than Boot Camp for that reason. But, if you go that route,

remember that you need enough RAM to support *both* OS's; i.e., you need all the RAM you would need to run

Leopard and any open programs, *plus* the RAM you will need to run Windows and any open programs in that OS.

 

Now, to do something to you that often bugs me when it's done to me - why FotoFusion? I haven't examined it

closely, but would something like Lightroom do the job for you as well? I imagine that you've looked at this,

but I mention it because from a distance it seems like it would save both money and hassle.

[bill_tuthill]

Another advantage of VMware Fusion is that you can run Linux

instead of, or in addition to, Windows. I believe Ubuntu Linux

is to the point where, if someone knew neither, Ubuntu would seem easier.

And this is comparing WinXP, not Vista, which adds complexity.

[paulh]

You could also try <A HREF="http://www.virtualbox.org">VirtualBox</A>, which like Fusion, allows you

to run Windows programs in a virtual machine, without a reboot. It is a free, open source alternative.

You still need a valid Windows XP or Vista license.<P>

 

Another option for running Windows programs is <A HREF="http://

www.codeweavers.com/">Codeweaver's Cross-Over Mac Pro</A>. This is a supported version of Wine,

a "layer" that allows you to run Windows programs on non-Windows operating systems (<B>W</B>ine

<B>I</B>s <B>N</B>ot an <B>E</B>mulator). This does not require a Windows license.<P>

 

The other option is to find a similar program that is native to the Mac<P>

[keithdunlop]

Thank all for the responses!

 

I downloaded and tried CrossOver Mac and unfortunately it will not run FotoFusion because the VXD drivers required are not supported by CrossOver. So it looks like the way to go is to find an OEM XP license and go with VMware Fusion.

 

Chris: Lightroom is a terrific post-processing tool, and many of the things I used Photoshop for in the past I now do in Lightroom, but it doesn't have the layer-based design and masking tools necessary to layout album templates.

 

Again, thanks to all!

[keithdunlop]

I wanted to post a follow-up if anyone is following this thread.

 

I found a downloadable OEM copy of Windows XP online for $60.00 and installed it using VMware Fusion. I then installed a trial copy of FotoFusion to test, and it works really well on my MacBook Pro under OS-X Tiger (avoiding the additional expense of an upgrade to Leopard). As Chris said, not having to reboot into Windows with Boot Camp is very desirable, especially when it comes to sharing folders and accessing my image files for the album designing. It's a little slow even with 3GB of RAM, but it's acceptable.

[bill_tuthill]

Thanks for the follow-up, Keith.

WinXP for $60 seems like a good price considering all the software you can run with it.

Vista Premium Home edition costs $84 now:

$24 to make your life unbearable, what a bargain!