Parallels vs. Boot Camp

Apr 6, 2006, 08:12 AM #1
reggie Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 7	Parallels vs. Boot Camp ...hopefully I won't get beat up by the Parallel's staff for asking this one. :) Has anyone compared the Parallel Beta to the Boot Camp Beta? Just wondering what the difference in speed is (if any). Regg'

Apr 6, 2006, 08:33 AM #2
WhoAmI Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 7	Well, Parallels has the advantage of not requiring a re-boot just to switch over to a Windows application. Using ISO images in the Parallels eternal hardware emulation is also considerably faster than having to use the actual CDs under BootCamp/WinXP. Being that Parallels is a virtualizer, it's already very fast. I find that the mouse input is way too slow and jaggy for detail work under Parallels, so far, and that I would prefer BootCamp there. I hope Parallels can find a fix for that problem soon, because then I'd remove BootCamp for good.

Apr 6, 2006, 08:33 AM

WhoAmI
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Well, Parallels has the advantage of not requiring a re-boot just to switch over to a Windows application. Using ISO images in the Parallels eternal hardware emulation is also considerably faster than having to use the actual CDs under BootCamp/WinXP.

Being that Parallels is a virtualizer, it's already very fast. I find that the mouse input is way too slow and jaggy for detail work under Parallels, so far, and that I would prefer BootCamp there. I hope Parallels can find a fix for that problem soon, because then I'd remove BootCamp for good.

Apr 6, 2006, 08:47 AM #3
reggie Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 7	Thanks WhoAmI. I'll be getting a new MacBook Pro soon (tomorrow) and will more than likely try both solutions. I'm a Mac using Windows Admin so so I need to use Windows at work.

Apr 6, 2006, 08:51 AM #4
burgeke Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 29	I think both have a place. Boot Camp is really just a dual boot with Apple provided Windows drivers. For someone who will regularly spend time in Windows, this is a good fit. For me, I prefer a VM with Windows since I only need Windows for the occasional web site (i.e. my online college) that requires Internet Explorer.

Apr 6, 2006, 09:48 AM #5
WhoAmI Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 7	Of course they both have a place. However, if Parallels offered speedier input/graphics, then applications such as Rhino could be run from directly within the VM, instead of requiring a tedious reboot. I'd prefer that over BootCamp any day, but current VM speeds don't allow me to uninstall BootCamp.

Apr 6, 2006, 07:14 PM #6
s.cresswell Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 16	We've trialled both Boot Camp (yesterday) and Parallel (this morning). Parallel is good to work with. The tools were impressive. I agree with other posts that both have there place in the Mac world. Boot camp (as far as betas go) had substantially better UI than Parallel - but again two different creatures. The CD behavior is annoying. That you have to reboot the VM every time you want to change CD (unless I'm missing something). Also the lack of USB support in this version was disappointing. Support of Win 95 as a guest is pretty great. And I'm sure that Parallel will do well with no sign of Virtual PC being made for the Intel macs. Will put a post again after we try playing Red Faction through boot camp later :p __________________ Sean Cresswell Software Tester

Apr 6, 2006, 07:14 PM

s.cresswell
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We've trialled both Boot Camp (yesterday) and Parallel (this morning). Parallel is good to work with. The tools were impressive.
I agree with other posts that both have there place in the Mac world.
Boot camp (as far as betas go) had substantially better UI than Parallel - but again two different creatures.
The CD behavior is annoying. That you have to reboot the VM every time you want to change CD (unless I'm missing something).
Also the lack of USB support in this version was disappointing.
Support of Win 95 as a guest is pretty great. And I'm sure that Parallel will do well with no sign of Virtual PC being made for the Intel macs.

Will put a post again after we try playing Red Faction through boot camp later :p

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Sean Cresswell
Software Tester

Apr 6, 2006, 07:26 PM #7
zdp Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 2	Can we use the drivers apple provided yesterday with Boot Camp with the parallels prod?

Apr 6, 2006, 07:27 PM

s.cresswell
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Quote:

Can we use the drivers apple provided yesterday with Boot Camp with the parallels prod?

Tried it, the installer didn't run- said that "your Hardware is not supported" :(

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Sean Cresswell
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Apr 6, 2006, 07:35 PM

jmaynard
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Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoAmI

However, if Parallels offered speedier input/graphics

Have you tried installing the Parallels Tools? ALso, have you tried lowering the display acceleration a notch? Both of those markedly improve performance.

Apr 9, 2006, 01:39 AM #10
jasonbuzz Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 6	How do you install Parallels Tools?

Apr 9, 2006, 05:11 AM

#11

Scott Willsey
Senior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 174

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaynard

Have you tried installing the Parallels Tools? ALso, have you tried lowering the display acceleration a notch? Both of those markedly improve performance.

Personally, I've done both and they are still jerky. It's not the responsiveness because whatever you try to do happens quickly, it's just a display issue. But it's a valid complaint, even after following the advice above.

Apr 9, 2006, 07:59 AM

#12

vamp07
Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 86

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaynard

Have you tried installing the Parallels Tools? ALso, have you tried lowering the display acceleration a notch? Both of those markedly improve performance.

I suspect you would not want to do this even if it worked. I have to assume that the Parallel tools are specifically written to give you speedier access to the parallel engine and in the process bypass hardware emulation (this is speculation). I'm specifically thinking of the networking driver and the video if a video driver specific to parallel is ever created.

Apr 9, 2006, 08:09 AM #13
wesley Senior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 398	Although I have yet to hear any official Parallels staff mentioning something related to it, lowering display acceleration does indeed speed up the display. Read this thread: http://forum.parallels.com/thread131.html In my observation, having 'full acceleration' results in visible tearing of menu items around the mouse cursor when I move the cursor around the menu rapidly. Lowering a notch eliminates this occurrence.

Apr 9, 2006, 08:09 AM

#13

wesley
Senior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 398

Although I have yet to hear any official Parallels staff mentioning something related to it, lowering display acceleration does indeed speed up the display. Read this thread:

http://forum.parallels.com/thread131.html

In my observation, having 'full acceleration' results in visible tearing of menu items around the mouse cursor when I move the cursor around the menu rapidly. Lowering a notch eliminates this occurrence.

Apr 9, 2006, 01:46 PM #14
guyfox Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 3	Parallels is just too slow for anything graphics intensive...Vista will be extremely graphics intensive with Aero. Don't think Parallels will be able to keep up and is it even technically possible for Parallels to increase graphics speed significantly in the futute? There's still that Rosetta-like software layer, yes? Dual boot is better IMHO

Apr 9, 2006, 03:38 PM

#15

Scott Willsey
Senior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 174

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyfox

Parallels is just too slow for anything graphics intensive...Vista will be extremely graphics intensive with Aero. Don't think Parallels will be able to keep up and is it even technically possible for Parallels to increase graphics speed significantly in the futute? There's still that Rosetta-like software layer, yes? Dual boot is better IMHO

Vista won't display Aero unless the system it is installed on is capable of it. You just won't see the fancy see-through glass effects. If you want Aero, dual boot might not even be enough depending on which mac you have. I'm not sure if the Intel GMA950 can handle it or not. It probably should - but who knows yet.

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Parallels vs. Boot Camp