Great applications only for Windows?

Discussion in 'Parallels Desktop for Mac' started by studiogeek, Nov 13, 2006.

  1. studiogeek

    studiogeek Bit poster

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    3
    Hi,
    I have a MBP C2D 2.16. I have installed Parallels and XP on it. I now have no idea what I will do with Windows. What great applications have people in this forum found that add functionality that wasn't available with Mac software?
    I'm looking for cool Windows apps basically?
    SG
     
  2. veggiedude

    veggiedude Hunter

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    100
    I can't think of any. All the really great apps eventually find their way to Mac OS (i.e. Google Earth, Slingbox, GPS software) so I would say wait for the future cool apps to arrive, enjoy them first in Windows before they eventually show up for OS X.
     
  3. constant

    constant Forum Maven

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    From a technical point of view, there are some very clever viruses that only run on windwoes.
    .
     
  4. Purplish

    Purplish Forum Maven

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    521
    The latest version of iTunes looks really great on Windows.

    ....Oh, wait!
     
  5. Spoono

    Spoono Bit poster

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    Quicken. Only reason I keep Windows around.
     
  6. itsdapead

    itsdapead Hunter

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    Xara Xtreme

    My nomination for a Windows killer app would be Xara Xtreme - a vector drawing app (with bitmap/photo capability). Doesn't have quite the feature list of, say, Illustrator or Freehand but is pretty powerful, very responsive and MUCH cheaper. OK, its partly familiarity but I find using Freehand etc. like kicking a dead whale along a beach in comparison.

    The windows version is payforware - there's a (not quite complete yet, but usable) open source version for Linux here and the prospect of an OSX version sometime. Personally, I think they shoud invest in a commercial Mac version instead of waiting for the FOSS community to port it.

    Personally, I also prefer the PC version of MS Office, but that's only a beheading vs. hanging choice.
     
  7. matrix42

    matrix42 Bit poster

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    7
    MS Streets and Trips - only thing I use windows for
     
  8. Delphyne

    Delphyne Member

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    51
    A few that come to mind immediately...

    AutoCad

    VirtualDub, AviSynth, VobSub

    SoundForge, Vegas

    Microsoft Office (The windows rev is far superior to the mac os rev.), Visual Studio.
     
  9. pastrychef

    pastrychef Member

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    26
    1. NewsBin Pro - the best newgroup reader, in my opinion. Far faster than any Mac alternative.
    2. DVD Shrink - I love the way this one app does it all.
    3. Quick Par - much faster Mac alternativesand seems to be able to fix things that Mac alternatives can't.
    4. WinRAR - again, much faster than Mac alternatives.
     
  10. COBeav

    COBeav Bit poster

    Messages:
    8
    1. AnyDVD
    2. VideoReDo - I haven't found any comparable mpeg-2 FAE (Frame Accurate Editing) tools for the Mac which are low-cost. SimpleMovieX isn't nearly as nice.
     
  11. virek

    virek Member

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    format is excellent. Really stable :D
     
  12. mschool

    mschool Member

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    45
    All of these are Windows-only. I'm running them on a Parallels VM.

    ACT (by Sage Software) sales contact management

    Garmin iQue 3600 software

    Outlook 2003 with Microsoft Exchange server (over a VPN)...Entourage does not provide calendar details when booking a meeting with somone who has time blocked out. If I can find a work-around in Entrourage, I'll dump Outlook.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2006
  13. joem

    joem Forum Maven

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    1,247
    Microsoft Access -- best of breed desktop database -- blows EVERYTHING else away.
    Maintaining many thousand of lines of code in it, so even if I find something better, I have to keep using it.

    BTW, "cool" is only one reason for using an app. There are Windows apps I HAVE to run because my job requires them. Parallels allows me to do that, and is saving me lots of time and effort involved in carrying two machines around. Between Parallels and bootcamp, I'm down to one laptop.

    I'm even using one app where there is a Mac version because the file formats for the Win and Mac versions are different and I need compatibility.

    And lastly, to studiogeek, why on earth would you install Parallels and Windows if you don't have a use for them? I can't imagine taking the time to install such a complex package as an emulator and OS without a need -- there are so many other things to do that DO have a purpose.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2006
  14. constant

    constant Forum Maven

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    studiogeek,

    Just because another can't see any reason to tinker, you should still do it. If that's what YOU want.
    .
     
  15. Djoh

    Djoh Member

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    - MatLab 7 (since it's not released for Intel yet... I thought you just had to "check a box" in XCode to make something Intel-compatible!? so much for that...)
    - Origin is an amazing prog. for graphing, makes really great, presentable data plots.

    - AutoCAD (as perviously mentioned) is great, I haven't found anything like it on a Mac (though I haven't looked in a few years)

    Tons of Engineering programs, BeamProp is the one I use. ADS for high speed circuits. MultiSIM is a very cool, simple to use circuit/logic design program.

    A GREAT videogame, not found anywhere else in the same form:
    - Worms 2
    - Worms Armageddon

    I run PD on a MiniMac, solely 'cuz I needed to run MS Visual Studio for some visual C++ programming for work, so there's that as well.
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2006
  16. rcardona2k

    rcardona2k Member

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    My favs are, in no particular order:

    Adware,
    Spyware,
    Viruses,
    Trojans,
    Backdoors,
    Randomware from random sites,
    Rootkit-ware, esp. Sony's or any big company's

    I load up TCPView, Ethereal and/or PortReporter and watch all the holiday lights as my VM connects to exciting destinations in China, Korea, Brazil, Ukraine, Moldovia, Phillippines, Russia, Poland, you name it! At least places I'll probably never visit.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2006
  17. dotcomjunkie

    dotcomjunkie Member

    Messages:
    51
    Sounds like you need some antivirus software...I have been running windows for years and have never had a problem.
     
  18. rcardona2k

    rcardona2k Member

    Messages:
    36
    I think you missed my point the "application" here is a honeypot to watch the malware of the world run in the confines of a VM. Anti-anything just spoils the party.
     
  19. mrfearless47

    mrfearless47 Member

    Messages:
    56
    The only reason some one would want Windows on a Mac would be to run applications that don't run on the Mac. There are number of vertical market applications that I use in my work that don't have Mac equivalents. They run great under Parallels. I wouldn't use Windows at all but for these circumstances. (OK. One other circumstance. I write financial analysis software under contract. It is nice to develop on Mac and then port easily to Windows and Linux while still running the primary development machine. My software doesn't use GUI so cross platform compatibility is still pretty easy).
     
  20. Hugh Watkins

    Hugh Watkins Forum Maven

    Messages:
    943
    definitely not true
    it goes the other way from Mac to Windows :)
    eg Photoshop

    on start up I use
    Windows Live Messenger 8.1 beta

    MS IE 7 is essential for checking my own web sites to see them as the majority will soon view them

    I also use it for Internet banking because of some fussy security software installed by a leasing danish bank only works on a unique computer

    my killer app
    is Family tree maker 16
    i tested two competiong mac products and they were a waste of money

    I do intend to take Omnipage Pro OCR on to the virtual PC
    and I want to know if Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 has been tested

    >> Send e-mails and instant messages, surf the web, create documents - all by simply speaking. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9, you'll be faster than ever ...
    www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/ <<

    it canbe fussy about PC sound cards I am told

    AOL 9 on WinXP is very slightly better than AOL 10 on Max OS 10.4.8
    but that is part of my social life


    and Irfan View and the freebie windows text editors have their uses

    If I used Excel daily i would use MS Office native on Win Xp on parallels
    the MS Mac Office has slipped behind

    Gmail is OK on the Mac with Firefox
    beta.blogger.com too

    but i find the imap mailers I use now om teh MacBook pro
    slower than the old MS OE i used to use on my old machine and with less keyboard shortcuts



    Hugh W
     

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