I am a new Mac user and have parallels but haven't installed it yet. I know that the setup wizard can set the partition size to 8 GB as a default and that I can change that in the custom setup. I have been searching and have found several instances of folks needed to make their partition larger. Any ideas on what might be an "ideal" partition size for XP? It seems like several people underestimate what they need and then have to create a larger partition. I know that there is no one right answer and it depends on what I plan to do with XP- probably Dreamweaver and Quicken for sure. Thanks for any suggestions. This forum has been a great place for info. I am waiting on my copy of XP that is on the way. Randy
Why not just get Mac Dreamweaver and Mac Quicken? Anyhow, I'd say it depends not only on how you'll use your PC but also how you'll use your Mac, and how much space you actually have. The easy solution is to use an expanding HD one so that the space is only actually used up if you need it. Assuming you don't plan on storing a noticeable amount of images and other such media, 8GB is nice amount of space. My own XP HD is currently taking less than 4GB, but I don't use it much. Once you start doing stuff like installing large numbers of programs, storing photos, playing games, and whatnot you'd need more space. Don't worry too much. If it turns out you need less or more space than you are using, you are not locked in.
I actually did buy Mac Quicken and hate it. Font size is way too small. And buying Dreamweaver 8 for Mac is pretty pricey. Anyhow....thanks for the info. Nice to know I can change HD size if needed.
If it helps you, I am running XP and Quicken for Windows. I took the default 8GB partition. I just checked and I have 2.96GB used, and 4.83GB free. Definitely stay away from Quicken for Mac, unless you are brand new to quicken. There is roughly one-third less functionality than the Windows version, but this means that when you try to convert your data, you will have months of work trying to figure out what transferred, what has to be re-entered, and making it balance. I tried Quicken for Mac, and that is why I now use Parallels.
re: Quicken for Mac...I will be asking Intuit for a refund. I think I need to do a custom size on the virtual drive since I am pretty sure I will need more than 8 GB. I am still waiting on my copy of XP...several orders I placed with various vendors ended up being canceled due to no stock or backorder. So...I wait. Thanks for the info! RandyB
