Please Help Me Replace My Dell Laptop With A MBP

[Billy]

Hi Everyone

I am interested in replacing my WinXP laptop that I use for work with a Macbook Pro. I have a PowerPC iMac at home and have successfully used the native OS X Finder and Mail applications to interact with the office Exchange server via Cisco VPN connection.

Unfortunately, there are some applications that I routinely use in work that do not run on OS X. Also if I take the step of bringing a Mac into the office and am unable to run some important application, I will never live it down.

Parallels Workstation appears to be the solution as I could run XP as a VM within OS X. However I have some concerns and hope you can help me address them:

1. Does the full set of Microsoft Office apps run OK on an XP VM or are there some gotchas?

2. I use the Blackberry Desktop Manager software to synchronise my Blackberry with Outlook via a USB cable. Does anyone know if this works on an XP VM?

3. I have a RoadAngel (A UK speed trap detector for my car) which gets updates on speed cameras and accident blackspots via USB cable and XP application. Anyone ever tried that?

4. Can an XP VM use the Mac's bluetooth device?

5. Does the XP Cisco VPN work over both cable Ethernet and WiFi on a VM?

6. Anyone run Goldmine from FrontRange on an XP VM?

7. Do McAfee's desktop virus products work OK on an XP VM?

8. Can the XP VM be made to be part of a Windows SBS 2003 Active Directory domain?

9. This last one might sound stupid, but can an XP VM print to network shared printers?

Sorry about the long post and I know the real answer is to try it for myself but I don't have an Intel Mac yet. Any replies most gratefully received.

 

[backtothemac]

Billy, Parallels is not yet what you need. However, there is bootcamp. That will allow you a fully functioning PC. I think that most of the things your need will be in Parallels for the GM, but just not yet.

 

[sdlavergne]

1. Does the full set of Microsoft Office apps run OK on an XP VM or are there some gotchas?

I think you will be fine with this one. But I haven't tested. I am running Outlook 2003 and it is running great.

2. I use the Blackberry Desktop Manager software to synchronise my Blackberry with Outlook via a USB cable. Does anyone know if this works on an XP VM?

3. I have a RoadAngel (A UK speed trap detector for my car) which gets updates on speed cameras and accident blackspots via USB cable and XP application. Anyone ever tried that?

Doesn't work yet. No USB support in Beta 3, but I do believe that it is planned for the production release.

4. Can an XP VM use the Mac's bluetooth device?

5. Does the XP Cisco VPN work over both cable Ethernet and WiFi on a VM?

6. Anyone run Goldmine from FrontRange on an XP VM?

Don't know.

7. Do McAfee's desktop virus products work OK on an XP VM?

I know Trend's antivirus works fine.

8. Can the XP VM be made to be part of a Windows SBS 2003 Active Directory domain?

9. This last one might sound stupid, but can an XP VM print to network shared printers?

Yes on these two. I am doing this now.

 

[brettw]

3. I have a RoadAngel (A UK speed trap detector for my car) which gets updates on speed cameras and accident blackspots via USB cable and XP application. Anyone ever tried that?

Billy - I don't think you'll have to worry on that point. Once you've kicked up your karma a few thousand percent with the coolness of running a Mac Book on the road you won't need the speed trap detector as you'll be too fast to be caught. In fact you'll even find the powercord is now designed with fast getaways in mind. You'll also not have to worry about accident blackspots either - the silky slickness of the all aluminum skin on a Mac Book will squeak you by in the tightest of jams - sliding right past those grubby ThinkPads in a whisper quiet streak of silver.

Its form over function - aesthetics over application. You're in the Think Different zone now .....

 

[mbeyer]

I am selling my G5, my G4 PB and my Dell PC. I'm just going to use my MacBook Pro. It's that good. Bootcamp is solid, as far as I've seen. Parallels is what you want eventually but it's not there yet. However I am confident they will have a robust, full featured product soon enough.

Mean time, boot camp will do just fine.