By Eugene Melchionne, Esq.
So you’ve finally done it. You bought a Mac. It’s amazing because the tools you formerly used on a PC are all there on your Mac. Until one day when you realize that one of the most important programs you need for your bankruptcy practice is only available in a PC version. What do you do?
Since Apple’s switch to the Intel chip last year, this is not as major a concern as it once was. For those who purchased a G4 or G5 PowerPC machine in the past, there was Microsoft’s Virtual PC, a program that let you run Windows in an emulation window on the Mac. Using emulation, you would have a PC in a window and your PC programs ran within that window. Notice the past tense; the PowerPC processors and Virtual PC are history.
But don’t panic, there are no less than three solutions to the problem and a fourth on the horizon. Some of these products are truly paradigm shifting.
First is Apple’s own Boot Camp. A part of Apple’s upcoming Leopard OS X update, this is a utility that, once installed, allows you boot to your Mac into Windows XP. Once you do that, your Mac is no different than any Windows PC. Windows is in control of the machine and any Windows program runs completely natively. According to some tests, in this mode the Mac runs faster than some high-end PC machines out there. The downside? You have no access to those wonderful Mac programs that caused you to buy the computer in the first place and you can only go back to the Mac side by restarting the computer. Oh yeah, while you are in Windows, your machine is just as susceptible to viruses and worms as any Windows PC because it is a Windows PC. Better get those prophylactics out.
Second is a program called Parallels. This lets you run Windows in emulation mode, just as Virtual PC did for Mac users in the past. You install Parallels, then your favorite flavor of Windows. Launch Parallels which starts Windows in a window and then you can run your Windows program of choice in that window. There is also a mode that hides the Windows desktop called Coherence which gives the illusion that you are actually running the program on the Mac. The advantage of this approach is that you do not need to restart the Mac into Windows and your Mac programs remain available to you at the same time. The program is subject to the same criticism as the old Virtual PC; it’s a little pokey. You can also catch a virus or worm, but the effect of that pest is limited to the virtual environment, so restarting from a backup is relatively easy.
The third solution is provided by a company called CodeWeavers which has adapted an Open Source project called Wine. Called CrossOver Mac, this program provides a translation service for the Mac OS that takes Windows instructions and transfers them to the Mac OS. The advantage is that you don’t need Windows at all! A PC program will run natively on an Intel Mac just as if it were a Mac program. Windows programs look like Windows programs, but you don’t need to start Microsoft’s product first. Double click on a program or document icon and it launches. So far, my testing shows that this environment may be less susceptible to viruses and worms because Windows is not running and so none of the security holes exist. The only disadvantage is that if the PC program has any legacy code or doesn’t follow standard programming guidelines, it won’t run. The company maintains an extensive list of compatible programs that is regularly updated by user reports.
Currently in beta test, Fusion by VMware is the final tool. Although the focus is to run emulation of the operating system in a windows, this program allows an Intel Mac to run all sorts of PC operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, NetWare, and Solaris all at the same time as the Mac OS. Again the disadvantage is that you are running Windows (or whatever) in an emulation window and your programs run inside that. Because you are running Windows, you are exposed to viruses and worms. I know nothing of the speed and being a beta product, functionality may also be a problem.
So if you buy a Mac, you don’t need to worry about losing access to your favorite PC-based bankruptcy petition program. Just pick the solution that is compatible with your program and the approach you like the best and carry on. As time goes on, you’ll wish for a Mac version, but that is the time to lobby your software company to make one.
Eugene Melchionne is a Connecticut attorney. His web site may be reached at www.ctbankruptcy.com.
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