If you’ve got Windows programs that you just can’t live without and that aren’t available in Mac versions. It can also be handy for maintaining compatibility with Windows-using co-workers.

There are three main ways to run Windows on a Mac. First, OS X itself includes Boot Camp, a utility that lets you install a copy of Windows (which you supply) on your Mac. Mac tips: video converter mac.You can then boot into either OS. Windows will run just as fast as on any PC with comparable specs, and all Windows-compatible applications and peripherals work. The disadvantage of Boot Camp is that it’s either/or: You have to boot into one operating system or another; you can’t Command-Tab to switch between Windows and Mac apps( best mac apps).

To do that, you need to use one of two programs that let you create a virtual PC within OS X: Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. Both of these programs let you run Windows in an OS X window, either in full-screen mode or side-by-side with your OS X apps. And both have tools to help you transfer your old copy of Windows to your new Mac-Mac tips: play avi on mac— applications, settings, and all. The $80 VMware Fusion 3 lets you do it via a wireless or wired network; Parallels’s $100 Switch to Mac Edition includes a similar feature, except it does the transfer over a bundled USB cable.

Virtualization has its downsides: There’s a performance hit (particularly when you’re running games), and battery life on notebooks can suffer. While most peripherals work in both OSes, some won’t. Still, a Mac running Snow Leopard and a virtualized copy of Windows delivers the best of both computing platforms on one machine.