Looking into a new laptop (Mac?)

[FinancialAnalystKid]

I've been a PC user for decades. But do I have two macs at home (desktops).

I need to run MS Office at full functionality on a Mac. How do I do this? I have Windows Office for Mac but Excel is different and I can't get used to it.

Any suggestions on getting a new Mac with Windows and running ANY windows app on it at full functionality?

 

[RoryA]

I use Sun's VirtualBox (free) to create virtual machines on my Mac that run Windows. (I have them running XP, Vista and Win7 currently with no problems) Have different versions of Office running in each flawlessly. You do need quite a bit of RAM though.

 

[Richard Schollar]

Another alternative is to dual boot with Windows XP for example thru Bootcamp on the Mac - that way it isn't running under emulation so it will only require the standard specs.

Rory, do you suffer any problems linking Excel to Access when you run it in VirtualBox? I was unable to get it to work under Parallels when I tried (admittedly I only got a couple of minutes on Brad Yundt's machine - a very swish MacBook Pro! - so it could well be user error...).

 

[RoryA]

I haven't tried that to be honest - do you just mean an ADO extract?
I'll test it and let you know.

 

[Richard Schollar]

Yup

I have plans to acquire a MacBook Pro one of these days

 

[QuietRiot]

suggestion..

wait for windows 7 and get a PC

 

[starl]

I have a client with a separate pc and a mac running bootcamp. Previously, he ran parallels. No matter what, programming for the mac acting as a pc is a nightmare. Bootcamp may have windows xp installed on it, but it's still a mac, with mac drivers in the background and for advanced programs - it's nothing but trouble. If you're not doing anything fancy - for example controlling Excel from Access - then go for it. But if you are, get a real pc until Mac figures out their bugs.
As for parallels - I won't even go there! Thankfully, he dropped that one.

 

[NateO]

Bootcamp may have windows xp installed on it, but it's still a mac, with mac drivers in the background and for advanced programs - it's nothing but trouble. If you're not doing anything fancy - for example controlling Excel from Access - then go for it.

Isn't that fairly fancy for an Apple-Mac? Concepts like OLE DB and Jet?

 

[starl]

ah - But Nate - it's not a Mac, it's a PC
says apple.
so ole db and jet is fine
and actually, the db itself works fine. but I have to do some bad programming to get the reports from access in excel that i want. nothing too major.. but *grrrr*
*not* a real pc

 

[RoryA]

Richard,
Just tested - ADO works fine under VirtualBox (basic SELECT stuff and copyfromrecordset is all I tested so far)