Virtualization Software for Intel Macs

If you use an Intel Mac and need to run Windows-only software such as Microsoft Access or use Windows-only campus systems, there are a few options available. All Weinberg College faculty and staff are licensed to run a copy of Windows on their Intel Mac, but the purchase of virtualization software can make the experience easier.  Virtualization software allows you to run a copy of the Windows operating system within Mac OS X for easy access to your Windows applications.

To determine if your Mac is an Intel Mac, click on the Apple icon at the upper-left side of your screen and select "About This Mac".  If the processor listed states that is an Intel processor (ex. 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo), then you have an Intel Mac. You should also verify that the amount of memory listed is at least 2 GB - it is strongly recommended that you do not run virtualization software if you have less memory.

Parallels Desktop for Mac

Weinberg IT strongly recommends the purchase of Parallels Desktop for Mac if you need to run Windows on an Intel Mac.  We have tested the software and found it to be an easy-to-use solution for quick access to Windows. If you are interested in purchasing the software, please enter a Weinberg IT Service Request, and a Weinberg IT technical support consultant will contact you with details.

Northwestern faculty, staff, and students receive a special discount on Parallels. Order through the SHI catalog in iBuyNU by searching for part number PDMBL0100014. 

We recommend that you allocate at least 1 GB of memory to Parallels. Thus you will need at least 2 GB memory for your Mac if you are running Parallels, and you may need more if you are planning to run multiple simultaneous Mac programs.

VMWare Fusion

Weinberg IT has not evaluated VMWare Fusion and cannot recommend use of the software at this time.

Boot Camp

Boot Camp is a built-in feature of Mac OS 10.5 or 10.6 that allows an Intel Mac to boot into Windows directly.  This is less convenient than using virtualization software to run Windows, as it requires you to reboot every time you wish to switch operating systems. If you want to run Windows XP under Boot Camp, please enter a Weinberg IT Service Request and a Weinberg IT technical support consultant will assist you.