It enables you to install Windows on your Mac by 'partitioning' the startup disk – that is, creating a separate area that's set aside just for Windows. The Boot Camp Assistant helps you through the whole process of putting Windows on your Mac.
Note, though, that you'll need your own copy of Windows to install, and Boot Camp supports only 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 – not Windows XP or Windows Vista. Unlike the virtualisation apps just mentioned, which run both operating systems at once and thus affect performance, Boot Camp really makes the most of your hardware. With Boot Camp, you can choose to start your Mac in either OS X or Windows. Or there's Boot Camp.īoot Camp is a free utility that comes with OS X, and it takes advantage of the fact that Windows PCs and Macs contain the same family of Intel processors. These include virtual environments such as Parallels Desktop and Fusion. But perhaps you work in a specialist industry and need to use arcane Windows-only software, or you want to play Windows games.ĭon't worry! There are a number of ways you can run Windows software on your Mac. Have you switched to OS X from Windows? You'll find there are Mac counterparts to almost all mainstream Windows programs, or Mac apps that can open files created with them.
