Vista on Parallels
Well, despite my new found love of Mac OS X. Ignoring the fact that I contemplated signing the petition against Windows on a Mac. I have to realise I live in a windows world. Hence I eventually supported the pot at onmac.net
My own efforts to rail against the Microsoft dominance include making my own code cross browser compatible. Considering options from alternate platforms, including the open source alternatives.
Despite all those efforts, I acquired a license for the "soon to be released" next incarnation of Microsoft's Windows, Vista. I already have my copy of parallels, purchased whilst still in Beta. I use it mainly for XP - however since the last update it has official support for Vista.
I prefer the idea of Parallels over Bootcamp for all the obvious advantages and given I only use it for Office apps and no games it makes perfect sense instead of rebooting.
I embarked on this adventure with my Vista ISO and Product Key, keys actually because of some admin error over at Redmond. I set up a new Parallels machine, told it I'd like an experimental Vista machine. With 10 gigs of disk and 512 megs of RAM (This is in contravention of the Parallels 412 maximum recommendation)
I pointed the Optical drive at the ISO image and booted up... worked perfect first time, here you can see the Vista boot up screen.
The horrid grey hides the beauty that is to come. With a background akin to Sony's default windows background and nothing at all like Mac OS X swishy blue affair.
The setup TAKES AGES. This could be the amount of RAM I delivered to Parallels. It could be that I continued working with Parallels in the background. It could be Vista is still a big bear in the OS stakes. With an ISO weighing in at 4.5 gigs, I reckon that's the culprit.
Vista as with all Microsoft's operating systems is delightfully polite when it's making you wait around like a spare part.
Once the install has completed and you've set up your first user, that is still an Admin despite the fact that all other decent OSs force you not to do this during setup. Linux makes the root user, then a user for you to have day to day and gives dire warning about using the root as your main account.
Mac OS X doesn't even give you root access until you hunt it down and ask it politely if it wouldn't mind giving you the loaded shotgun that is the root account.
Once it is setup, Vista attempts to rate my machine. I had read that the macbook pro is a kick ass Vista machine. Although I think it gains this accolade when using boot camp over Parallels. I've not yet managed to finish this assessment process, this is the main reason I think that lots of the spiffy Aero, not Aqua, features are disabled by default for me.
Vista was whining about a lack of drivers, here it thinks I've got a standard graphics driver, not the useful Parallels supplied add ins that allow great mouse responsiveness and the ability to run from parallels machine window to the host OS windows without missing a beat.
The Parallels team only support Vista in experimental mode. As such they haven't yet upgraded their selection of tools for Vista. Clipboard management, sound drivers etc. Meaning the tools can be installed, but you've got to use the compatibility mode of Vista to pretend the installer is running under Windows XP.
Even with these tools installed, the Experience index wouldn't run to completion. I had to force some of the "features" on like Sidebar. This is a great mix of dashboard like components, including RSS and ye olde Active Desktop like interfacing.
One of the main reason I do like XP at the moment is that I can install Napster, yes I have a membership. Yes I pay for it, yes I actually find that access to their catalog useful. Although as I've said previously - the level of full on access for my monthly deposit into the Napster coffers is declining more and more.
Everything was fine, but only fine - audio was choppy. A common parallels problem with Vista, according to the forums. I then clearly got a bit to cocky. IE 7 + Napster + USB Pen Drive got a bit too much for poor Vista and then BOOM...
That was when it all came tumbling down. Blue screens of death. Windows Vista, out of Beta on my machine CRASHING. I felt dirty, I felt like I'd betrayed my new love. Here I was defiling the clean lines, the efficient beauty of my Mac. With this Redmond filth. It wasn't even like I could use the shield of the MacBU.
Boot time was acceptable, not great, but usable. I will put my Office 2007 trial on this Vista Parallels machine. I know some are using that setup as a production machine, and are quite happy. For me it was a fun couple of hours, it was a bit of a peak into what's coming. I can use it to become familiar with that will be around the office next year.
An install of Vista + Firefox + Napster is in the region of 7 gigs. I will finish with this image of my Paralles directory listing the last three major commercial releases of Windows installs.
Windows 98 - 250 Megs (Aint that cute.)
Windows XP - 5.74 Gigs (That's got Access, Outlook and some other bits and bobs)
Windows Vista - 6.2 Gigs (That's windows and nothing else, lord knows what it'll be like with some Office bloatware)
My own efforts to rail against the Microsoft dominance include making my own code cross browser compatible. Considering options from alternate platforms, including the open source alternatives.
Despite all those efforts, I acquired a license for the "soon to be released" next incarnation of Microsoft's Windows, Vista. I already have my copy of parallels, purchased whilst still in Beta. I use it mainly for XP - however since the last update it has official support for Vista.
I prefer the idea of Parallels over Bootcamp for all the obvious advantages and given I only use it for Office apps and no games it makes perfect sense instead of rebooting.
I embarked on this adventure with my Vista ISO and Product Key, keys actually because of some admin error over at Redmond. I set up a new Parallels machine, told it I'd like an experimental Vista machine. With 10 gigs of disk and 512 megs of RAM (This is in contravention of the Parallels 412 maximum recommendation)
I pointed the Optical drive at the ISO image and booted up... worked perfect first time, here you can see the Vista boot up screen.
The horrid grey hides the beauty that is to come. With a background akin to Sony's default windows background and nothing at all like Mac OS X swishy blue affair.
The setup TAKES AGES. This could be the amount of RAM I delivered to Parallels. It could be that I continued working with Parallels in the background. It could be Vista is still a big bear in the OS stakes. With an ISO weighing in at 4.5 gigs, I reckon that's the culprit.
Vista as with all Microsoft's operating systems is delightfully polite when it's making you wait around like a spare part.
Once the install has completed and you've set up your first user, that is still an Admin despite the fact that all other decent OSs force you not to do this during setup. Linux makes the root user, then a user for you to have day to day and gives dire warning about using the root as your main account.
Mac OS X doesn't even give you root access until you hunt it down and ask it politely if it wouldn't mind giving you the loaded shotgun that is the root account.
Once it is setup, Vista attempts to rate my machine. I had read that the macbook pro is a kick ass Vista machine. Although I think it gains this accolade when using boot camp over Parallels. I've not yet managed to finish this assessment process, this is the main reason I think that lots of the spiffy Aero, not Aqua, features are disabled by default for me.
Vista was whining about a lack of drivers, here it thinks I've got a standard graphics driver, not the useful Parallels supplied add ins that allow great mouse responsiveness and the ability to run from parallels machine window to the host OS windows without missing a beat.
The Parallels team only support Vista in experimental mode. As such they haven't yet upgraded their selection of tools for Vista. Clipboard management, sound drivers etc. Meaning the tools can be installed, but you've got to use the compatibility mode of Vista to pretend the installer is running under Windows XP.
Even with these tools installed, the Experience index wouldn't run to completion. I had to force some of the "features" on like Sidebar. This is a great mix of dashboard like components, including RSS and ye olde Active Desktop like interfacing.
One of the main reason I do like XP at the moment is that I can install Napster, yes I have a membership. Yes I pay for it, yes I actually find that access to their catalog useful. Although as I've said previously - the level of full on access for my monthly deposit into the Napster coffers is declining more and more.
Everything was fine, but only fine - audio was choppy. A common parallels problem with Vista, according to the forums. I then clearly got a bit to cocky. IE 7 + Napster + USB Pen Drive got a bit too much for poor Vista and then BOOM...
That was when it all came tumbling down. Blue screens of death. Windows Vista, out of Beta on my machine CRASHING. I felt dirty, I felt like I'd betrayed my new love. Here I was defiling the clean lines, the efficient beauty of my Mac. With this Redmond filth. It wasn't even like I could use the shield of the MacBU.
Boot time was acceptable, not great, but usable. I will put my Office 2007 trial on this Vista Parallels machine. I know some are using that setup as a production machine, and are quite happy. For me it was a fun couple of hours, it was a bit of a peak into what's coming. I can use it to become familiar with that will be around the office next year.
An install of Vista + Firefox + Napster is in the region of 7 gigs. I will finish with this image of my Paralles directory listing the last three major commercial releases of Windows installs.
Windows 98 - 250 Megs (Aint that cute.)
Windows XP - 5.74 Gigs (That's got Access, Outlook and some other bits and bobs)
Windows Vista - 6.2 Gigs (That's windows and nothing else, lord knows what it'll be like with some Office bloatware)
posted by M at 11:03 PM
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