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General discussion

Windows in an i-Mac

Mar 14, 2011 10:52AM PDT

If I use Bootcamp and install Windows on my new i-Mac will it become susceptible to all the PC crap I bought this i-Mac to avoid in the first place?

Discussion is locked

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Yes.
Mar 14, 2011 10:59AM PDT

While the Apple OS side should be ok, you get to install and scan just like the old days.

Why not try to stay in Mac OS X?

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Windows in an i-Mac
Mar 14, 2011 2:39PM PDT

Im brand new to Mac and I want to stay in Mac OS X but can't figure out how to. My only PC information is on discs since the computer itself shot craps so bad I can't open any segment of it and I can't get access to them. Most information I find only tells me that it can get quite complicated converting files, more than I can handle, therefore my original question. The Apple users manual is a useless POS, I can't even find out how to save anything in this the OS X system. I do have, however an old Windows XP Pro disc that I think will let me do the bootcamp thing.

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You are giving up too early
Mar 14, 2011 10:11PM PDT

and not really giving OS X a chance.

Saving your work on a Mac is exactly the same as saving your work on a windows machine.
File > Save/Save As Choose a location (usually defaults to documents) and that's it.
If it can be done on a windows machine, you can definitely do it on a Mac.

Converting files could be a problem but, if you would share what PC application created the files then we have a better chance of helping you.

What sort of disks is your PC information on? Floppy (people still use those??) or CD/DVD?

P

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Windows in an i-Mac
Mar 15, 2011 12:55AM PDT

First of all I want to thank you guys for your input.

Like I said, I want to stay with OS X and that's why I'm taking my time, asking questions, and trying to ease into it.

Transferring anything out of my old PC is totally out of the question, it crapped out in a grand style and could best be used as a boat anchor.

Everything I have left is on CDs and Zip discs and it's a pretty complete backup of my old PC because I never did trust them and what I feared for years finally happened.

My i-Mac recognized and operates my Zip drive and discs right off and that stuff all works fine.

The files I want to convert most are wps, wdb, wks, xlr,wmv, and pps. There are a few others but these are the ones that are most important to me.

I haven't downloaded any conversion programs because there's a chance that this Mac can handle some of them if they're actually in it instead of on a disc.

Please be patient with me, I need and very much appreciate any help you experienced Mac users have to offer.

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One by one. File type by file type.
Mar 15, 2011 2:02AM PDT

For example the PPS would use Office (for the Mac) or you can try the newest Open Office (for the Apple.)

The WMV could use VLC Player (for Apple) or maybe Flip4Mac.

As to WPS, try open office.
Bob

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Windows in an i-Mac
Mar 15, 2011 4:19AM PDT

Thanks Bob, You're helping me build quite a good reference library here.

What I'm about to ask doesn't mean I'm not paying attention or that I'm not willing to try anyone's and/or everyone's suggestions but I was talking to a very computer savvy young man in our local Sears electronics department and our conversation prompted me to throw this out for discussion. The topic came around to using Bootcamp and Windows to access information I have on the discs that are in Windows format. That is all I would want Windows for and I fully intend to use OS X for any new things I do. Anyway, he said it looks like using bootcamp partitions the hard drive since by using it and Windows I can run Windows or OS X or I can even go split screen and run them both at once.

That brings us to my present brainstorm and the opening of a new bag of tricks.

How about if I do use Bootcamp to install Windows without a browser and use it "in house" only to access my information, pictures, etc. that I have on discs?

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Other file types,
Mar 15, 2011 4:37AM PDT

wks and wps files "should" open in Office for Mac or Pages

On the subject of Boot Camp.
Boot Camp does partition the hard drive and allows you to install a copy of Windows, XP SP2 and above, onto that partition.
You cannot use Windows and OS X at the same time, Split Screen, because OS X is not running when Windows is, and Vice Versa. When booted into Windows, your Mac is a Windows machine. No sign of OS X.

To do the equivalent of the split screen you would need to run something like Parallels or VMFusion. These two applications allow you to run Windows as a virtual machine, alongside OS X.
It even allows you to drag and drop from Windows to Mac and Mac to Windows.

Installing Windows without a browser is not possible, IE is built into the system and cannot be removed. As long as you have that ethernet cable attached to your iMac, your computer, no matter what OS it is running at the time, is on the internet.


P

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Windows in an i-Mac
Mar 15, 2011 7:24AM PDT

Thanks P. Between you and bob I have enough to chew on for a bit. All I have to do now is decide what I want to do.

Thanks again guys I really appreciate your patients with me and for your suggestions.