The SuperSite Switcher Guide: From Mac OS X to Windows
Choosing a Windows version

So you want to run Windows, eh? Welcome to the fold, my friend. The only real question now is, which version of Windows should you run?

Sadly, this is one area in which Windows really is more complex (and potentially more expensive) than Mac OS X. Microsoft offers its latest client OS, Windows Vista, in a number of product editions, and you'll likely find yourself choosing from the four most mainstream versions: Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate. That said, you may actually want to consider Windows XP as well. It's not as easily obtained as Windows Vista, but it has lower hardware requirements and is thus a better choice if all you're looking for is Windows application compatibility. Put simply, XP will run faster than Vista on your existing Mac, and that's especially true if you'll be running Windows inside a virtualized environment. (I will be examining Mac OS X virtualization solutions in an upcoming article in this series.)

So, how do you choose?

New PC: Choose Vista

If your switch involves buying a new PC and not reusing your existing Mac, get Windows Vista. While it's still possible to get Windows XP under special circumstances on new hardware, or on special low-end computers, it's not worth it. Windows Vista offers better security and functionality over what's provided in XP, and it will be supported with new functional updates for far longer than will XP. See "Choosing a Vista product edition" below for more information about choosing between the different Vista versions.

Tip: Windows Vista requires at least 2 GB of RAM to run effectively. I recommend 4 GB of RAM, however. Memory is inexpensive, so this is a no-brainer.

Sticking with the Mac? Windows XP vs. Vista

If your only goal is to run one or more Windows applications, and you're not concerned at all about any Vista-specific features, then Windows XP is the way to go. This is true if you're going to use Boot Camp (by which you'll dual-boot on your Intel-based Mac between Mac OS X and Windows) or a virtualization solution like VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop (with which you will run Windows in a virtualized environment).

Tip: 2 GB of RAM should be fine for Boot Camp, with both Mac OS X Leopard and Windows XP. However, those dual-booting between Mac OS X and Vista should upgrade to 4GB of RAM.

Tip: For virtualization, upgrade your Mac's memory as high as it will go (typically 4GB). Virtualization solutions are memory and processor intensive, and will run better with more memory.

Choosing a Vista product edition

If you do choose to run Windows Vista, you'll need to pick between the four mainstream Vista product editions mentioned previously. I explain the differences between the Vista product editions in Part 2 of my Windows Vista review. To pick an appropriate version, scan the tables in that review and figure out which features you absolutely can't live without. Then, pick the lowest-end Vista product edition that includes those features. (Lower-end product editions are less expensive.)

Tip: You cannot use Windows Vista's hardware-accelerated Aero user interface in a virtualized environment, so don't use that feature as part of your decision making process.

Tip: If you do choose XP, choose XP Professional, which is the most mainstream version available. Skip out on XP Home Edition and especially on niche versions like XP Tablet PC or Media Center Editions.

Note: I normally don't recommend Windows Vista Home Basic, but this Vista product edition is ideally suited for virtualization: It doesn't support Aero and comes with far few features than do other Vista editions. Thus, it should have a slightly smaller footprint and run more efficiently in a virtualized environment.

Also, don't be thrown off by the retail prices of Windows Vista. You don't actually have to walk into a local Best Buy or other electronics retailer and purchase a retail version of the OS. Instead, you might consider a so-called "OEM" or "system builder" version of Windows Vista, which can typically be had for quite a bit less. There are three differences between an OEM version of Vista (or XP) and a retail version of Vista (or XP), one of which is major: The retail version comes with a pretty box. It also includes a modicum of official Microsoft support. Most important, though, it can only be installed on a single PC, ever: once you activiate it on a PC, it's locked to that PC. If none of these issues are a concern, then save some money and skip out on the retail version. OEM versions of Windows can be had from a number of online retailers, but one I use, trust, and recommend is NewEgg.com.

How much cheaper is the OEM version? The retail version of Windows Vista Business with SP1, as I write this, is $278.99. But the OEM version is $139.99.

That's a $140 savings, or half the price of the retail version. Other product editions offer similar savings.

Tip: OEM versions of Windows XP are also available. The OEM version of Windows XP Professional with SP3 is $139.99 at NewEgg.com right now.

Wrapping up

So let's recap. You're either going to run Windows on your existing Mac or on a new PC. If it's a new PC, get Vista.

If it's on your existing Mac, you will be running Windows in a virtualized environment under Mac OS X or in a dual-boot. Either way, choose Windows XP unless you have a Vista-specific requirement or want to experiment with Microsoft's latest OS.

If you do choose XP, get XP Professional.

If you do choose Vista, choose the lowest-end version you absolutely need, if only to save money.

With XP or Vista, consider an OEM version to save even more money.

If Windows Vista is part of the equation, upgrade the computer to 4 GB of RAM.

And finally, if you are using a virtualized environment on your Mac, upgrade the computer to 4 GB of RAM.

--Paul Thurrott
August 31, 2008
Updated with information about OEM restrictions on September 2, 2008