Netbook? Help a Mac user.

[WW2Buff]

Hey all,

I currently have a MacBook Pro and have been a Mac user for the last five but due to work I need to buy a PC. I don't want to spend a ton and really like the idea of a net book. The problem is I don't know much about them. I need to run all of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PPT, etc.) and with my research I have found that some are capable of this and some are not. I would like to spend under five hundred dollars if I can. If any of you could point me in the right direction of any particular net books that you have had experience with it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

Edited to add that I know that I can run Microsoft Office on a Mac and already do. Please do not "flame" Mac either, I know people love to hate.

[Librarian]

You realize, of course, that every time you even think of such a thing, a kitten crawls under Steve Jobs's porch and ....

Just sayin'.

No, I don't know anything useful about netbooks.

[bigmike82]

If it's a requirement for work...why a netbook?

[MetalJesus]

Since the Mac Book Pro runs on an Intel based processor why not run Boot Camp and install Vista/Win 7 on a partitioned drive? Then just boot whichever operating system you need. I have OS 10.6 and I also run Win XP64. Cost for software was $180. No new hardware.

[stphnman20]

Bootcamp your mac.. So you have both, OS X and and Microsoft.

[i1800collect]

+1 on BootCamp. I have Windows XP 64-bit installed in another partition and I've never had an issue switching back and forth.

[nick]

You can use Bootcamp, like many pointed out, or Parallels (and run Windows in a VM, no need to switch all the time, nor do you need a separate partition). There's no need for a second computer if you can help it.

[WW2Buff]

I will definitely consider that. Will that ensure that I won't have any problems with running excel or PPT on windows? I have had problems "translating" between operating systems. Sorry if I'm not using the right terms, I don't know a lot about computers. Thanks so far guys. -Ben

[nick]

You won't have a problem running those. With either Bootcamp, or Parallels you're running a full-blown Windows.

[sfwdiy]

Forget the bootcamp. Partitioning and installing to natively boot another OS is a time consuming and totally unnecessary pain in the *** under almost all circumstances.

For virtualization I prefer VMware Fusion. Parallells is a nice piece of software as well, you can't really go wrong with either one. Shoot me a PM if you need help with any of the details, I set up virtual machines for people pretty regularly.

--B

[blackberg]

I run parallells because I got a discoutn on it, but I hear VMware is better.

havent had any issues.

-bb

[nick]

Forget the bootcamp. Partitioning and installing to natively boot another OS is a time consuming and totally unnecessary pain in the *** under almost all circumstances.

For virtualization I prefer VMware Fusion. Parallells is a nice piece of software as well, you can't really go wrong with either one. Shoot me a PM if you need help with any of the details, I set up virtual machines for people pretty regularly.

--B

I didn't know VMware Fusion ran on Macs. If it does, sure, that's a better idea. Parallels uses VMware backend, anyway.

[Gryff]

You realize, of course, that every time you even think of such a thing, a kitten crawls under Steve Jobs's porch and .....

...his phone drops a call?

(Sorry, had to say. Apple loyalist here, just not deluded.)

[JDay]

Why don't you just install Office for Mac? Or better yet, you can just use OpenOffice as a replacement.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.mspx

http://www.openoffice.org/

[brassburnz]

I bought my wife the Acer netbook from Costco for $299 plus sales tax and dispoal fee. It has MS Office pre-installed. You just need an activation code. She used it for about 3 months before I picked up a full size laptop for her. The netbook turned out to be a waste of money.

If you've got the MacBook Pro, I say go with that. I've got a MacBook Pro and have an older copy of Parallels I've never installed because the upgrade of Windows XP didn't work and I haven't had time to pick up an OS.