Computer requirements: Apple Macintosh

Compatibility

While many industry standard programs have been developed to run on both the Apple and PC platforms for years, and have followed both Apple's migration to a new operating system, and a new processor platform, the situation today is the CAD and 3D modeling and design applications favored by the majority of architectural firms only run on Microsoft Windows™, chiefly those made by Autodesk (makers of AutoCad, Revit, and 3D Studio). While many software applications are used in our program, and most of these have versions that work on both platforms, Autodesk's leading role in the CAD market makes it desirable to include in our instruction so that our students will have a knowledge of the broadest base of tools utilized by architecture firms.

With the move of Apple's product line to Intel processors, it has become possible to run Windows natively on a Macintosh for the first time without buying separate hardware or software. For all intents and purposes, the newest Apple computers are IBM compatible PCs that run Apple's own operating system. While it is not possible to run Windows applications directly beneath the Apple operating system, there are two alternative technologies that make it possible to run Windows on the Macintosh: dual-booting and virtualization.

Dual booting

The process of starting a computer with a choice of two operating systems is called dual-booting. Apple has released a free software download that makes it easy to set up dual-booting on the newest generation of Macintosh computers. The software called Boot Camp will help users install the dual-boot environment by dividing your computer's hard disk into logical partitions without erasing your files, and by creating a special disk that contains drivers for the Apple hardware. While the Windows operating system must be obtained separately, it has been licensed by Texas Tech University for student use, and is available as a free download, or for a nominal fee for the media. More information can be found on the Texas Tech Microsoft campus agreement website.

Advantages

• All software runs as the full native speed of the hardware. Performance is comparable to an equivalently configured PC.
• Boot Camp helps you build a CD containing the required drivers for the Apple hardware you are using.

Disadvantages

• Data sharing between operating systems is complicated by the fact that Windows will not read a disk formatted with the Macintosh filesystem. When setting up Boot Camp one should create an appropriately sized (25GB or more) partition formatted with the FAT32 filesystem as the installation partition for Windows. This filesystem format can be written to by the Macintosh operating system. An alternate solution for sharing files between operating systems is to use an external hard drive formatted FAT32. This will be accessible by both the Mac and PC systems, and has the side benefit of acting as a backup unit for your computer.
• Switching tasks can sometimes be time consuming and interrupt workflow. If you need to run a piece of software avaiable only available on OSX when you are using Windows (or vice versa), you will need to restart the computer

Virtualization

Virtualization makes it possible to run one operating system within another as if it were any other application. This technology will allow you to run Windows inside of its own window on your OSX desktop.

Advantages

• Intuitive workflow: Switching between applications is the same as always. Windows itself runs in its own OSX application window, and applications can be launched inside of Windows as normal, and OSX applications can be run from the dock. The most recent versions allow Windows applications to be launched from the Dock, and used like normal OSX applications, allowing for seemless workflow between the Mac and PC sides.
• Ease of data transfer: Files and folders can be shared directly between the Mac and PC. No separate disk area is required for transfer of files between systems.
• Reduced disk space usage: Space for Windows installed using Boot Camp is allocated before the operating system is installed. Virtualization software uses a single file called a disk image to store all of your operating system, program and data files for the virtualized system. The size of the disk image starts small and grows as you add documents and software, whereas in a dual-boot scenario the size of the used space is fixed and is no longer available to the other operating system.
• Security: As a general rule, a virtualized system will be more secure than a system installed directly on the computer. For example internet traffic will have to pass through both the OSX firewall and the Windows firewall, providing two layers of filtering. The virtualization software will likely provide an option to mask the Windows system behind the OSX system, denying attackers the ability to open connections directly to Windows, while still allowing you to use the Internet from within Windows. If you disable networking entirely within the virtual machine the emulated system will be impervious to Internet attacks, while still allowing you to drag and drop files between the Mac and PC sides. Viruses can get onto the virtual machine in this manner, so consider carefully before deciding not to use a virus scanner.
• Manageability: As a general rule, a virtualized system will be easier to manage. Since the entire system is encapsulated in a single file, it is possible to archive the file, move it between computers or place it on an external drive. We recommend that once Windows and all of the necessary software is installed that you archive the file to a dual-layer DVD or another hard disk. If you encounter serious problems with the virtual machine, you can restore the original disk image and continue your work without the time-consuming process of re-installing the operating system and all of the necessary software.

Disadvantages

• Speed: Although virtualization has a significant performance benefit over a related technology used in the past known as emulation, it still is unable to provide the native speed of your computer to the emulated operating system and programs. This is by necessity as there are several layers of redirection that have to happen. The virtualized operating system thinks it is managing your hardware, but in fact all of those instructions have to pass through the virtualization software itself. Users can expect a virtualized system to run at 75% of the native speed. This is adequate for almost every basic task, but due to the indirection, working complex 3D models and other more resource intesive tasks may suffer from the reduced graphics and system performance.
• Increased memory requirements:RAM requirements are effectively doubled by running two operating systems and software simultaneously. Since our computer requirements call for a system with 1GB of RAM as a minimum, you may consider purchasing a laptop with 2GB of RAM. The good news is that virtualization software allows the RAM allocated to the emulated machine to be changed. If you need to do heavy work on the Macintosh side, you can dial back the Windows virtualization software to use 512MB of RAM or less, or stop the virtualization software altogether, and move the memory allocation up if you need to do heavy work in Windows.
• Technical difficulty: Whereas the Macintosh has long been well-regarded for its simplicity, the difficulty and unfamiliarity of installing an operating system in a virtualized computer may require several trial-and-error attempts at getting the software working properly or force you to seek help from someone more knowledgeable about the process.
• Additional expense: There are currently two products available that allow virtualization on a Macintosh, Parallels and VMWare Fusion, both of which must be purchased separately.

If you decide to purchase a Macintosh notebook, you should review this comparison of Macbook™ Pro models. As stated above, you will want a computer that exceeds our minimum computer specifications. The 15.4 inch, 2.4 Ghz model is almost equivalent to the specifications of our current computing requirements. You can add components to the default configuration, including an additional 1GB memory module, by clicking the "select" button next to the model you want.

If you have any questions about the computing requirement use the question form and we will reply within the business day, or if the message is left after 5pm, we will respond at the beginning of the next business day.