Mar 15
PC vs Mac: graphics, bible software and virtual machines
There are various pieces of software I use a great deal that I need a strategy for. The biggest beast among them is Adobe Creative Suite. This is a big expense, and there’s no way I’m going to be able to afford to upgrade it immediately after buying new hardware. Unfortunately I’m running CS2, so there’s no chance of a cheap/free cross-grade. It makes the small price of either Fusion or Parallels well worth it, just to be able go on running my Windows version seamlessly with newer software, and without rebooting. By the time I can afford the upgrade a) I might be a student again which saves tons of money and b) CS4 may well be imminent. So I put this down as a minor inconvenience. Equally upgrading to Vista has its own inconvenience of “known issues” for CS2.
This is where I’d appreciate some comments from anyone who uses either Fusion or Parallels.
One application I use intermittently is Visual Liturgy, which shows no sign of ever producing anything other than a Windows version. It may, however, well mutate into a Web 2.0 (or 3.0) subscription application in the future. Running this in a virtual machine will be no problem.
The one that does leave me with more of a decision is Bibleworks. I imagine I would end up running this in a virtual machine for a while, before considering my purchasing options. This is one piece of software I would regret leaving behind. Okay, Accordance users. This is where you can contribute to my decision making. It looks to me as though the two packages offer comparable functionality, although Accordance may make it more accessible. On the other hand, compared to what Bibleworks gives you in terms of versions and modules, Accordance looks seriously overpriced. I guess there’s also the forthcoming OS X version of Logos to throw into the decision making mix. I have become a fan of Bibleworks, and I certainly don’t want to do without it or an equivalent.
So, please, this is where I really could do with some constructive comments.
March 17th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
You might be interested to know that beta testing for Logos for the Mac was just announced on Thursday: http://www.logos.com/mac. You should definitely include Logos into the mix when you make your decision.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Doug - I use parallels regularly for some banking needs, meaning I run Firefox in XP, and it works as well as Windows ever does for me. I was told recently by one of our PSU tech guys that VMWare is much better so I may try that soon as well. I haven’t played with the liturgy program in ages, but I think it should work well (aficr its requirements are fairly minimal).
Now, for Accordance. GREAT program, no doubt, and a great community of people, but your comment about price is spot on. It is more expensive and if you ask Helen at Accordance will give you all sorts of reasons as to why that is the case. BUT I can tell you that the software experience and power is FAR greater than Bibleworks. I would suggest to simply build up slowly and ask friends, family, and parish to purchase you modules as presents as needed.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Chris, thanks, that’s really helpful!
April 13th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Doug, I’ve considered this same switch…though I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing…I use Logos and I’m beta (or I should say, alpha) testing the mac version on my wife’s computer. Logos for mac, so far in the development is faster than the PC version…though not all the functionality is available in the present alpha release.
April 13th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I made the same switch about a year ago, but for me Accordance was part of the reasons for the switch. I didn’t have any bible software, and I was looking for a new computer anyway, so it became kind of a package deal. I don’t know the ins and outs of the expenses and everything else, but I do know that I was able to learn how to get around Accordance in a pretty small period of time. I also know that anytime I use the library or a friend’s copy of Bibleworks, I am unimpressed in comparison not only with what Accordance is capable of, but with how easy it is to accomplish.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Doug, I was in a similar situation ten years ago. I was moving from Windows to the Mac, but the final piece of the puzzle was Bible software. The more I read about Accordance, the more impressed I was and really, Accordance was my final tipping point. Before that I had been using BibleWorks, which I liked very much. At the time, I simply bought the Accordance modules I needed to replace what I was using in BibleWorks. I started with the Greek NT, Hebrew Bible, NAS group (includes a Strongs-keyed NASB), LXX and appropriate lexicons.
The great thing about Accordance is that it’s totally modular. You can add what you need as you need it. I’ve been able to gradually accumulate a very powerful electronic library over the last decade. Yes, there is a bit of cost going in, but upgrades are very cheap along the way so you aren’t penalized simply because you have lots of modules. In fact, the smaller upgrades are usually free.
I recently became an Accordance trainer and have conducted two all-day seminars so far. I’d be glad to answer any specific questions for you.
Rick
April 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Rick, thanks for that and your other comment. I may well take you up on your offer.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Hello everyone, my name is Scott and I am a seminary student at Hong Kong. I am very glad to be here to read all this useful stuff. I am thinking to switch from Windows to Mac too. I would like to ask a question: Can I run Bibleworks and logos bible software through those virtual machines on Mac Book?
If the answer is no, then I will be reluctant to switch to Mac. But I suppose the answer is Yes, then, I am stuck with another question: Should I then still need to buy the mac version of Bibleworks and logos system?
^_^
April 28th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Welcome, Scott. I don’t know the answer to your question, but from what I’ve read, most software (except some games) works fine in either Parallels or Fusion. There’s no Mac version of Bibleworks, though see what Rick says about Accordance. I don’t know what Logos policy will be, but there may be a very cheap crossgrade available when they finally launch their Mac software.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:20 am
thanks Doug…………
June 11th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
“upgrading to Vista”…. I might remind you, Vista isn’t an upgrade. If you are really that afraid of using a Windows device wait ’till Win 7 comes out in (supposedly) late 2009.
“…just to be able go on running my Windows version seamlessly with newer software, and without rebooting” You don’t have to reboot to run Windows on a Mac, it opens up in a separate window just like any other program. So if you’re obsessed with running different OSes (and I know some ppl who are), you can effectively be running 3 or more Operating Systems at the same time.