What If You Want Windows on Your Mac Mini?

Windows on Mac

So...you've purchased a Mac Mini (or any Mac for that matter) and you aren't ready to leave Windows behind just yet?  You like your Mac Mini but you miss the familiarity of Windows.  I know how you feel...I've been there.  I promise you have made a great choice by purchasing a Mac.  Once you learn more about it and use it more, the software will make sense and you may begin to prefer it to Windows.  But in the meantime, don't worry, Apple has made it so your transition doesn't have to be so quick.  Let's take a look at your options for having Windows on your Mac Mini.

Virtual Network Computing (VNC)

If you still have a Windows computer in your home, the easiest way to get Windows on your Mac Mini is to remotely connect to your Windows computer.  Normally, you want to have your Mac Mini and your Windows computer on the same network.  There are some options for when they are not on the same network but it's not important here.  For your Windows computer, you need to download, install, and configure the TightVNC Server application.  The Mac Mini has a VNC client built into the operating system.  It's called Screen Sharing.  If you want to connect your Mac Mini to the Windows computer, simply click:

Go
Connect to Server
Then enter "vnc://" followed by the IP address of your Windows Computer.

Now, you are ready to go and you have Windows on your Mac Mini.  The downside is the lack of audio.  If you desire audio, you will want to look at the next two options.

Boot Camp

The next option comes standard on the Mac Mini and it's called Boot Camp.  Boot Camp allows you to create a separate partition on your hard drive to install Windows.  This will give you the option to either boot into Mac OSX or Windows at startup.  Some pros for this installation is you will have audio and there is no lag.  The Mac Mini should perform like a Windows computer.  Some people even claim Windows may run better on a Mac.  There may be some driver issues to work through.  The con for this is you can only run one operating system at a time.  For more details about Boot Camp or for the step by step instructions to install it, go here.

Virtual Machine

The last option (and my preferred method) is to install Windows on a virtual machine (VM).  A virtual machine is just running a virtual computer on your existing computer.  This is good if you want to run multiple operating systems.  Some people also use VM's to test software or to add another layer of security to their computer.  There are a few software options for creating and running virtual machines but the most popular are VMWare Fusion
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and Parallels.
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Both offer you a way to run Windows in a virtual machine.  The positive is that you have a Windows computer on your Mac.  The VM will perform as a normal computer would.  The negative is that you have a Windows computer on your Mac.  This sounds bad but I promise I'm not taking a shot at Windows.  I just mean your Mac Mini's operating system will have to share resources (storage space and memory) with the VM.  You just want to make sure your Mac Mini is up to the challenge.  I recommend at least 4 GB's of RAM and a dual core processor.

So there you have it!  Those are some options to put Windows on a Mac Mini.  You can use VNC, Boot Camp, or install a virtual machine.  Then you can continue to use any Windows software you've already purchased.  This is just a brief summary of your options.  You just have to decide which is the best option for your needs.

Did you find these tips helpful?