windows to Mac Conversion

[HBFixedGear]

I just purchased a Mac for my daughter and we are looking for info on migrating all of her dozen or so SIMs programs to the new platform.  I've done a couple of searches but have come up empty.  Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

HBFixedGear

[HugeLunatic]

If you've got the intel mac you could partition and install windows and the windows versions of the games.  And as far as I know you must have XP with sp2, Vista is not compatible with Tiger or Leopard.

Otherwise the windows versions cannot be installed onto OSX.  All the hoods, sims, cc, and lots are all cross platform compatible.

[gamerxgirl]

Do you have a mac version of the sims, or are you simply trying to migrate/convert the files?

[summersong86]

I am interested in this topic as well.  After absolute disgust with Vista issues and other stuff my husband is considering switching us over to new Macs.  He got a Macbook Air for work and loves it.   Now he's looking to get Macs for our home offices that run XP in addition to Leopard or whatever the latest OS for Mac is called (sorry I'm pretty computer illiterate don't know all the names for Mac stuff especially, yet).  

Since I have considerable investment in all the PC versions of Sims program as well as the customization tools like SimPE and Clean Installer, I don't really and can't really afford to buy it all over again in Mac.  Can I run Sims2 pretty smoothly in the XP emulator on a Mac?  I'm sorry I don't know which Mac my husband is thinking of switching us to.  I will have to ask him and get back with that information.  Depending on what kind of insight I can get into taking Simming from PC to Mac, I may or may not change platforms.  I had gotten a new HP pc for my birthday last summer and it's been nothing but headaches ever since.  So even though it means we have to put off replacing our old worn out furniture, we may be ready to go Mac all the way.

[HugeLunatic]

I would not suggest playing the sims with an emulation program.  If you get the intel macs, which all are now, just install windows xp.  You may or may not already own this based on your previous pcs.  I would make sure to get the largest HD available though if you plan on partitioning.  You will still have the same software issues on the windows side as you have now.

[summersong86]

Yes, I own XP and put it back on my new PC that had come with Vista.   Thanks for the reply.   I so very much don't understand what the new Intel Macs can and can't do in regard to playing the PC version of Sims2.  I'd only heard of things like BootCamp being used to run PC based programs.  So I went to their site and tried to find out if it could run Sims but Sims2 was never mentioned among the games discussed.    

I didn't know you could run Windows XP natively on the Mac.  I don't really want to have XP be my OS all the time.  I like the Mac OS that I've seen on and tried on the Macbook Air.  Plus the XP web experience is excruciating now because the anti-virus programs needed to protect a Microsoft pc really introduce all sorts of annoyances.  

The Mac I've been looking at has been the MacBook Pro, with the 15 inch screen.  

I don't know anything at all about the graphics card in the Mac laptops.  I have gone through so many trials with video cards in my current desktop PC that I have a decent feel for what the desktop video cards can do.  I don't know about this mobile version the Mac is running.  

Oh well I am Googling as much info as I can.  I've found some Mac forums where I'm slowly starting to find the info I need.  But I'd still appreciate hearing from anyone here who has already done what I'm contemplating doing.

Edit update:  I found a forum thread on a Mac Forum for newbies that explains how it all works, and the information about the different ways to run PC stuff on a Mac.  Looks very promising that I can make the switch pretty painlessly.  Now I just have to decide exactly which Mac to get.  Maybe the laptop is not the best choice.  I'm reading about the various issues like overheating and such--which is true on even my desktop.  Small form factor means cooling problems.  Blech.

[HugeLunatic]

I have the macbook pro with the radeon x1600 card and can play up to BV in OSX and have played Seasons in XP.  It does get hot when playing graphic intensive programs.

I play though on a ppc iMac with the radeon 9600.  Not the best card, but I play up to BV with it.  With just a small amount of cc...I have no patience to wait for the load time more than anything.

Basically by using Bootcamp your mac becomes a pc.  *gasp*  Horrendous I know....  Now the new iMacs are also small, but I don't think overheating is too much of an issue.  You could probably get the 24" iMac for the same as the Macbook Pro.  Some people have been having issues with the new video card on the intel iMacs, with up to Seasons, and Aspyr is telling them to buy BV as it fixes it.  But on the windows side, thats going to be different.  I don't know how that video card relates on the windows side.

[summersong86]

Thanks.  Yes I have been reading about the new Imacs, too.  My husband is considering getting one.  

Video cards and Vista and Sims2 --was an absolute horror.  But I am using a HP Slimline so my choices in graphics cards were severly limited due to the compact tower size. There's also a problem with the fan so I was able to find only one off-brand graphics card that will run, and even then only if the tower is put on its side, and only after I went back to XP.

EDIT Update:  Well I ended up getting another HP, full size this time.  My husband needs to update and get a full desktop Mac rig more than I do--- for his job as well as for hobbies (the Macbook Air is technically property of his company and narrowly purposed).  So in the interest of continuing to be able to eat and keep a roof over our heads we gave up on idea of the more expensive Macs of any kind for me.  But thanks to all who helped me on this topic.  I hope it helps somebody able to get a Mac and is transitioning out of Windows.  Now I have to cope with Vista all over again.  Sigh...but if it doesn't work out again I can go back to XP.  I'm hoping since I last tried Vista that the updates make this ride smoother.  Well I can't complain too much...my new computer is well regarded and powerful and wasn't cheap exactly.  Just not pricewise in the same league as Macs.

[iheartgir1]

With BootCamp you can switch between XP and OSX with a tap of a button. Of course, I'd like to add that you'll need an XP install disk and if you don't have one already, you'd have to buy one and that's pretty pricey. But if you own every expansion pack, then I suppose that it's worth it to get an XP install disk. :-p

[Mi-chii]

With the tap of a button...? You need to restart to get into windows as far as I know.

[HugeLunatic]

Technically with the tap of a button...BootCamp requires a restart into windows...if you are using virtual machine, then yes you can switch back and forth with the touch of a button.

But you should not try to run the game using XP in the virtual realm, nor should you run the game on the OSX side while the virtual realm is open.  

Lag...too many resources are trying to run XP and there won't be enough to run anything else.

[Mi-chii]

Unless you have 4 GB of ram *does a little dance* then everything goes superquick.

But I have chosen to go into windows "properly" each time Im gonna play anyway. Just because Im weird like that.

[sumpsychochic]

I thought I read somewhere that the new version of bootcamp works with windows vista as well?

I'm planning on getting a macbook pro this summer for my birthday, and I currently have a windows vista install CD because that is what is on my computer.

Does it really only work with xp?

[Mi-chii]

Well yes, it works with Vista, but Vista is a NIGHTMARE in my experience, XP is a much more stable platform... If you can call anything microsoft makes stable.

[Simz]

lol, Mi-Chii, my friends and I are always fighting about what's better. I always win:)