Q: I own a Mac that I purchased last year. I’ve read several places that it’s possible to run Microsoft Windows on a Mac, and that there may be more than one way to do so. Can you advise me on the best approach?
A: You are correct that you can now run Windows on a Mac computer.
There are two basic ways of doing this. The first is by using the BootCamp program included with every Mac. BootCamp accomplishes this task by dividing your hard drive into at least two sections, then allowing you to install a version of Windows onto the new one. You must own a Windows disc to do so, and it will need to be one that is not in use on any other computer.
Once Windows is installed you can use the Mac standard convention of holding down the Option button as you start your Mac. Once the computer begins booting, it will display the partitions or sections on your Mac, assuming these are the only sources with operating systems from which you can boot the computer. To run Windows you select the drive that has this operating system installed on it, called your BootCamp or Windows drive. The Windows OS will then boot up as if it were the only OS on the computer.
BootCamp is great but it does have its problems. It is very buggy and unpredictable when running many Windows audio and video programs, and it’s especially problematic when trying to use many audio interfaces that should be easily compatible with any version of Windows. I find that it’s best to use a BootCamp installation primarily for Internet access and perhaps for watching Netflix and YouTube content. It seems to be generally OK so far for these applications and for a few others. Not everyone may agree with me on this, so be willing to experiment a bit and find what will work for you.