How To's

Running ProShow on a Mac

Overview
Photodex is regularly asked the question, "When will I be able to run ProShow on a Mac?" The answer might surprise some; you already can. If you've purchased a new Mac sometime within the last three years, then all that's standing between you and enjoying ProShow is a copy of Windows.
You can take things one step further with a copy of virtualization software such as VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop. Virtualization allows you to seamlessly integrate Windows into the Mac OS X operating system, giving you the best of both worlds.

This guide explains how to run Windows on a Mac using VMware Fusion. There are other methods as well, and which one works best for you will ultimately depend on your personal preference and workflow. While you'll need a copy of Windows regardless, Fusion and Parallels both have fully functioning trial versions so that you can take the time to determine what's best for you. And if your Mac was purchased anytime after late October 2007, then the installer for Boot Camp is already available.

Download PDF Guide >
Download the full PDF guide to running ProShow on a Mac.

A Word About Virtualization

Virtualization allows you to install a 'virtual machine' that runs within the OS X operating system. This allows you to run Windows based programs directly on your Mac, without having to boot into Windows. Based on internal testing, Photodex recommends using VMware Fusion. Fusion had the smoothest playback and a greater degree of compatibility between OS X and Windows. All tests were performed on an entry-level 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo Mac Mini with 2 GB of RAM.

Results may vary depending on the performance level of your machine. An upper end Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, which often contains a separate graphics card, may provide different results than Photodex's internal tests. It is recommended that you try both programs to see which is the best fit for you.

A widely-circulated report by MacTech overwhelming ruled in favor of Parallels Desktop when placed in head-to-head tests with VMWare Fusion. While at the very high end the performance difference between the two became negligible, mid-to-lower end systems performed considerably better when using Parallels. Despite this finding, Photodex still found that VMware Fusion performed better when running ProShow than did Parallels. Also, Fusion's integration between OS X and Windows was far superior to Parallels, with full drag-and-drop support. This is likely to be the same regardless of the specifications of your system. Again, testing both programs to see which is better for you can't be recommended enough.

If you are not interested in purchasing additional software, virtualization is still theoretically possible using Sun Microsystem's open-source, free-to-use VirtualBox. While VirtualBox does appear to be a great program (especially for the cost) Photodex was not able to successfully use it to install a copy of Vista from CD. Your experience may differ, and we invite you to try it out for yourself. If you're able to successfully use VirtualBox to run ProShow on your Mac, we would appreciate hearing about it!

VMWare Fusion

Company: VMware
Price: $79.99
Trial: 30 days, full-functional
Current Version: 2.0.5
Download Free Trial: VMWare Fusion Trial

System Requirements:

Intel-based Mac
1GB of RAM (2GB RAM recommended by VMware, Photodex recommends 2GB minimum for running ProShow)
400MB free hard drive space for Fusion. Photodex recommends at least 15 GB of additional space for the virtual machine.
Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later (Note: Anyone owning any version of 10.4 can update to 10.4.11 for free. See this Apple support knowledge base article for more information on how.)
Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, or Vista install disks. 64 bit XP or Vista requires a Mac Pro or MacBook Pro computer released in early 2008 or later.

Advantages:

Windows is integrated into the OS X operating system, allowing you to run both Windows and OS X programs/applications simultaneously.
Photodex testing has found VMware to be fully compatible with ProShow in Unity mode. This allows you to drag and drop images directly from OS X's Finder into ProShow - as if you were running ProShow directly in Windows.
VMware can be run without Boot Camp, meaning a separate Windows based partition is not necessary. It is not necessary to reserve part of the hard drive for exclusive Windows usage.
Even running ProShow on a Mac with minimal system requirements (Mac Mini core duo with one processor and 2GB of RAM with shared video memory) resulted in acceptable playback.
Fusion allows 'snapshots' to be taken of your current system configuration for Windows. Multiple snapshots can be taken, and you can 'roll-back' to any of these snapshots at any given time. This allows you to easily return to a known-good Windows configuration without having to reinstall, or maintain different setups for different tasks. For example, you could use a setup exclusively for ProShow usage.
Fusion allows for a mirrored mode for your OS X home folder. This keeps a copy of your OS X home folder in sync with your Windows user folders. This provides better performance, and easy file management. Note: This is not compatible when using a Boot Camp partition.
Virtualization allows you to deactivate your internet connection for Windows based software, without affecting your OS X applications. This reduces the need for running security software on your Windows partition which has the potential to decrease performance.
Note: You must enable an internet connection to activate certain Photodex products, such as StylePack Volume 2. This is only necessary for activation, after which you can again disable the Windows-side internet connection.

Disadvantages:

The big disadvantage to using virtualization software is performance. Your computer is running two operating systems and thus requires more of your system's resources than if you were running Windows directly in Boot Camp mode. Virtualization will allow you to prioritize between OS X or the virtualized OS, and if you have a robust system then the performance difference may be negligible.
Using files located on the OS X side is similar to using files located on a network or external drive. There is the potential for slower performance. Photodex testing found this to be negligible with basic shows, although with complex shows this was more of an issue. Using a mirrored home folder circumvents this issue entirely. Copying files to the Windows partition first is also an acceptable method.

Download PDF Guide >
Download the full PDF guide to running ProShow on a Mac.