<p>hey...not cool :-P</p>
<p>hahha you know what I noticed with those Mac vs. PC commercials? At first, they were pretty clever and funny, but now their just getting downright messed up and mean.</p>
<p>Anyone else agree? Hahha</p>
<p>Ok, so my daughter's Macbook came back today with a new hard drive, so we're basically starting from scratch. I downloaded the Leopard (family pack) that I got a few months ago onto her machine.</p>
<p>Since she lost everything on her hard drive and didn't back anything up, I guess we have to purchase Microsoft Office again-she was using the 2004 version, so I'm not too upset about that. So I was thinking that it would be better to use Boot Camp (which comes with Leopard?) to install Windows XP, which comes with the MS Office stuff she needs, and then she would have the option to switch between operating systems if she needs to while at Cornell.</p>
<p>Does that make sense? Is there anyone who is currently running Windows on a Mac, and are there any drawbacks to doing it this way? </p>
<p>Any advice would be most appreciated! Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Since technically the hard-drive wiped out her copy of Microsoft Office '04, can't she just reload it onto her computer without buying a new one? The license is not attached to the computer; rather it is to the user (do you still have the original CDs?). When I replaced my PowerBook with a MacBook Pro, I did that and it worked fine, until I upgraded to Microsoft Office '08 for Mac.</p>
<p>Unless she really needs to run XP via Parallels/Boot Camp, I personally wouldn't suggest the extra effort/$$ to install it.</p>
<p>xxJustAMomxx - what major will your daughter be? Regardless, I wouldn't worry about installing Windows on the Mac. The worst-case scenario is she uses one of the hundreds of computers in the libraries at Cornell, something she'd do anyways if she didn't want to carry her laptop everywhere around campus. </p>
<p>Anybody else here have an iPod Touch? What an incredible device!!</p>
<p>^^^Just a mom....you can reinstall Office from the original disk since the license goes to your daughter...not the computer. I did this when my hard drive crashed...no need to buy a new program!!</p>
<p>I also agree with Diehldun....until your daughter knows for sure that she will need XP for school I wouldn't install the program just yet.</p>
<p>also...my friend runs XP on her macbook and she has no problems. She's just broken-hearted over the fact that she "contaminated" her Mac with Windows....lol</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies everyone! I didn't think I could install the MS Office because I thought that it could only be used 3 times (I don't even know why I thought that!) and we have installed it on 3 computers already. But if it goes by computer, and not by how many times it's been installed, then it should work.</p>
<p>Having said that, wouldn't it be better to upgrade the MS Office to a more current version? The box says Office 2004, but we bought the computer in the summer of 2006 so I'm not really sure why we would have such an old version.</p>
<p>And back to the compatibility issues...as a Hotelie, would it be better for her to have easy access to Windows, which seems possible now that it can be installed on her Mac. Also, she is now running Leopard, which might cause even more issues?! If so, I would rather try to install XP (or Vista...but I heard XP is better) now, before her computer gets "filled up" with all her other stuff!</p>
<p>You reinstall if it's the same comp and the same person....just make sure you use the correct license code!</p>
<p>You really don't need to upgrade to Office 2008, but if you want to you can. I'm currently running Office '08 and I really like it.</p>
<p>I personally don't have any Hotelie friends left here...they all graduated...but I know most of them had Macs. If you're worried about OS compatibilities and you've got money to spend...go ahead and install Windows. I would go with XP....Vista does work with Cornell systems...but all my friends w/ Vista are having problems. If you're going to install Windows...I recommend your daughter has at least 2GB of RAM...especially if you get Parallels.</p>
<p>I'd upgrade to the most current Office. Might as well enter Cornell with the most up to date programing, it's only like $130 at the Mac store. </p>
<p>"And back to the compatibility issues...as a Hotelie, would it be better for her to have easy access to Windows"
No, not at all. The programs she will use for nearly everything in the Hotel school are Safari/Firefox, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Unless, of course, she wanted to take very specific and very detailed engineering classes - then I'd look at running parallels. </p>
<p>"Also, she is now running Leopard, which might cause even more issues?!"
From what I understand, the "issues" were fixed by simply using the online versions of programs. Typically, students downloaded software that gave them certain things such as course enroll, grades, work hour time clock, etc. This software had troubles with leopard and Vista, so Cornell just made it available online instead. Before, I would open a program and put in my work hours; now, the same form is on a website that I just log into. The information is also available through her login at uportal.cornell.edu under the "just the facts" section.</p>
<p>Office 2008 is $149.50 and Parallels will run you about $80</p>
<p>gomestar, it sounds like Cornell came up with a good solution by making these services available online, instead of the students having to download the programs. So will that method work for everything she needs to do, such as enrolling for courses and all of that?</p>
<p>If she can do all that she needs to with her Mac, then I think I'll spring for the latest version of Office for mac, and not buy XP. Just out of curiosity, would we have to get Parallels to run XP? I thought just installing XP was enough with the Leopard operating system. And do you have to buy Office separately if you buy XP, or does it come with it?</p>
<p>Thanks again for the help everyone!</p>
<p>Cornell is switching to a new Course Enroll system....not sure how it's going to work (i.e....online or the same way we do it now). But...I'm running Leopard and can do everything via the web.</p>
<p>I don't think you need Parallels to run XP....the benefit of Parallels is that you can switch from Leopard to XP with the touch of one button whereas you would have to reboot to switch without it. </p>
<p>I don't know if Windows Office comes with XP....I do know that know that Mac Office does not...you have to purchase that separately.</p>
<p>Thanks again, dewdrop and everyone, for all of the help and great advice. My daughter would prefer not to install XP as she loves how the Mac works, so we're happy that all should be fine using Leopard.</p>
<p>I just upgraded from Microsoft Office v.X to Office '08, and honestly apart from aesthetic changes, it's not that much different for me... yet. I'll give it a few more weeks before I make my final opinion. I do like the note-feature of '04/'08, though (the "wood-panelling" option is absolutely ridiculous; never have I gotten so many stares during lectures).</p>
<p>^^^ I agree...there's not much difference between Office '04 and '08</p>
<p>just a mom....your daughter shouldn't have any problems. If she absolutely needs windows for something....there are hundreds of public computers on campus</p>
<p>I'm now confident she will be fine, and after reading some of the reviews of Office '08, she will just reinstall the original Office we have. There doesn't seen to be too much difference, and it will save a lot of money.</p>
<p>I think that's your (daughter's) best bet. I don't mind having Office '08, but then again I didn't really mind having v.X/'04 either.</p>
<p>Regardless, better luck with her "revitalized" MacBook!</p>
<p>Thanks! It's kind of like getting a brand new computer! If she had only backed up all of her files, we would have been all set.</p>
<p>There is light at the end of the tunnel however...she realized today that ALL of her pictures are on her ipod, and there is a way to restore itunes in the event of a hard drive crash (based on your itunes purchases at least). So we are hoping that all is not lost. And she was able to actually find and retrieve a huge paper that needs some more work on turnitin.com, so at least she doesn't have to retype the whole thing.</p>