Earlier this year there was a thread on this list about using Family Historian on an Apple Mac which I found very informative. I will probably buy a Mac soon and get Parallels so I can continue to use Family Historian. However I still have a few questions. 1) If I buy parallels (or any other rival software for running Windows applications) will I still need to buy and install Windows or is that already included in Parallels? 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? These questions probably seem rather naive to those of you who already use Macs, or have considered the possiblilty, so please excuse my ignorance! Roy

On 03/08/2011 08:51, Davies, Roy wrote: > Earlier this year there was a thread on this list about using Family Historian on an Apple Mac which I found very informative. I will probably buy a Mac soon and get Parallels so I can continue to use Family Historian. However I still have a few questions. > > 1) If I buy parallels (or any other rival software for running Windows applications) will I still need to buy and install Windows or is that already included in Parallels? > > 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? > > 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. > > 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? > > These questions probably seem rather naive to those of you who already use Macs, or have considered the possiblilty, so please excuse my ignorance! > > Roy > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FAMILY-HISTORIAN-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message I've just bought a iMac and I'm coming to terms with Paralells, so I can answer your questions with a degree of personal experience: Paralells is a Mac application that hosts various flavours of virtual machine, one of which just happens to be Windows, others include Linux and BSD. Think os Parallels as a box, inside the box is a guest OS, but I/O with the rest of the world is performed by the Mac. Your questions: 1 - You need Microsoft media to install a Windows virtual machine and not an OEM version either, so that precludes a version that came ready installed on a Windows PC which will have drivers tailored to the PC plus Microsoft will not activate an OEM copy. 2 - Parallels ships with a 90 day evaluation version of Kaspersky AV, after that expires you need AV both for the Mac and each virual machine (if you have more than 1). 3 - I can't be definative but the check for update should work OK, on the basis that all Windows functionality seem to work - even Windows Update itself. 4 - see answer to 2. John Dobson

I started this earlier thread, and have since bitten the bullet. So, .... 1) yes you still need Windows as well. I personally still prefer XP to 7, and you can still get it. 2) I don't think so, because you are using the Apple connection. Nevertheless, some still recommend using some security software, and parallels comes with a special offer for both versions attached to it. The main attack in my mind is through emails, so that is where the security is needed. Any other is over the top if you use a router for access to the internet. But others will no doubt have different views 3) Yes it will still work 4) No the internet connection is from the computer, not from the software, so my answer to 2 still applies. Andrew On 3 Aug 2011, at 08:51, Davies, Roy wrote: > Earlier this year there was a thread on this list about using Family Historian on an Apple Mac which I found very informative. I will probably buy a Mac soon and get Parallels so I can continue to use Family Historian. However I still have a few questions. > > 1) If I buy parallels (or any other rival software for running Windows applications) will I still need to buy and install Windows or is that already included in Parallels? > > 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? > > 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. > > 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? > > These questions probably seem rather naive to those of you who already use Macs, or have considered the possiblilty, so please excuse my ignorance! > > Roy > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FAMILY-HISTORIAN-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I switched from PC to iMac a few months ago and installed Parallels. I am using a relatively old Windows XP disc that I bought some years ago. After loading Parallels and loading XP I managed to download all available XP updates including SP2 and SP3. You don't need the latest and more expensive Windows 7 to run FH so I'd advise looking for an XP disc on eBay. As long as you don't connect to the internet using the Internet Explorer in Windows, and as long as you are not using a Windows based e mail program such as Outlook you should be safe. However, just to be sure I've downloaded a free version of Avira which runs on the Windows virtual machine. You can, as someone has suggested, take advantage of Kapersky, a trial version of which is bundled in Parallels. However, it will not be cheap when you have to renew it after the trial period and Kapersky has a reputation for being memory hungry. Yes, FH updates should work normally as will Windows updates. I made the switch with some trepidation but have been delighted by the results. I've just upgraded to from Snow Leopard to OS Lion and everything still runs perfectly. The joy of Parallels is that, if you select the appropriate setting, Windows software looks just like Apple software on the screen and you can drag and drop files from Windows applications into Apple ones. Apple OS is far superior to anything Windows produces and you also get the benefit of a much nicer looking computer. I don't think you will be disappointed. Nick On 3 Aug 2011, at 08:51, Davies, Roy wrote: > Earlier this year there was a thread on this list about using Family Historian on an Apple Mac which I found very informative. I will probably buy a Mac soon and get Parallels so I can continue to use Family Historian. However I still have a few questions. > > 1) If I buy parallels (or any other rival software for running Windows applications) will I still need to buy and install Windows or is that already included in Parallels? > > 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? > > 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. > > 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? > > These questions probably seem rather naive to those of you who already use Macs, or have considered the possiblilty, so please excuse my ignorance! > > Roy > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FAMILY-HISTORIAN-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

<<snipped>> 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? <<snipped>> An internet connection is an internet connection is an internet connection. HOWEVER, the vulnerability of that connection depends on what sits at your end, talking to the internet. Apple's OSX talking to the internet is less vulnerable than Windows. It is NOT invulnerable. That is a fact. There are various types of malware (i.e. nasty stuff). The vast majority of it is targeted at Windows, simply because it's the most popular. Note that spam and phishing emails are operating system independent - if you send your password to your bank because "they've" asked you to, you're stuffed no matter what operating system you run, because it isn't your bank asking. Therefore, even without running Windows, even Apple grudgingly recommend in the small print that you may care to run security software. The threat against Apple's OSX and iOS WILL increase as it gets more popular, so my advice is to run security software under Apple's OS both to catch the increasing threat against Apple stuff and to deal with the CURRENT threat of spam and phishing mails. <<snipped>> 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? <<snipped>> Now, I have no knowledge of Parallels specifically, but I know that if you are running a VM (which seems to be what Parallels is?), then it can only see the internet if you set it so. If you set the Windows "inside" Parallels to see the Internet (and this MAY be the default, I just don't know, I get the impression it might be), then (a) your "check for updates" function in Family Historian will still work but (b) your Windows session IS vulnerable to any Windows viruses. I can't see how it can be otherwise. The connection may be between computers, but if Windows can see the Internet, then it's vulnerable. If you set the Windows "inside" Parallels so it does NOT see the Internet, then your "check for updates" function in Family Historian will NOT work. Now, how vulnerable is Windows "inside" Parallels? If you don't use the browser in Windows, probably not much. If you don't let Windows (and FH) see the rest of your machine, not much. But then you'll probably want to move data between the Apple and Windows bits (e.g. by drag and drop, as is suggested in other mails), so it is possible Windows malware can end up on the Apple side. From where it can reinfect others Windows machine. Maybe... So, if your Windows session talks to the Internet (and I get the impression from other mails that it will), then get a free antivirus / spam / phishing security app. Personal opinions warning: As for "Apple OS is far superior to anything Windows produces and you also get the benefit of a much nicer looking computer", well, that's a personal opinion. You might find it so, many do. Personally, I get infuriated by much of Apple's simplistic design - for instance - why is there no "stop" button on my iPod? No, "pause" is NOT the same. There's no "stop" button because it looks nicer with just the 4. Adrian B

I've had no problems running VMWare Fusion and WIndows XP - I do have anti-virus software on the Mac and loaded the complimentary McAfee that comes with VMWare Cheers Peter On 03/08/2011, at 5:51 PM, Davies, Roy wrote: > Earlier this year there was a thread on this list about using Family Historian on an Apple Mac which I found very informative. I will probably buy a Mac soon and get Parallels so I can continue to use Family Historian. However I still have a few questions. > > 1) If I buy parallels (or any other rival software for running Windows applications) will I still need to buy and install Windows or is that already included in Parallels? > > 2) If I connect to the Internet using Safari (or any other Apple program) and then start up Family Historian using Parallels would that make the Mac potentially vulnerable to viruses or would it still be safe because the Internet connection had been made by Apple software? > > 3) Would the "check for updates" function in Family Historian still work or would I have to go to the FH website from time to time to see if there had been any updates. > > 4) My last question is related to the second and third ones. If the check for updates function did still work then wouldn't using it mean that you were making an internet connection using Windows and hence risking virus infections? > > These questions probably seem rather naive to those of you who already use Macs, or have considered the possiblilty, so please excuse my ignorance! > > Roy > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FAMILY-HISTORIAN-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message