Should I use Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop for Mac?

The difference between Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop for Mac is whether booting Windows at startup or running a Windows virtual desktop while using your Mac.  I remembered when I just brought my new Mac Pro notebook, I want to install Windows on top of my OS X. (I decided to buy my Mac Pro after I saw the Apple's Mac Vs PC commercial. :) )  So I installed Boot Camp on top of my OS X and running it for about a month.

I found that even though Boot Camp was a useful thing to have for running some of my Windows-only applications, but often it is not very convenient for me to restart my computer in order to switch between each operating systems.  So, I then switched to Parallels Desktop for Mac and it was surprisingly fast and stable.  Well now you may think that Parallels Desktop may be the best option for running a virtural PC on your Mac.  However, it just really depends on individual needs.  I have listed out some Pros and Cons for both Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop for Mac. Choose wisely and enjoy - Chris!

Why do you want to use Boot Camp?

Pros:

• You can run your Windows at full speed.  Good for PC gamers and active Microsoft Office users.
• Easy to install. No need to search for any drivers or burn a disc during installation.
• It's Free!  It comes with the new Mac OS X Leopard, or you can download it manually.

Cons:

• You have to close everything you're doing in OS X and reboot.
  
• It takes longer to boot than Parallels.  Thanks to Parallels ability to resume your previous Windows session.

Why do you want to use Parallels Desktop for Mac?

Pros:

• You can run your Windows or Linux while you are working on OS X.
  
• It's Fast.  It only takes about 9 second to start running your virtual desktop.
  
• It's Free!  It comes with the new Mac OS X Leopard, or you can download it manually.

Cons:

• It's $79.95 for download.