Running SHAZAM on a Mac

SHAZAM can be used on a Mac!

There are three different methods to run SHAZAM on a Mac which involve using 3 different software products.

The first method, Boot Camp, describes how to run SHAZAM natively on Mac with the best possible performance.

The second and third methods, describe how you may use Virtualization technologies which allow running SHAZAM together with Mac programs.

Method 1: Apple's Boot Camp

Boot Camp is software supplied by Apple, Inc that lets you install Windows without moving your Mac data. With Boot Camp you can restart your Mac in either Mac or Windows mode. Generally, this method gives the highest performance and reliablity you can get from your Macintosh using SHAZAM, at the expense of not being able to run Mac programs at the same time.

Boot Camp is FREE, and ships as standard with most Macs. Support details are here: Apple.

Method 2: Virtualization with VirtualBox

SHAZAM may also run using VirtualBox. VirtualBox is a FREE virtual machine software product developed by Oracle for Macs with Intel processors. VirtualBox allows Intel-based Macs to run x86 and x86-64 "guest" operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris as "virtual"" machines simultaneously with Mac OS X as the "host" operating system.

So if you have a copy of any of the supported Windows operating systems you simply install VirtualBox on your Mac and then install Windows as a guest Operating System hosted by VirtualBox.

Method 3: Virtualization with Parallels Desktop for Mac

Parallels Desktop for Mac gives you the flexibility of running Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously without rebooting.

Unlike Boot Camp, Parallels allows you to run SHAZAM side-by-side with other Mac programs Apple Mail, or Safari, for instance. If you have multiple monitors, you can have SHAZAM running full screen on one monitor, and Apple applications on the other.

Although not quite as fast as Boot Camp, Parallels takes advantage of the Virtualization technologies built into the new Intel chips to run SHAZAM very efficiently and quickly.

Issues and Workarounds

Required OS - Please note that in order to run SHAZAM on a Mac you will need a licensed copy of Windows so that you may install the Microsoft Windows environment that runs SHAZAM.

Virtual Memory/Disk Settings - When deciding how much storage to allocate to Windows, be sure to take into account the size of SHAZAM, Windows, and any other Windows applications you might want to run.