Using Cross Stitch Professional Platinum on
Apple MAC
If you use a Mac rather than a Windows PC then here is a
way to run our software and have it appear just like any
other Window on your desktop and on the dock. This is the
method I am using for my own new Macbook Pro and in fact I
am even running my Windows development system on it.
You require two other purchases in addition to the cross
stitch software:
1) Parallels Desktop 5 or 6 for Mac. £59.95
from your local Apple store or see www.parallels.com
This runs on Intel based Macs with OS X 10.4.11 or higher
(including snow leopard - Lion requires version 6) and at
least 2Gb RAM. It allows other operating systems to run in
parallel with OS X and integrates them so they appear as
additional icons on the dock. Any programs running under
another operating system simply appear as further icons on
the OS X dock.
MAC Lion requires Parallels
6
2) Windows 7, Vista or XP. I use the cheapest
Windows 7 which is readily available in computer stores (but
not your apple store !). Make sure you get the full version
and not an upgrade.
Once Parallels is installed, you simply insert the
Windows install CD into your Mac to install. Just choose the
default options. You will end up with the Windows start
button on your OS X dock.
When you have the above two items installed, you are
ready to insert the cross stitch CD. This will install
automatically as a Windows program. To start the program,
simply click the windows start button on the dock and select
the cross stitch icon. The program starts on your desktop
just like any other program. It's fast too.
Tips
On a Macbook Pro, use two finger clicks to delete
stitches or set a dedicated area on the touchpad to act as a
right mouse button.
Check that your printer is supported by Microsoft Windows
drivers (most are). In many cases the printer is recognised
and the drivers downloaded and installed automatically. If
not, download from the manufacturers site.
If you don't have a supported printer, get the Plus or
publisher version of the cross stitch software. This
allows you to create an Adobe PDF file of the charts which
you can then print with your Mac Adobe reader.
Alternative method
All current Macs come with bootcamp which allows you to
switch your machine between OS X and Windows. The
dissadvantage of this method is that you must reboot your
machine every time you switch from OS X to Windows and you
can't run an OS X and a Windows program at the same time. It
does however mean you only need to buy Windows and not
Parallels as well.
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