[Balliol]

Hi all, thanks to previous advice and discussion I'm getting a MacBook this week to replace the geriatric laptop. However I still want To use RANT xl and their website assures me this is ok and the guy in the Apple st ore this week said you can use windows apps fine (boot camp or some thing?) For some of those who understand this stuff better, is that sound advice and is it fairly easy to do? Many thanks

[Rotorboater]

Download Parallels and it will just do it for you, it opens another screen just like a windows desktop, its not free but its better than the free ones. You will need a copy of windows as well to load on the virtual machine.

[justinmg]

In additions to installing parallels, you would need a licenced copy of windows to install on the Mac also, so this increases the price.
However, it is a fantastic solution, and Ive done the same for the last 2 years. Its the best way to run windows (better than a windows laptop).

[GrahamB]

Parallels works fine, but there are other options.

Firstly, you can use Bootcamp to install Windows as a second OS. This allows you to choose which OS to boot up with when you switch on. It's the way to get the best performance from the hardware, but has the downside of needing to reboot each time you want to swap OS's. You need to buy, or otherwise get, a copy of Windows, but there is no further software purchase required.

Secondly, there are other Virtual Machine managers available, notable VMWare (paid for) and VirtualBox (free).

At the time I made my choice, which was seven years ago, Parallels was the leader and I went with that as a result. I am getting fed up, though, with their policy of making you pay for an upgrade every time a new Mac OS is released. Once in a while is fine, when there is material change, but they are now milking it, and I suspect they deliberately de-tune the software to encourage you to pay for an upgrade. VMware has caught up functionality-wise and I'm considering dumping Parallels now.

[stevelup]

I'm still running a 'three version old' copy of VMWare Fusion on one of my machines with Yosemite.

Parallels would have had me pay for a whole new copy three times in that time period which is why I kicked them into touch...

[JonathanB]

You can package RANT up to work on the Mac directly using WineSkin, here follows some slightly geeky instructions copied verbatim from the nice fellow who sent them to me (the same chap who packaged SkyDemon for the Mac):

Insert your RANT XL CD...
Grab Wineskin Winery from here:- http://wineskin.urgesoftware.com/tiki-i ... =Downloads
Run Wineskin Winery

Press the +
Put the letters 'CX' in the 'Filter Available Engine List' box and choose WS9WineCX13.2.0 from the dropdown.
Click Download and Install. It should now appear in your list of Installed Engines.
Press the 'Update' button underneath 'Wrapper Version'. It should say 'Wineskin-2.6.0'
Press 'Create New Blank Wrapper' and call it RANTXL
Click 'View Wrapper in Finder'
Right click on RANTXL and choose 'Show Package Contents'
Double-Click Wineskin. Set Screen Options.

Select 'Override'
Select 'Use Mac Driver instead of X11'
'Done'

'Install Software' > 'Choose Setup Executable' and browse to setup.exe on the RANT CD
Reflect on the horror of seeing a nasty Windows installer running on your Mac, and accept all the defaults.
Don't do 'Launch RANT XL' at the end, just press Finish.
From the 'Choose Executable' box, select Rant.exe and press OK.
Quit Wineskin.

Go back to your Finder window where you launched 'Wineskin' from and go back a level (remember, you're in 'Show Package Contents' at the moment and double-click RANTXL.

Bob's your uncle...

If you want to run an update, grab it from the RANT XL website as normal, Right click on RANTXL and choose 'Show Package Contents', Double-Click WineSkin and do the 'Install Software' thing again.

Hopefully that will help!

[Balliol]

Thanks all, that reassures me it should work although some of the above has gone way above my head! When I get the macbook (prob tomo) I will perhaps head back here for more hand holding to get RANT working!

ps - Jonathan - I was planning to upgrade to RANT 4 which will come as a download rather than a CD so I don't know if that will work still?

Cheers

[stevelup]

The above process works fine with the downloadable version.

[JonathanB]

Thanks stevelup... I didn't make the connection between your email and your forum name! Duh!

[stevelup]

Yeah, sorry. I can see how stevelup and stevelup could be confusing

[Balliol]

Got the Macbook on Tues night and all going well - it is brilliant compared to my old Windows laptop hack.

I got my RANT XL download this morning and installed it (well stumbled through in my case) using the Winery instructions above and had a quick go and it seems to be starting up and working fine! I will investigate further tonight, I noticed the drop down menus seemed to be working a bit different (sticking down) but I couldn't really tell from a quick look before I had to head to work.

stevelup - I owe you a beer thanks! I do go over to Oaksey to fly the Freedom Citabria if you're that way.

[stevelup]

I noticed the sticky menus and managed to fix it. Can't remember how... I'll let you know this evening.

[mrikarus]

topics bit old but just wondering if anyone could lend some advice with the above issue? recently bought rant xl running with wineskin (as set up by the handy guidance above). I've now got these sticky menus, any one know the fix?