(In addition to the software you want to run, you’ll need to install the Windows OS in your Mac.) For others, running Windows apps in Bootcamp is less than ideal they want to be able to run CAD software directly from the Mac OS environment, as a Mac application. But the demand for storage space is a hindrance for some.
Since Apple’s introduction of Bootcamp, those working in Mac OS X (Leopard) have been able to install and run Windows applications within Mac’s operating environment. Nearly all leading 3D MCAD programs-Autodesk Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, and Solid Edge-have been developed exclusively for PC. While architecture CAD users have been blessed with various dual-platform products (Graphisoft ArchiCAD and Nemetschek’s Vectorworks, to name but two), most mechanical CAD users are confined to Windows. A recent survey Autodesk is conducting to gauge people’s interest in AutoCAD on Mac (see Autodesk blogger Shaan Hurley’s post here) revived the decade-old discussion that has been circulating in the bulletin boards and support forums for years: Would you like to run your favorite CAD software on Mac?
