Given what you said in the OP which I read as "I will never run OS/X", I don't think it makes sense to run windows in a VM. I stand by what I said earlier, bootcamp is the way to go.

You will use OS/X to install bootcamp, then run bootcamp setup assistant to create a windows partition, etc, and then use bootcamp to boot the windows installer and never look back. Isn't that what you wanted to do?

If you want to read the docs on how to do that, start here: http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

On the other hand, if you plan on running both OS' and particularly if you just need windows to run a few programs that you can't run or don't run well under OS/X, then, sure, a VM would be the way to go, but that's not what you said in the OP. Am I misinterpreting what you said?

I did a p2v thing and I run vmware fusion, but just because that's what I do, it doesn't mean that's what makes sense for you. That's what I thought, but I guess everybody else here feels that you should be doing what they do because it worked for them.

-David

Exactly. Feedback in a forum like this is going to be what people want to say, not necessarily what people want to hear.

Ah yea, if you don't see yourself ever using the Mac OS, then just run Windows in Bootcamp. I was under the impression OP would still be using the Mac OS for some programs.

I like parallels. Works seamlessly. You can run your windows programs direclty in the OSX shell without even booting the windows os shell on the VM. It is as if you are running a mac program.

If he uses bootcamp doesn't that mean OSX is still there? Can he just install Windows and then zap OSX off of the drive?

I'm in the same situation as the OP. I have 2012 MBA and I haven't even powered it up for 6 months as I cannot stand the OS. I really need to do a clean install of Windows 7 and get rid off the Mac OS. I do like the hardware but I have not been able to get my head around the "package".

Yes.

Sure .. other people have done it. I haven't. (the process is to use a standalone program to reformat the disk, getting rid of OS/X partitions, and just create whatever partitions you want and then boot the installer.)

For example: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/win...go-there/14714

Either sell it or install windows on it. Bootcamp is the easiest way if you never ever intend to run OS/X.

-David

Just my 2 cents worth but if you really want to run windows then you should get windows optimized hardware to make the most of it, Macs are made to run OS/X.

I have run windows (I still stick with xp!) for years on my mac both through parallels and bootcamp, purely to run windows only software I have found that running via bootcamp has much better performance than through the VM. If you plan on using your MB as a Windows machine you definitely need to go down the bootcamp route, I know others have mentioned partition space etc however you can access both the windows and mac drive space from either o/s for storing files just not for installing applications.

I ran Quicken with Parellels while waiting for the new Quicken for Mac to come out a few years ago. When it came out, the reviews were awful-a repeated comment on Amazon was that the reviewer gave it one star only because Amazon does not permit a rating of no stars.

Then we tried IBank on our Mac o/s and it is wonderful. The report capability is not as good as Quicken but entry recording is much faster and easier and it is very evident that this system was designed and coded in the modern era, whereas Quicken is the current upgrade from a program written long ago. Going from one security or account to another is a snap and it finds accounts and credit card numbers after entering the first few charecters.

Dumping Windows was the best tech move we ever made, and dumping Quicken for IBank was the second.

Note: You will have to re-enter account info and starting balances. We did not bother to go back and re-enter each purchase of stocks, etc from years ago. Most of the big brokerage firms keep that data anyway. I kept my old Mac with Quicken on it in case we have to go back to some ancient transaction. I think I've used it twice in 2 years.

I'm running Windows 7 Pro on my new MacBook Air under Fusion 5.0.2 and it's faster than any Windows laptop I've owned.

I went to iBank a few years ago and I've never looked back.

Nobody should begrudge your right to use Windows, even if we have a different personal preference. However it is fair to question the wisdom of installing windows on a Mac if that is your preferred OS. There are dozens of great laptops that run windows, most selling for fare less than the Apple equivalent.

If I had any desire to run Windows I would be happy to save a lot of $$ and just purchase a Windows system. There is nothing special or unique about Macbook Air except that it is easy to use right out of the box, which I have yet to find with any Windows product (or most non-Apple products of any kind).

You've already gotten 2 years out of a product with an average lifecyle of 3 years, so you simply be accelerating your next purchase by a year or so. And I'd be happy to step up and buy your current unit as my Macbook is 6 years old and thus well beyond the expected obsolecense cycle.

A simple PM would have sufficed, hopefully this doesn't start another war of words.

Btw, apple fanboy here :D

I have found that VMware is the most reliable solution, and allows you to seamlessly switch between OS's. It is a little bit more expensive than Parallels if I recall correctly but worth the extra money.