If you want to have both Windows XP and the Mac on the same system, Parallels ($79) is the way to go. It's virtual machine software that runs Windows on top of the Mac OS, so that you can run most Windows applications on the Mac. It also supports Linux.

Parallels is a pretty amazing product -- nothing short of miraculous -- and yet I had such high expectations for it, based on many glowing reviews (including Richard Hoffman's article in InformationWeek), that I actually find myself a little disappointed with the reality.

I installed Parallels in about 10 minutes -- it's a straightforward Mac install. Then came the ritual Getting And Typing Of The Keys: You get your registration key for Parallels through e-mail, and you need a key even to run the evaluation. (The registration key from Microsoft was on a sticker attached to the CD, and is typed into the appropriate spot during the Windows install process. )

To test Parallels, I chose Windows XP Home Edition (based on reports that Vista is still problematic). Windows required about a half-hour to install; the process was nearly identical to a conventional Windows install.

Adding Coherence To Parallels
Until recently, when you ran Windows on Parallels, you ran Windows in its own window, and then ran your Windows applications inside the Windows window. You could also set Parallels up so that Windows took over your entire Mac desktop, with the Windows wallpaper and taskbar taking up the entire screen and replacing their Mac equivalents, leaving your Mac looking and acting like a PC.

Recently, however, Parallels added a feature called Coherence, which allows Windows apps to run directly on the Mac desktop, looking a lot like Mac applications. For example, I was able to have Internet Explorer floating on my Mac desktop side by side with Firefox on the Mac, my text editor, Mac instant messaging software, and so forth.

In Coherence mode, the Windows taskbar appears at the bottom of the Mac desktop. It's a good idea to set the Windows taskbar to auto-hide to get it out of the way, but you can also leave it there if that's your preference. You'll also want to disable the Windows screen-saver, which will otherwise switch on and take over your entire Mac desktop.

(By the way, when you re-start Parallels, it picks up where you left off, just like resuming Windows after hibernation, but much faster. Neat!)

Parallels Vs. Remote Desktop
Parallels offers a number of advantages over using Remote Desktop to access Windows. Previously, I'd been using Remote Desktop to connect to my company-issued laptop so that I could use the Lotus Notes client installed there, but that was a flaky connection. Using IE on Parallels was much more reliable.

In addition, with Remote Desktop, I had to use Windows-standard shortcut keys for Windows applications, and the Mac-standard for Mac apps. So if I wanted to copy and paste text from a Notes e-mail to a Mac document, I had to Ctrl-C to copy the text from Windows, then Cmd-V to paste it to the Mac. My fingers never learned that combination. Parallels uses many of the Mac keystroke combinations, rather than the Windows-standard ones. To cut and paste text from IE to the Mac, I can type Cmd-C, then Cmd-V. Much better!