Microsoft online training courses for Windows Server for laptops

Hi

I plan to finish off my Microsoft certifications next year, but I would like to
buy a laptop to use for study.

I need to download and use Microsoft online training courses for Windows Server, eg. virtual labs/servers.

I was wondering if anybody knows from experience whether or not they only work through windows OS or they run using Parallels, Boot Camp & VMWare Fusion?

From experience, like using them at the moment or what you have read. Which one is better by performance?

 

There is no problem using Parrallels or VMWare Fusion. Boot Camp is a native Windows install and I dont think Apple provides drivers for Windows Server. But most of the Windows 7 drivers should work.

Even if you dont get a Mac I would recommend you install Windows 7 native and only run Windows Server in a virtual machine.

The trainings itself are mostly browser based require silverlight which is available for OS X. And Firefox is also supported
.
So for a Mac if you use Firefox and Silverlight to take the classes and then run a VM with Windows Server to do the hands on tasks it will be the same as using Windows 7 and running Windows Server in a VM.

Performance will not be much different if the hardware is the same. I recommend you get a notebook with i5 or i7 CPU. This would exclude the normal Macbook, Macbook Pro 13 inch and all the Macbook Air. Hyper Threading really helps when running VMs.

 

Thanks wave, for all the information.

Well I'm looking at either getting a MacBook Pro 17inch or Alienware M17x R3 next year, which do you think would be better for my study purposes?