I’m due to start with a new company and have been asked to look into sourcing myself a new computer setup for running max and Vray. The only problem is the office use Apple hardware.
Has anyone run or can you run max & Vray on a MAC? :?
If you use Bootcamp and install Windows on those machines, then you can do that.
Best regards,
Vlado
max & Vray on a MAC
Thanks for the reply Vlado but that’s not what I’m after. I know about Bootcamp (should have mentioned that before) 
What I need to know is are there any guys/gals out there using Max & Vray on a MAC? If so, how are they getting on/what problems if any do they have/what are the render times like compared to Intel PCs etc. Basically should I be looking at sourcing a high end MAC with bootcamp loaded up or should I just get a PC and hook it up to the network?
I run max/vray on a macpro, works like a dream
me too.. no problems..
/Thomas
Vray/MAX on MAC
Thanks guys…that’s all I wanted to hear 
I’m running XP 64bit on a Mac Pro… once you setup bootcamp and boot into windows, it is exactly like working on a PC… because at that point it is a PC
I’m looking to update as well and the mac pro’s look pretty sweat, but is it worth the extra $$$ and a sexy case? What’s the take on this new movement towards running XP on mac goods?
yes… for what you get in the mac pro, it’s a good deal… it’s tough to match from dell/hp/boxx
Well if you get a mac and put boot camp on it. and run windows. Then you may as well just get a PC.. as at that point only price comes into play.
Other than what the computer looks like if you run bootcamp it IS a pc. So hooking that up to the network will be the same as hooking a “PC” up to the network.
Just go for which over offers best value but just know the different between a MAC running bootcamp and a PC is NIL in terms of other MAC compatibility.
Unless of course you plan to use OSX for some things but max wont run on OSX.
I gave my buddy some files that he opened on his macPro. His rendertimes were actually a bit slower than my dual core dual processor pc.
Since bootcamp has to emulate the bios of a PC you often will notice some slowdowns doing certain things. I’m not sure which ones, but it’s quite noticeable often.
I’m just taking his word for it and don’t know the actual specs on his machine, but I thought I’d share that. I’ve used bootcamp before, and it does seem to cause things to crash a little more often. With all the software we use we already crash enough as it is. I wouldn’t want to add yet another variable to that.
I’d say that unless you have a good reason to run OSX then i’d go with a pc. Especially if you need support. Unless mac recently changed their support policy, if you run bootcamp they don’t give you support until you do a clean install. Of course, when you call somewhere that’s usually what you are trying to avoid.
I have to say that I had absolutely no problems with boot camp and would even go so far as to say that my iMac was the most reliable pc I have ever owned.
The ‘emulation’ of the bios doesn’t cause any slow down and in fact the previous post is the first I have ever seen mentioning this ‘problem’
In terms of cost I would personally build my own pc and save a fortune over the same spec macpro. But if the companies IT dept is setup for apple then I cant see any problem in getting an apple.
I have not heard that the bios should slow things down either, in fact the current fastest computer on the vray benchmark scene is mine on a macpro. (I know there is one that is fastest but it was overclocked 
)
And that it should be expensive is not true, I saved over 2000 euro compared to a dell with lower specs.
/Thomas
that Macpro infact uses EFI, which is an updated Bios that soon all PC will take advantage off (which is why you need atleast xp sp2 to take advantage of this advancment), its not the old slow bios that was invented 20 odd years ago (and has hardly been updated sence). In that sense the mac is more advanced than pretty much any pc on the market. I have 3 macpros, I have not noticed any slow down at anytime…infact they are the slickest pcs iv ever used,
As for crashing…Iv had max crash 100s of times…and photoshop from time to time. Though I think iv never had to cold restart the mac though, its a very solid pc
and extremely quiet..
/Thomas
Bootcamp does not emulate a BIOS.
Bootcamp does exactly 2 things:
1) Repartitions the drive and installs a bootloader to allow you to switch OS at boot time.
2) Burns a drivers disc to use after installing windows.
It is true that Intel Macs don’t have a BIOS, they have OpenFirmware which uses the modern EFI instead of the 20+ year old BIOS interface layer.
This is fine, as all versions of Windows after Windows XP Service Pack 2 can use EFI instead. This is why bootcamp requires you to have a SP2 cd to install Windows.
So, as long as you boot into Windows instead of OSX, there is absolutely no emulation happening.