The purpose of this article is to explain how you can run the DotActiv software on the Apple macOS. We unpack the various options available to you.
Applicable Products: DotActiv Free, DotActiv Lite, DotActiv Pro,
DotActiv Enterprise
While the DotActiv software is currently not compatible with macOS, you still have various options available to you to run it on your Apple macOS device. You can do that by running a Windows Virtual Machine or VM.
Below are three virtual machines that we can recommend to allow you to work on the DotActiv software without issues.
VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a free to use virtual machine that you can download from this link. It is easy to install with a simple interface.
System Requirements
- X86 Hardware;
- AMD or Intel Processor (any will do);
- A minimum of 512 MB of RAM. If you’re planning on using Windows 10, 2 GB of Ram is highly recommended;
- 30 MB of free hardware space for the software only. Its recommended that you have a few 100GB’s of free space; and
- A supported guest operating system. For macOS, it’s X hosts (64bit) or higher. That includes Sierra 10.12, High Sierra 10.13 and Mojave 10.14.
Pros
- Free;
- You do not need any prior virtual machine knowledge to set up the software as it is very simple to use; and
- The end-user documentation is available to anyone from their website if you do get stuck with the installation.
Cons
- Some features are only available in binary form under a commercial license;
- Does not currently provide Guest additions for macOS X; and
- Depending on your system, you may experience some lagging. This can be improved by turning off Energy Saving.
Full Disclosure: While VirtualBox is a bit unstable at times, we have found it is easy to work on the software without fuss.
Parallels Desktop 14
Parallels are the most popular virtual machine on this list. This is because of the seamless switching between macOS and Windows. You can visit the website to download and read more about the virtual machine here.
System Requirements
- Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 or Xeon processor;
- 4 GB of RAM is a must but to get the best performance, 8 GB is recommended.
- To install the Parallels desktop 14 virtual machine, you’ll need at least 600MB of free disk space. Ideally, you should also have additional disk space for virtual machines. For Windows, you will need at least 16 GB of free space on your Mac hard drive.
- To run the software, the minimum macOS requirement is either macOS Mojave 10.14, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or later, macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later, or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 or later.
Pros
- Seamless and easy to use;
- You can run the virtual machine in windowed mode and also in full screen. Here you can set a hotkey to switch back and forth between your virtual machine and macOS without delay;
- When minimised, there is an icon in your Mac Dock for easy access; and
- It’s easy to set up. When the software is installed it will prompt you what you would like to use it for (e.g Windows) and download it for you.
Cons
- If you have an older Mac that does not have at least 8 GB of RAM, you might struggle a bit with running the software; and
- It can get quite pricey with yearly renewals.
Pricing
There are three editions available to you namely Standard, Pro and Business. There is also a 14-day trial available for free with all the basic features of the software.
Standard comes in at $79.99 per year.
With it, you can download and install Windows 10 in one click, and there is retina support for Windows apps. Parallels Desktop has optimised it for macOS Mojave 10.14. According to Parallels Desktop, this package is ideal for home and student use.
Pro will be $99.99 per year.
Along with the standard edition features, it includes integration with Chef/Ohai/Docker and Vagrant files; A Visual Studio plug-in; support for business cloud services, premiums 24/7 phone and email support and more. This will be best if you’re a developer, software test or ‘power user’
The Business edition will also set you back $99.99 per year.
Along with the standard and pro edition features, it includes centralised administration and management as well as a unified volume license key for mass deployment.
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is the one virtual machine software that we have not tested ourselves. However, this does not mean that you should not consider using this software to run our DotActiv software.
Many experts have argued that it is the perfect balance between Parallels Desktop and VirtualBox. You can visit the website to download and read more about the VM here.
System Requirements
- VMware supports all Macs launched from 2011 and onwards, there is one exception which is the 2012 Mac Pro ‘Quad Core’ using the Intel Xeon 23565 Processor;
- 2 GB of RAM is recommended but to get the best experience 4 GB or more is needed;
- 750 MB of free disk space is needed to install the software, but as with the previous virtual machines listed, it is important to note that more disk space will be required for the different amounts of virtual machines that you install; and
- To run the software, the minimum requirement is macOS X Sierra 10.12.
Pros
- You can run as many VM machines concurrently as you want. The only limit is your system’s ram and storage;
- You can create an unlimited amount of virtual machines from a single VMware Fusion license. If you bought VMware Fusion from August 2018, you’re eligible for a free electronic upgrade to VMware Fusion 11; and
- You can integrate VMware with Chef and Vagrant while it’s easy to use, troubleshoot and set up.
Cons
- There are known issues with running it in Utility mode on Mac. Some experts claim that it’s not reliable and it’s challenging to launch a Windows app;
- It can get quite pricey with yearly renewals; and
- Running it continuously requires a large amount of RAM.
Pricing
There are two editions available to you namely Fusion 11.5 and Fusion Pro. There is also a 30-day trial available for free with all the basic features of the software.
Fusion 11.5 comes in at $88.95 for a new license.
Fusion 11.5 and Fusion Pro are generally the same except for a few differences. Both run on the latest macOS, offer High-Res 4k/5k/Retina display support, work with assistive devices and have multi-language keyboard support. They also include operating support for Windows 10 VM and macOS Mojave Host and Guest.
Fusion 11 Pro comes in at $176.95 for a new license.
The Pro version differs in that you can create Linked Clones and Full clones. It also has the option to customise advanced networking, secure VM encryption and an improved vSphere remote view.
Navigating Between Windows And Mac On Your Device
To navigate between windows, swipe up on the trackpad with three fingers to open Mission Control, which shows all the windows that you have open. Click on the window you want to access.
For example, in the below, we’d click on ‘Desktop 1’, which is our virtual machine that has Windows and DotActiv on. To navigate back to your Mac, swipe up on the trackpad with three fingers to open Mission Control and choose the appropriate window – in this case, ‘Desktop 2’.
In order for the above steps to work accurately, you need to have Parallels open.
