I'm gonna be making relatively basic excel models and want to be able to do some work at home. I have a Mac and know that some of the more advanced statistics functions aren't available, but because I'll be probably doing basic shit for the first few months can I get by with my Mac? Just as an aside, finally landed a FO gig at a boutique in Chicago! Thank you WSO community, your advice has been invaluable.
| +244 | CVP 2025 Summer Analyst Class Is A JOKE | 100 | 9m | |
| +98 | The "Not So Obvious" things that get you a return offer? | 10 | 9h | |
| +94 | PJT Best EB in the next 5 years? | 46 | 9h | |
| +57 | Ex-JP Morgan analyst awarded $35M decade after NYC building’s glass door suddenly shattered on her | 15 | 18h | |
| +34 | Georgetown Placement for 2024 and 2025 | 20 | 14h | |
| +31 | Pros and Cons of the BB coverage groups | 16 | 4d | |
| +29 | Best IB group on the Street | 14 | 5h | |
| +28 | Barc vs WF for IB (Generalist) | 7 | 7h | |
| +28 | How to deal with egotistical team? | 6 | 7h | |
| +26 | BIG FOUR ARE PARADISE | 4 | 7h |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
I have a Mac and using Excel is a nightmare. I can really only use it as a spreadsheet to keep track of lists and other minor things, maybe as a calculator if I'm feeling really adventurous.
I think someone on this forum said, "Excel for Mac is the Jon Snow of the Office family".
Ha. Point taken. Microsoft's way of killing Apple.
That quote would be from me. OP, find a copy of Parallels at the bare minimum.
Yes. /thread
^ Yes you can use it.
One thing to note though is that shortcuts will be different unless you fiddle around with bindings. It sounds like you're just modelling so it should be fine. Heck you could probably even use Numbers if you really wanted too.
Excel for Mac sucks. I am a huge fan of Apple products but unfortunately it sucks (could argue it's a Microsoft product!). Just use Boot Camp or Parallels.
Install Windows through Boot Camp. Buy a mouse so you can right click.
yes.
I have a mac and using excel just for linear programming is hell enough...Honestly I would suggest buying a cheap Windows laptop, they are pretty cheap and it'll be most likely worth it.
Boot Camp/Parallels are annoying at least for me because from my experience, all of the Function keys are useless. Not to mention the entire keyboard becomes weird because of the differences between OSX and Windows. Maybe they've changed how they work but last time I used them they were pretty pathetic.
Boot camping is very easy so do that. Install the mac drivers and you'll be fine. Or just buy a mouse with a right click.
The easiest way to use Excel on a Mac is to buy a keyboard cover that shows you the shortcuts. A nice and proven one is found if you google Excel Skin!
Agree that you should get Bootcamp on a Mac or run Parallels. Only thing that's kind of a pain in the butt to get used to is the absence of a "Ctrl" key, but it's easy to transition on a daily basis from your home computer to the bank's PC.
Macs have a Control key, it's just next to where you'd expect it to be.
The ctrl key isn't the problem. It's the lack of an alt key for specific short cuts into the tool bar. Also graphing on Macs is just retarded.
I consider myself pretty adept on Excel and last semester I had a class dedicated to stats in excel. We had to split time between class rooms and once a week had to use a mac lab. Turned out to be an absolute nightmare and half the time I just broke down and used the mouse the entire time.
laptop for bschool - excel on macbook? (Originally Posted: 05/15/2015)
hey everyone - as mentioned in a previous thread, heading to bschool this fall. What laptop would you guys recommend? I'm considering macbook pro vs. thinkpad carbon. Both are fairly powerful and light. I'd much rather go with a macbook but I've heard that using excel on a macbook is pretty tedious. What has your experience been?
I love macbooks (and own one) but the mac version of Excel is a toy compared to a PC. Not only is it essentially Excel-lite, but once you get out of B-school you will almost certainly be working with a PC which means many of your keyboard shortcuts will have to be relearned.
New Office for Mac due to be released this year is identical to that for Windows
Heard that's not the case. It'll be better, but not exact
when is this due to come out? I haven't heard about this yet
That never happened...
It's a hot topic of discussion in my entering class, so much that one current student jumped in to add his 2 cents. Here was his experience (typical t-15 B-school curriculum):
OMG, people actually major in the CAPM?
Macbook + Bootcamp and all your problems are solved.
I've tried the excel on a macbook thing and found it to be a disaster. You can bootcamp/parallels but then the key alignment isn't the same as a PC which drove me nuts. It's definitely doable though and personal preference.
I'm deciding between the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 personally.
Don't. Simple as that. That's been my experience. You can use boot camp and get it relatively close, but once you are used to it on a windows platform and associated hardware i think you might as well stick to it. It will be far more efficient for you. My recommendation? Get a mac book air for personal use (or whatever you like) and then a cheap, thin windows laptop (maybe one of the really thin think pads) to use exclusively for school work and excel.
makes sense. really don't want to deal with shortcut keys issues in the future so might as well just go with a windows machine.
Frank Slaughtery - I'd recommend staying away from xps. a few friends have had horrible experiences. In comparison, thinkpad is a true workhorse.
curry4mvp the current XPS 13 or earlier versions? reviews are great on the XPS 13 and the case is super sexy. i'm likely gonna wait and see if lenovo runs another 40% off thinkpad sale like they did a few weeks ago and grab the X1 though
i might wrong in that case. My friends bought it 2-3 years ago and I don't think xps 13 was out back then.
I vote a simple thinkpad. I use a T430 and it's outdated but freaking plenty. Actually, I used to work on Tech Equip purchasing, and nobody really need a new PC unless it's an old PC / netbook or computer before 2011.
x240s could be what you want. If the computer is too thin, it'll be light---but it'll be easier to break because it is too thin
I bought my ThinkPad off craigslist for $200 and it still is faster than quad-cores on bloomberg terminals
and agree that Excel for Mac is a disaster. it is
I'm in BSchool, and it's probably 50/50 with people having Macs vs. PCs. Just use parallels/virtualbox/boot camp along with a USB PC keyboard when you need to do some serious excel. That's my setup and it works fine. I'm not an excel pro but from what I've gathered you can learn the 80/20 most useful hotkeys pretty quickly.
Using Macs for Excel: possible or bad choice? (Originally Posted: 11/07/2008)
Does anyone here use Macs? I’ve been using a Mac for B-school but the 2008 Office is really bad for Excel. For example: no VBA, no solver, and pivot table functions are weak. I suppose using Bootcamp possible, but understand it uses a lot of memory. Wanted to see if there are any options besides switching to PC.
Basically, Office on Mac's SUCK. It lags, there are virtually no good shortcuts, and the excel looks kind of funky. I absolutely hate using excel on my mac and am frustrated beyond belief whenever I try to do something.
With that being said, I do have both Fusion and Bootcamp installed on my computer. However, the fundamental problem is pervasive--that the keyboard is simply not the same as the one on the PCs. The most frustrating part is the Apple key, which is in place where alt normally is. So whenever I use Windows, I always accidentally hit Apple and it screws everything up (like when you're doing alt tab in Fusion, and you end up hitting apple tab, which takes you back into the Mac OS). For Bootcamp, the biggest pain in the ass is having to restart your computer everytime you want to use Windows.
I agree with jman. I love my iMac at home that I use for recreational stuff, but when it comes to work, Office Mac just doesn't cut it, for the reasons mentioned above.
However - you can use Bootcamp and everything works fine. Most people don't know that a Mac will work with a Windows keyboard just fine...
I loved my Mac up until I had to use it for WallStreetPrep's seminars. I wanted to rip the Apple Key out.
With that said, I've become very efficient on my Mac, just took some time. Im not sure about Office 08 though, I only use Mac Office 04. Also, you can set your OWN shortcuts; I basically have transferred/set all PC shortcuts on my Mac. Btw, I dont use Bootcamp/wine/fusion.
But in the end, I am SOOO much more efficient using my Mac (including excel) compared to my PC at home/work. I think once you get use to it, you become much more fluid, but like I said, takes some time.
how do you set your own shortcuts???? would love to know
Sure. Just to be on the same page. I use MAC office 04, and dont use the windows version on bootcamp.
Some of the shortcuts are the same for PC and Mac. Open up Excel. Tools -> Customize -> Customize Keyboard.
You should be able to find MOST functions/commands in the "All" category. Also, you can test different shortcuts in the "Press new shortcut key" textbox. If you cant find your shortcut in the list, just look it up in Help -> Excel Help, then come back, look it up and change it.
Good luck.
amazing!! thanks. i use office 04 on mac, but have 2008 on my bootcamp. for office 04, how do you get rid of the 2 spreadsheet view that you get as a default when you open it up? Like right now, i have 2 spreadsheets side by side, rather than just being able to view 1...
Bottom left corner, you have 3 options, pick the 1st one called "normal view"
Or
View -> Normal
Not trying to start a flame war or anything, but I'm curious what benefits you find to continuing with Mac, given that Windows is near-universal in the business world. I would think there would be a lot of inefficiences with remembering and using two operating systems, different software versions, limited software for Mac, etc.? Do you find that that overall benefits for using Mac outweight these? Or is it a matter of already having Mac hardware/software, and choosing to stick with it?
I used Macs through college, but had to make the transistion to Windows once I started working. Getting use to Windows took a little time, but once I got familiar with Windows, I haven't found much difference in usability between the two. I'll admit that previous Windows versions used to be more unstable compared to the Mac OS's, but I have found Windows XP to be quite stable (haven't tried Vista yet).
Just curious, like to keep track of my options...
Hmmmm...
I bought my Macbook (which was my first) about 1.5 years ago. And at first, it was horrid trying to get used to, and then came the realization that I might be 'handicapped' once I found a job (where I'd most likely be using a PC).
1.5 years later, and honestly, I think I can do more things with my MacBook than I can with my PC at home (except for games of course). I am so much more faster using my MacBook now. However I can still use my PC just as well. Its kind of like being bilingual :p.
In conclusion, I slightly prefer my Mac to my PC.
Three year bump!
I really want a macbook (probably a 2-4 y/o used macbook pro) for my sole home computer, but I want to be able to model (learning/practicing) very close to how I would on a PC. Can this problem be solved by bootcamp? Anyone have experience using office on a Mac with bootcmap, Parallels, or VMware?
Mac Computers + Microsoft excel? (Originally Posted: 02/27/2008)
I want to use a Mac laptop at work. Is there any problems/differences with excel that anyone knows of? Are the shortcut keys the same? Any thoughts/opinions would be much appreciated.
.
thanks for your insight....would using the program paralells to run Windows on a mac solve any excell shortcut problems?
but, altho i'm not nasty on PC excel, i don't find mac excel that bad.
i second keyser
i can plow thru excel w/o touching the mouse on my PC at work, on my personal mac i feel like a 5th grader using excel for the first time, very frustrating. other than that, cant beat the mac as a personal machine.
I second that. Macs are awesome, I've never had one until last year and I'd never switch bad. Excel on it seriously sucks though. I installed VMware and run XP for the only single purpose: running excel '03 on it. It works like a charm.
do you have the new mac with the intel chip? I like my computer but agree that the whole office suite sucks on macs.
not recommended for non-graphical/design cpu-heavy work
I'm in the opposite situation as most of the people on this board: I am a born-and-bred mac lover, and have tried to do exactly what you are describing for years (I bring my personal MacBook Pro into work every day). Though I still do a lot on my Mac, I've slowly shifted to doing more and more of my Excel work on my PC. Whether you are proficient or not, the formatting (and sometimes macros and other things) gets screwed up when you send files back and forth between Macs and PCs. You didn't ask, but this is even more true for Word and Powerpoint, where formatting is even more important and (in my experience) more likely to get totally fucked up between platforms. It's bad enough that I won't send files to PC users unless I PDF them first or pass them through my PC for a sanity check, which is quite inefficient. I haven't ponied up for VMWare and a copy of XP and office, but I probably will soon (or get my company to pay for it).
On the other hand, if you are doing individual work, Mac Excel is perfectly acceptable once you are used to it, and although the built in shortcuts are limited, you can customize the keyboard shortcuts to do almost any command (Tools -> Customize -> Customize Keyboard). I don't have Alt-E-S-V, for example, but I've mapped Command-Option-V to be paste values. I like that this adds flexibility for commands that aren't "Alt-able" in windows (e.g. borders). There was a long time where I was much faster on my Mac (with customized commands) than on a PC, although I'm still not as fast as most IB analysts I'm sure.
Just to add my .02, the thing about using VMWare for excel is that you have the apple key where alt normally is on a PC keyboard. Not THAT big of a deal, but whenever I switch over to VMWARE to use Excel, I always have to remind myself to scoot my finger over a little to hit the alt rather than the apple button.
I do, I got a refurbished white Macbook, saved me around 100 bucks, and I can't tell the difference between a refurbished one and a new one, since they replace the casing so it looks brand new. It was a great deal, but I'd recommend getting the lowest configuration and buying more RAM/bigger hdd yourself, because Apple overprices their components by a huge margin. PM me if I can help you with anything.
Is Excel on Mac really that inferior to the normal Windows version? (Originally Posted: 11/19/2013)
I'm in the market for a new personal laptop and have been looking quite heavily to the Macbook Air 13". Bestbuy is currently selling the brand new version at a steep discount at the moment. The only thing that is stopping me from pulling the trigger is that this will be my first Mac and I keep hearing that Excel is wholly inferior on it. From your personal experience is this true and if so how much of a deal breaker is this?
I've heard it's gotten much better. Could always install Windows on the Mac and have Excel on it that way.
Excel for Mac is very hard to use if you are used to Windows. The keyboard shortcuts are different, so you really have to relearn the program.
That said, I have a Mac laptop and I'll almost definitely get another one after this one craps out (shouldn't be for a few more years and I've already had it over 4 years). Unless you plan on using Excel at home a lot, it shouldn't be a big deal. And if you need to work at home, just bring your laptop home from the office.
In my book, it's worth the investment to get a Mac, even though it's more expensive than its PC counterparts. Like I said, I've had mine for years, and it still works great. I don't know a single person on a PC that hasn't gotten at least one new computer in that time. Plus, you're spending what, like $1500 on a machine that you'll probably use every day for multiple years. Is it really worth the trouble of having to deal with clunky Windows and having to replace/upgrade your PC regularly just so you can save like $600?
And you can get the macbook air at a discount? Go for it!
Your mileage will vary. Personally, I fucking hate it. Some people are more easy-going I guess, but it seriously messes up my flow.
Don't know about inferior but definitely different.
I do know that macbook pro=win. One time at an old apt I walked in to my bedroom on fire and tossed pots of water like 8 times to put it out. Started in the printer, but the entire wall was on fire... so basically my macbook was inches from fire then doused in water, and it was open at the time downloading torrents. It looked like shit, and the keys melted off the connectors then somehow floated and stuck to the ceiling...but the next day (firemen wanted me to stay in the hosp breathing oxygen for a night just in case) I cracked it on and it was like something out of Jurassic park or some old sci-fi movie where an old decrepit computer somehow boots up. After cleaning/detailing it and finding a set of new keys it was in full working condition. Lasted another 2 years after that, and I'm on my 2nd.
So yea can't answer your question
Same here...one time I "accidentally" threw my macbook pro on some subway tracks...after all the subway cars had finished going over it the macbook was still good as new, with angry birds still up and running...waiting for my move.
Excel for Mac = Jon Snow of the Office family
I dont know why anyone that is good with Windows would switch to Mac. Relearning excel shortcuts sounds like hell to me.
Its different, and honestly I haven't used it as extensively as I have on Windows, but its not like its different software. Under the hood, its all the same. If you can relearn some stuff, you'll be fine. A tiny, almost inconsequential price to pay to switch to far superior hardware and software. I wouldn't trade my 15" 2012 MBP for anything in the world, except for maybe a 2013 model. The POS HP I had before this barely lasted a year and a half despite handling it like it was made of glass. Damn thing took years off my life.
I have the 13" Air (Mid-2013) it is an unbelievable bit of kit, it is lightning fast in every area (assuming you're not a hardcore gamer). I have excel 2010 on Mac, but have never used it as I always use a work PC. I will check it out tonight for differences though as you've got me curious.
One thing I found when working on the Air in general, the screen is so small. I am not a fan of doing any sort of complex work on it. If I was building anything remotely complex in Excel I would always try and work on something with a bigger screen!
P.S Wait for the Black Friday sales if you're going to buy one, could get a more improved discount. There are also ways (in the UK atleast) of getting the 15% higher education discount, even if you're not in higher education, although I've not tried them myself.
I don't like the Mac version and can't get used to it. But friends who only use Mac seem to be comfortable even with Excel on it.
do they even model bro?
Walter Jr. vs. Walter White
Awesome. I am stealing this from you and comparing things this way from now on.
Took about a month to get used to but I'm now pretty much indifferent between the two versions. The macbook air is fucking worth the switch, I must say, especially if you're mobile.
Edit: I wrote an Apple infomercial instead of answering the question lol.
OP: you can install Windows or use Parallels for Mac to use Windows concurrently with your Mac OS. That's what I do and it's far better than trying to use Excel for Mac (which is no longer updated with the 2013 versions).
I just started running Windows Excel on a macbook air with Parallels after seeing that you can customize it so that 2003 excel shortcuts can work. To those of you who have been running this setup for a while and have keyboard customizations dialed in, would you mind sharing those? It would take a while to go through it one by one. Thanks in advance.
If you think Excel for Mac is bad imagine trying to use the Apple attempt at spreadsheets. I tried that once, lets just say doing simple addition was a task.
Yeah, Excel for Mac sucks.
MacBook Air is worth the adjustment period, IMO. I cannot imagine youd be doing actual work on your home computer though so I dont think it matters too much unless you like to do practice DCFs on your dry cleaners or something.
just install bootcamp
Alright think I'm going to pull the trigger. Currently using a Toshiba Ultrabook and it's a POS. After less then a year the seam on the bottom left side of the screen is coming apart and starting to warp and crack. I just want something solid with superior build quality and I won't have to reformat every year. I'm probably just going to do light excel work anyways on it. I just hate having to learn new shortcuts but c'est la vie.
Good call, you won't regret it.
Get a Lenovo.
Excel on mac is awful (e.g. pressing delete won't clear multiple cells and alt+= doesn't autosum) and if you use any addons they will be hard to find for mac equivalant.
Agreed that the most annoying aspect of Mac Excel is that you can't delete multiple cells at once. It makes absolutely no sense.
I use Excel at work on Windows and at home for my personal projects with the Mac. I've had a MacBook Pro for 7 months and I love it, but I cannot get used to Excel for Mac. It's definitely inferior.
^^ I'm fairly certain that Excel for Mac just doesn't have 90% of the keyboard shortcuts that windows has either, which is a huge dealbreaker. ie. F2 & F4, arguably my 2 most used shortcuts - what's the mac equivalent (or is there even one?)
It's like ctrl-U or something. I'm not in front of my Mac right now--I kind of know my keystrokes through touch at this point.
Worst shit ever. Worst thing about my mac.
Excel on Macs (Originally Posted: 08/22/2013)
Hi all,
I got a quick question. I need to get a new laptop and I'm thinking about getting a Mac (mostly because I'm bored with Windows and want to try something new...not a great reason I know). The only thing holding me back, besides the price, is the fact that I'm way too used to using Excel/Word's shortcuts and I do not want to go back to using the mouse to complete my homework. When I tried Excel on my friend's Mac, the shortcuts were completely different and I had to resort to using the mouse to get my work done, which I want to avoid altogether.
Do people who own Macs get around this by using Windows on the Mac or is the Apple version of Excel not as bad as made it out to be?
Thanks!
During my junior year I took an advanced functions of excel class, and for some reason, once a week we were bumped into one of the Mac labs. We used the Windows version of Excel and it was still one of the worst experiences I've ever had on a computer. Aside from the short cut keys, a lot of the tabs and ribbons are also removed/replaced and moved around. The "palette" is an absolutely impossible object to get used to and navigating through Excel on Mac is retarded. Even when you get used to some of the short cuts, there are still a plethora of very useful shorcuts that seem to be missing all together. Aside from the programs, Mac keyboard lay outs are aesthetical, but hardly useful.
I would highly suggest not getting a Mac if it is going to be your only computer for doing work. I currently own a Mac, and am now having to plan on getting another computer so that I can work from home and also review models, etc. If you really want an Apple product, get an iPad or something!
Didn't read his whole post, but I would agree 100% that using excel on Mac is definitely the #1 worst computer experience I've ever had. It is absolutely terrible and inefficient.
Stick with a PC. Apple is an overrated and over priced item. I have an iPhone, Mac Book Pro, and an iPad. It's just not worth it, man. I am upgrading my phone to the Galaxy s4 and will not buy a Macbook ever again. I do enjoy my iPad, even though I am sure there are other tablets out there that are better.
but I strongly urge you to stay away from the MacBook. unless you are into programming or photoshop or some film editing. I hear it's good for that stuff. The price is ridiculous, repairs are ridiculous... Stick with a PC.
I own a Mac. Excel sucks on it... Like sucks. Any media work, Mac is fine, but forget productivity software. By the way, I'm in school so it's less of an issue for me.
As a long-time Windows fanatic, then Linux freak, and now long-time Mac user, here's the real low down:
MS Excel on Mac is for people who like to use Mac. It is not the same as the Windows version. Get a copy of VMWare Fusion or Parallels, install Windows and you can have a shortcut that virtualizes the Windows version of Excel. Or just run Boot Camp and have a separate Windows installation altogether.
excel on a mac is useless, I guess you could run parallel if you wanted.
I am a big Apple fan (iPad, iPhone, iPod, iMac) but I would never think of running any MS Offce applications on it.
You won't need to use your MAC Excel even if you have a laptop - most firms will not allow you to save your work files on your personal computer so you will be remotely logged into your work network from your laptop when travelling which means you use the PC Excel even when you're logged in with your MAC. Key issue is the keyboard but you can switch over so the F keys work fine and the Option key is the Alt key. I'm thinking of getting a MAC as well and therefore have been doing some research on this topic but in my opinion, making sure the keyboard works properly when you're remotely logged in is most important. Would also appreciate any comments from people who are using their MAC to remotely use PC Excel at their firm where the keyboard works well.
Son, I am disappoint.
You can use Excel on a Mac, but you need to get used to it. You can also customize your keystrokes, which helps a ton.
you can just use bootcamp to get windows 7 on your mac. I'm pretty sure you can alternate between the two. Also could download ubuntu and download excel for that
I use a macbook air for work. It's not quite as robust as excel on windows but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. For most users, once you get the shortcuts / keystrokes down, there is very little appreciable difference between the two versions. In fact, once you get used to it, OSX is actually pretty good for multi-tasking. Switching screens and moving between windows are more fluid on macs.
I use a macbook air as well. Had it for about 2 years.
Tried using mac's excel for a month and getting used to the shortcuts while trying to do work was really a nuisance. I strongly advise against it if you're used to windows excel.
Read this forum and there was some senior Certified User that uses a mac for work with parallels. I looked it up and haven't looked back. Machine still works amazing. I have to switch between coms at work where everyone uses PC and i don't have to worry about confusing mac and pc shortcuts.
You can configure parallels to recognise the mac keyboard as pretty much the windows keyboard.
I'd say 95% no issues.
Dude, get yourself a Thinkpad X230 and thank me later.
Not even just the shitty shortcuts/etc on the mac version - Excel for Mac doesn't even have analysis toolpak or anything like that. The "official" solution is literally to download some third party app that that doesn't even incorporate into the program. Fuck that shit, all I need is a regression but now I have to go to the office and use the windows version.
It takes a special kind of skill to model on a mac
Excel on Mac sucks big time. I wouldn't recommend wasting time on this at all.
Reading through all the comments here (and various other, more tech oriented forums) I have to agree that it depends heavily on what you want to do with Excel on your Mac.
Opening, altering, saving a spreadsheet? Manageable.
Modeling, crunching large files? It amazes me how often it crashes or locks up otherwise.
I have therefore installed Bootcamp (for longer sessions) and parallels (for ad-hoc access).
Excel experience on Macbook (Originally Posted: 06/05/2013)
Looking to upgrade my current laptop and was thinking about getting a MB Air/Pro Retina. I'm well aware of the bogus experience of doing serious Excel on OS X, but how about running it on Win 7 via bootcamp? Do the shortcuts and the mac-layout keyboard feel right compared to Win-based computers? What's your preferred solution on running excel, VM (given how powerful the retina series are) or bootcamp?
I have a 2012 MB Pro Retina. Runs great and I never have any issues switching files between my laptop and work computer (which runs Windows XP). I usually just do touch ups and minor work, but if I really dig into it and need to get a lot done I'll connect a mouse attachment to my laptop since the touchpad can be frustrating at times if you're trying to go a million miles an hour.
Macs are the best machines to run Windows on. If you have a Air / rPro (anything with a flash drive) it will be a fantastic experience.
Boot camp runs windows fantastically, but splitting the hard drive like that does take up valuable space (if you want to keep movies, music, pictures etc on there). You already know excel for mac is a joke. Air > Pro, I imagine they'll be releasing a retina air pretty soon? Just get a decent full-size keyboard and mouse, set up bootcamp and Office, and you're good to go.
I use windows 7 to run excel on my mac. Runs great. The only thing of note is that sometimes key placement for shortcuts (ctrl, alt) can get confusing after using a pc keyboard at work/school. However, that problem only lasts for a few seconds. It still uses the windows shortcuts in terms of key names, but the placement is different on Macs.
As the others have pointed out, bootcamp runs win 7 with no problems (the only minor concern is the Hard Drive partition size, but that depends on how much space you want to allocate and how big your hard drive is). I personally don't use VMs like Parallels regularly, but I have it installed if I have to look at some data on my Win7 drive and don't feel like rebooting into windows. I know for Parallels you can make a VM with your bootcamp partition.
Trying to use Excel on a Mac is like trying to swim with bricks tied to your legs
Did you even read the thread?
Using excel remotely on a mac (Originally Posted: 07/21/2015)
Not really sure where to ask this. But if I have an iMac and am running Excel for Windows through a remote desktop application, would I be able to plug a PC keyboard into the iMac and use excel as if I was on a PC? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
It may work, but God knows if the Mac will register the 'ctrl' as 'ctrl (etc).' The only way to know is to try.
Even if you just use the regular Mac keyboards when you are running windows through a remote desktop, the ctrl key is the ctrl key, and the command key is the windows key. It takes a second to get used to since you're so used to using the command key for all of the functions the ctrl key would normally use.
It will likely help to use a windows keyboard because whenever I am on a windows PC it is completely normal to use the ctrl key, and when I am on my mac, it's awkward to use the ctrl key, but normal to use the command key. It's like my muscle memory knows which keyboard I'm on.
excel on a mac (Originally Posted: 10/24/2006)
Has anyone tried excel on a mac? I know they have it and its the same program and everything, but are the keyboard shortcuts and usage the same? The no-right mouse button thing shouldn't be much of a problem if you're not one to use the mouse much, but if the keyboard shortcuts are way different that's a different story. I'm thinking of getting one for home but I want to be sure I can work on it if I need to...
i have a mac at home and find it extremely difficult to use it for work purposes. if i was you i would get one of the new intel macs, put windows on it and use the windows verison of excel while doing work and osx while doing everything else.
Yeah MAC OSX is probably much better for personal applications whereas I would much rather be running the Windows version of Excel when working.
Be careful not to spill any sparx on your mac.
Buy a PC.
Excel on Mac was invented by Decartes' demon. It sucks.
Macbook and Excel (Originally Posted: 03/14/2015)
What's the best way to simulate the experience of the Windows version of Excel on a Macbook?
Basically, I want to know how to get the usual short cuts to work. I'm open to buying another keyboard etc.
Thanks!
Mac Excel is the worst thing in the world.
The only acceptable solution is to use Boot Camp to run Windows and the Windows version of Excel.
serious people in banking use a PC. period
Yeah only way to do it is through Boot Camp or virtualization software like VMWare or VirtualBox
Can't really do it at all. Best way is to run bootcamp and make sure to use an external PC keyboard. Or just buy a PC, you can get a cheap PC for a few hundred dollars.
Go buy a Chromebook for $300 man. Stop trying to cut corners.
Chromebook? That still wouldn't help you with Windows Excel, and since he is asking this question, he probably isn't prepared to be putting Windows on a Chromebook.
Buy yourself a used Thinkpad. T430s can be had for a very reasonable price in good condition, and is a perfectly capable machine.
www.excelskin.com
Dolorem magni qui voluptatem voluptatem quae quo ut. Voluptas enim rem quos aut aperiam autem deleniti. Nemo sunt reprehenderit expedita.
Velit maiores inventore qui aut quia ut dolor. Vel iste porro natus reprehenderit aut et. Et quas nostrum neque iusto exercitationem perspiciatis ipsum.
Dolore magnam libero quaerat consequatur consectetur fuga. Nisi cum quis molestiae omnis ut ut ratione. Nihil quam vel quis laborum architecto est nesciunt.
Nemo nulla qui consequatur nesciunt. Et est et magni.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Labore nihil a explicabo. Repellat veritatis quod neque aliquam pariatur eaque accusamus. Placeat aperiam dolore eius minus similique quo.
Expedita aperiam cumque consequatur nihil nostrum ducimus. Ipsam voluptas adipisci numquam cupiditate aut dolor aspernatur. Porro vel sit itaque sint reiciendis. Consequatur nemo eligendi esse.
Eaque maiores dolor eos ut est voluptatem in. Aliquam nulla saepe voluptatum quia. Fugit quas dolore optio aperiam dolore. Non reiciendis incidunt dolores ut voluptates autem enim ut. Nesciunt odit dolore repellat officiis quis qui. Dolorum deserunt ipsum assumenda adipisci quam.
Voluptatem nulla excepturi qui non. Quasi et in blanditiis aut reprehenderit. Explicabo doloremque occaecati vitae nesciunt.
Quae deleniti quaerat libero vitae sint omnis. Similique id architecto cumque tempore adipisci dolores vel. Sint totam quia assumenda amet vel quam.
Aut et fugiat alias eaque est sit minima. Voluptatem in velit modi enim cupiditate. Illum laborum laboriosam quibusdam qui quia ut. Voluptate esse aliquid aut aut maxime doloribus ut.
Delectus dicta qui ex voluptatem ipsum quia nihil perspiciatis. Consequatur voluptatibus repellat sunt officia dicta. Est qui repellendus aperiam. Harum ea sint nihil fugit voluptatibus aut. Ut sunt minima blanditiis.
Molestiae et voluptas omnis sunt eligendi vitae. Maxime nam rerum sequi sit sed dolorem suscipit.
Fugiat ea tempora officiis fugiat provident quae. Et magnam reprehenderit laboriosam doloribus ut deleniti eos sit.
Consectetur nihil ut quisquam odit ut asperiores est doloremque. Adipisci et ab consectetur dolores rerum. Saepe doloribus error facere omnis ratione.
Sed est vel commodi. Nisi facere ut molestiae dolores. Accusantium autem veritatis culpa quis illum ullam quas.
Ut officia consequatur consequuntur culpa commodi repellendus explicabo. Voluptas dolore commodi harum assumenda animi quibusdam. A est debitis sint eveniet. Voluptas sed sunt sed corrupti dolores ipsum. In odio ipsam fugit.