Ask TUAW: What will you do with Windows on your Mac?

I have to have autocad 2006, primavera project planner, photoshop, excel word, etc. for work. I am considering the apple notebooks; will any of them or the mac notebooks let me run windows apps? If they will, can i connect an apple to a windows network long enough to transfer the app outputs to the server files? I like the graphics capability of apple, but unfortunately, I have to use existing windows only apps. any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks-

I might run a math software, maybe one of those mapping software programs that is never written for Mac; there might be one or two others, but 99% of my computing will be Apple, the finest computing experience ever.

I would only install Windows to run some development software which sadly isn't available for the Mac. Not that I lmike the software: it's buggy and slugish, but we use it at work. Only for that reason. Only then. I've got already enought Windows on my bread at work. It doesn't taste well.

I work in research and there's a PharmD here who uses a Mac but needs a PC to run pharmacokinetic software. She's very interested in the possibility of a dual-boot machine.

What key piece of business software is missing from the mac world?

Mapping Software! Something like MS Streets and Trips, or Street Atlas. I can't believe nobody has created this yet...

And route 66 in native PowerPC is pathetically slow, and I understand it will not even run under Rosetta.

And some crappy but job-critical web based applications that refuse to run under any other browser than IE 6 on windows.

Work Applications. Specifically, Windows Only applications which manufactures will not/refuse to port to OS X. SmaartLive Audio RTA, Lake Countor/MESA processor software, XTA Audiocore software, EAW/L'Acoustics modeling/hanging software and various other console automation (Midas, Yamaha software works on the mac) software.

Also possibly AutoCAD for plot/trim/rigging point info ect...

AUTOCAD, REVIT, ADT, ELITE, SPIRIT, BENTLEY, ALLPLAN, 3DSMAX, RHINO...

A shame all architects have to use the ugliest computers to design the most beautiful buildings.

Come on, Autodesk. You are a heck off a lousy inventor and a great moneymaker company.

Please, Apple, they have done enough. An image campaign for architects on your website is not enough. Buy those little ba...

please: iArchitect, iCAD, iBuilding, i3D, ... Something!

.NET programming! Wow, .NET and AppleScript on the same machine. Crazy.

I will not be using it, but my son could finally get rid of the pc in his office and run AutoCad on his mac, which he uses for all his other needs

There is a bit of quirky niche hobbyist software out there that is never going to see light of day on the mac, or mere hurdles presented by the world that doesn't know macs exist. That would probably get my attention before gaming would.

But in relation to Gaming, all the neat software for hacking games to create your own worlds and games using the engines are on the PC side, even for games that are already ported to the mac.