Using a Mac (text)

For several years, our customers have asked for a version of Stereo Investigator or Neurolucida that runs on a Mac.

Well, one intrepid user, Dr. Don Siwek from the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford, MA, successfully installed and used Stereo Investigator on a Macintosh using virtual machine software. He reports that it works quite well, delivering snappy performance. We tested the configuration extensively here and came up with a step-by-step set of instructions to help you do the same on your Mac.

Here’s how you can set up a Mac computer to run Stereo Investigator or Neurolucida workstation.

You will need:
• Intel-based Apple® Macintosh® computer running OS X. (we used a new Mac Mini with 1GB RAM and an Intel duo core 2 processor).
• Parallels Desktop for Mac software, version 3.0.
• Microsoft® Windows XP software.
• An installable copy of Stereo Investigator or Neurolucida.

STEP1 – INSTALL PARALLELS DESKTOP
The Parallels Desktop software is a virtual machine, which lets you run different operating systems on your Mac at the same time as OS X. You run OS X as your main operating system, and have Windows XP running in a separate window. Windows has access to the keyboard, the mouse, the hard drive, the USB ports, and of course, the display. There is a fullscreen option that allows Windows to take over the entire display area. Follow the instructions and be sure to select “Yes” when asked if you want to install the Parallels Tools under Windows. Installation of Parallels Desktop takes about 15 minutes. You will need about 10GB of hard drive space available to create the virtual machine. Parallels Desktop runs Windows XP in a separate memory space, so any crash or failure in Windows is isolated from OS X.

STEP 2 – INSTALL WINDOWS XP
During the Parallels install, opt for the express Windows XP installation. You will also need to activate Windows at some point.

STEP 3 – INSTALL STEREO INVESTIGATOR OR NEUROLUCIDA
After installing Windows, open Internet Explorer and connect to the MBF Bioscience support site. Download the most recent copy of Neurolucida to the Mac. The download and installation should take less than five minutes on a broadband connection.

STEP 4 – TAKE IT FOR A TEST DRIVE
The MBF software runs as fast on the Mac as it does on our Dell Windows laptop, which we use daily. Our support staff tested out Neurolucida, AutoNeuron, and Stereo Investigator; they all ran without any problems that we could detect. Keep in mind that this only applies to the workstation versions. We don’t recommend trying the microscope integrated versions of our products on the Mac – the hardware interfaces have not been tested. And remember that once installed, you need a software license key from MBF to run for more than 10 days.

If you’d like more information, please email us or call us at 802.288.9290.