All Buildsoft products have been developed for native compatibility with PCs running Windows operating systems (Windows 7 or higher).
If you’re a preferred Mac user, the great news is you can also use our estimating software – there are hundreds of customers already doing so! But there are additional requirements you need to be aware of when setting up.
1. You need an environment which allows you to Install and run Windows on your Mac. There are a number of options available, including:
Boot Camp – is Apple’s solution for their customers wanting to effectively run Windows on their Mac. It’s free, and comes preloaded on your machine. This solution will typically give you the best performance because you will boot your Mac with Windows OR MacOS; they will never boot at the same time. On the flip side, in order to switch between the two operating systems you will have to reboot your computer each time. We’d typically recommend Boot Camp for Mac users wanting optimal performance, or those looking to work with very large jobs.
Virtual Windows (e.g. Parallels or VMWare Fusion) – this solution allows you to run our estimating software, like Cubit or MudShark, inside your native Mac operating system, as you would any other piece of software. So you can perform your estimating and takeoff and be able to switch between other applications. The limitation of Virtual Windows, is that it splits your system resources so that your Windows programs get less in the way of memory and processing power. So for high graphical demands, or intensive processing, you will notice virtual Windows solutions are slower. There are a number of excellent Virtual Windows applications available, but our customers have had success with Parallels.
2. You’ll need to purchase and install Microsoft Windows.
Always ensure the version of Windows you’re installing is compatible with Boot Camp, or Virtual Windows, and your chosen estimating software. The current standalone versions of our estimating software are compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10; or, network versions are compatible with Windows Server 2008 or greater. If you’re using Cubit and/or MudShark, you’ll also need to ensure your system meets the minimum requirements.
Please note: Buildsoft Support Team is only qualified to offer support for Buildsoft products. We can not offer support on the setup of operating systems and/or virtual environments through use of products such as Bootcamp, Parallels or VMWare Fusion.