Options for Mac Users

DataView is a PC program, and some of the libraries used to read commercial file formats are PC only, so DataView cannot be run directly under the Mac OS

There are 3 main options for running DataView on a Mac

Bootcamp

The Mac OS provides an option to partition the hard drive and run Windows within the Bootcamp partition. DataView can then be installed within Bootcamp. This works very well (it essentially looks and feels exactly as if running on a PC), but it does require a separate purchase of a Windows licence. Also, on its own, there is little interoperability between the Windows and Mac partitions.

Parallels or VMware Fusion

Interoperability can be considerably improved by installing software such as Parallels or VMWare which acts as a communication channel between Windows on Bootcamp and the main Mac OS. This also works very well, but it involves additional expense because this software has to be purchased in addition to the Windows licence. I use Parallels myself and know that it works, but have no experience of Fusion.

Codeweavers Crossover

Crossover works by "translating Windows commands into Mac commands so that you can run Windows software as if it were designed native to Mac." It is based on the open-source WINE ("Wine is not an emulator") project, but has a friendly installation and user interface, and also Codeweavers can provide support.

Crossover is the cheapest way of running DataView on a Mac, since it does not require a Windows licence. I have tried it myself, and the DataView display, transformation and analysis tools work very well. However, the general appearance is not so "pretty" as it is when running fully under Windows. In particular, the text has a rather spidery appearance. I have not tried any of the DataView recording facilities, so do not know if they work seamlessly.

The free, unlicensed version of DataView can be installed in Crossover simply by following the Crossover instructions. If you want to run the licensed version to read commercial data formats, then the DataView licence file needs to be installed in the "fake" Program Files/DataView folder that Crossover constructs. I can provide instructions on how to do this on request.

Conclusion

If you have a general need to run several Windows programs on your Mac and a reasonable budget, then the Bootcamp + Parallels/Fusion route provides the best experience. However, if your budget is limited and you only need to run DataView, then Crossover gives a cheap and easy solution, if you can live with the rather ugly appearance.