AVG and MS Security Essentials are good, free virus programs. Mac people have been lucky not to really need to worry about this for decades but it is a way of life in Windows. Be sure to run a good anti-virus program. Make sure you are running real Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10. (Most Windows people tend to avoid Vista.) Be careful, Windows Mobile and Windows RT, while they look a lot like other versions of Windows, won’t work for most scanner applications. You can find working Windows machines or laptops cheaply there, usually already set up with Windows XP or even Windows 7 or 8. Check your local tag sales, pawnshops or thrift stores. MacBooks and iMacs however do not have outboard monitors, so unless you have a second monitor you are out of luck for this. You could use a KVM (Keyboard-Mouse-Video) switch or one of the applications like Synergy to share the monitor, mouse and keyboard between the Mac and your Windows box. You could probably share a Mac monitor if the Windows box has a compatible connector and you may be able to use your existing Mac keyboard and mouse. You can also get a cheap desktop system for not much more than a netbook, but that takes up more room and adds complexity. RT and Mobile will not work with most “regular” Windows applications. Be careful not to get a system running Windows RT or Windows Mobile. Just add a USB cable for your radio or a USB-Serial adapter and your favorite program and off you go. Netbooks and tablets running some version of Windows 7, 8 or 10 can be had for under $200 all in.

There are cheap Windows machines out there that will work fine for most radio programming. That last sentence is hard to say for this die-hard Mac guy but it is reality. If you spend any real time with a radio you will eventually need to run Windows applications. There are a few Mac radio programs out there but they are few and far between. Although many Mac users view Windows as a virus, it is kind of a necessary evil to do what you need or want to do. The vast majority of radio programming software is made for Windows so the trick is to find a way to run Windows. Mac Users and Radio Programs (Updated November 2016) The question about Mac software for the scanners and other radios comes up often here at ScannerMaster.

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