The Modano Excel add-in must be used on the Windows version of Microsoft Excel. Hence, to use the Modano Excel add-in on a Mac, Windows and Microsoft Excel for Windows must first be installed on it using one of the following methods:
- Use Boot Camp to partition your Mac hard drive before installing Windows and Excel on the newly-partitioned Windows section of the hard drive (see www.apple.com/support/bootcamp); or
- Install Parallels Desktop for Mac (or similar virtualization software) before installing Excel for Windows (see www.parallels.com).
Usage Comparison
From a usage perspective, the primary difference between these methods is that using Boot Camp requires that you boot up your Mac using either Windows or iOS, meaning that you cannot switch between Windows and iOS applications without rebooting your computer.
From a performance perspective, we have found that the Boot Camp method tends to be better when building large models as Parallels can be quite memory intensive.
Cost Considerations
Both of these methods are relatively inexpensive, because Windows 10 is now free and Office 365 (which includes the latest version of Excel) is now available on a cheap monthly subscription basis. The Boot Camp method is cheaper, because Boot Camp is freely included on all recent Macs, while Parallels Desktop requires the payment of a relatively small annual subscription free.
If you are a Mac user considering one of these methods to install Modano on your Mac with a paid Modano subscription, contact us to discuss receiving a discount on your annual Modano subscription to offset the costs of installing on your Mac.
Installing Windows, Excel and Modano on your Mac using Boot Camp
Here's how to get Windows Excel and Modano going on your Mac:
- Purchase Windows from the Microsoft Online Store.
- Install Windows Using Boot Camp. We usually partition our hard drives 50/50 Mac/Windows, although it doesn't make a huge difference how you balance it out. It really depends on where you expect to save the most files. Either way, you'll have quite a few GB of storage available to allocate.
- Install Microsoft Excel for Windows. Log in to your Office 365 account and download the latest Excel 2016 desktop installer. You should get 5 installations.
- Download and install the Modano Excel add-in.
- Going forward, use the Boot Camp Assistant to select the default to start up disk for your computer (i.e. Mac or Windows). You can then hold down the Option key when you turn on your Mac to be provided with an option as to which disk you would like to use. We usually default our Macs to Windows and use the Option key when we want to boot Mac, but you can do the opposite if you like.
- Contact us if you have any questions or require support.
Configuring the function keys for Windows while using Boot Camp
By default the function keys Macs implement special features, such as changing the screen brightness and speaker volume. Standard function key behaviour can be forced by holding down the Fn key before pressing the F1 - F9 function, but this can be annoying when using common functions Microsoft Excel such as enter formula edit mode (F2) and manual calculate (F9).
As a result of this behaviour, we recommend changing the default function key behaviour to the standard Windows function key behaviour, as follows:
- Open Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp;
- Go to Control Panel and select Boot Camp;
- In the Boot Camp Control Panel dialog box activate the Keyboard dialog box;
- Tick the Use all F1, F2, etc. Keys are standard function keys checkbox, as shown below:
- Click the Apply button and then the OK button.
After doing this, the function keys on your Mac will operate as you’re used to them operating on Windows-based computers.