What is an ISO image

Hi just installed Parallels on my MacBook Pro. I'm ready to install Vista but I'm stuck on the option of whether to install from a from a real CD/DVD or ISO Image. I don't know what I have I have the brown Reinstallation DVD Windows Vista Ultimate Operating System disk that came with my Dell computer. Vista was already pre-installed on the computer. Is this considered a real DVD or and ISO image?

 

You might find it won't be able to install at all, I'm afraid, as it could be 'Dell adapted' only to work on the machine it came with. Likewise with activation. Sorry to be pessimistic!

Salamat

 

FWIW, a 'real DVD' is an XP installation disk which is not tied to any specific computer hardware. An 'ISO image' is a VIRTUAL disk, that is a copy of a normal DVD or CD copied to your computer. Whether a disk is an ISO image or not is completely irrelevant to if the DVD is a real DVD or not, it matters where that ISO image was created from.