parallels in All of CrabApple

Unfortunately, i need to visit the dark side and run windows on my Macbook.  I do not like the idea of having to boot up in one OS or another, so BootCamp is not an option for me. 

I am not very technical, but would like to run both OS' at the same time.  Does anyone have any advice regarding Parallels or VMware?  Which is easier to set up?  To use?  Does one require more system resources than another?

Thanks in advance for your advice!