made a big mistake buying a macbook :(
- Thread starter greatkid1985
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The biggest hurdle you have with running Windows on Apple hardware is the EFI firmware in place of traditional BIOS, which is completely closed off to tinkering.
I also like to play with operating systems, and have found that the Boot Camp assistant (part of the Boot Camp package) is really the only way to prep the EFI to load an operating system that was designed to work with traditional BIOS. This can be somewhat inhibiting since Boot Camp was really designed with installing Windows in mind. In addition, the driver support is limited to newer versions of Windows. This can make things difficult if you intend to run Windows 2000 or some flavor of Linux.
If you are buying a Mac to tinker with different operating systems, it's really the only choice if OS X is one of those you wish to play with. I really see no reason to argue with folks that clearly have considerable savvy with technology who wish to do so.
What I think Kash and dtravis are getting at is that we see a lot of people who come to this forum frustrated because they bought a Mac for the pretty hardware and are disappointed with the Windows experience on it.
In its most recent incarnation, Boot Camp is indeed quite stable. I have not seen any unexplained BSODs or other weird behavior. The driver support could be better (particularly for the touchpad). But if you're using a mouse, that won't be an issue.
Personally, I have the exact opposite opinion of Apple hardware. I despise their obsession with emphasizing form over functionality. I *like* lots of LEDs, extra buttons and plenty of ports. I *want* to know what my computer is doing at all times (no link/activity lights on the network port just FLOOR me on a high-end notebook). Frankly, if I could buy a Dell and run OS X on it, I'd have this MBP up on eBay in a New York minute.
I also like to play with operating systems, and have found that the Boot Camp assistant (part of the Boot Camp package) is really the only way to prep the EFI to load an operating system that was designed to work with traditional BIOS. This can be somewhat inhibiting since Boot Camp was really designed with installing Windows in mind. In addition, the driver support is limited to newer versions of Windows. This can make things difficult if you intend to run Windows 2000 or some flavor of Linux.
If you are buying a Mac to tinker with different operating systems, it's really the only choice if OS X is one of those you wish to play with. I really see no reason to argue with folks that clearly have considerable savvy with technology who wish to do so.
What I think Kash and dtravis are getting at is that we see a lot of people who come to this forum frustrated because they bought a Mac for the pretty hardware and are disappointed with the Windows experience on it.
In its most recent incarnation, Boot Camp is indeed quite stable. I have not seen any unexplained BSODs or other weird behavior. The driver support could be better (particularly for the touchpad). But if you're using a mouse, that won't be an issue.
Personally, I have the exact opposite opinion of Apple hardware. I despise their obsession with emphasizing form over functionality. I *like* lots of LEDs, extra buttons and plenty of ports. I *want* to know what my computer is doing at all times (no link/activity lights on the network port just FLOOR me on a high-end notebook). Frankly, if I could buy a Dell and run OS X on it, I'd have this MBP up on eBay in a New York minute.
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Guys, some of you are treading very close to the edge. Remember that respect for members is always the rule here. Please try to avoid personal insults or flames.
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This is a strange thread. Bought a macbook to run windows? Huh? You can buy brand new pc laptops with xp pro installed for a fraction of the cost off the internet.
Secondly I will bet you did not follow at least one of the instructions (funny how people neglect that minor detail often times).
I dual boot xp pro and osx on a macbook and they both run flawlessly. XP ROCKS on my macbook!
Mistakes I could easily see happening:
Using illegal copy of xp or one that is not sp2.
Not making driver disk as instructed.
Not having all firmware updated as instructed.
Not updating windows properly.
Running ANY program while bootcamp is partitioning.
Odds are something was done incorrectly.
Secondly I will bet you did not follow at least one of the instructions (funny how people neglect that minor detail often times).
I dual boot xp pro and osx on a macbook and they both run flawlessly. XP ROCKS on my macbook!
Mistakes I could easily see happening:
Using illegal copy of xp or one that is not sp2.
Not making driver disk as instructed.
Not having all firmware updated as instructed.
Not updating windows properly.
Running ANY program while bootcamp is partitioning.
Odds are something was done incorrectly.
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No, it's not just you. I just read through this truly bizarre thread and I'm simply amazed and absolutely entertained. Now I'm wondering how this thread got to 5 pages without me noticing it.
Apparently the lack of that little "Made for XP" or "Made for Vista" sticker on the Mac didn't ring any bells with anyone...
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