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Apple Drops Windows 7 Boot Camp Support in New Mac Pro

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,471
30,692



boot_camp_icon.jpg
Apple's Mac Pro only supports installations of Windows 8 or later with Boot Camp, according to an updated Apple Support document that lists versions of Windows compatible with the 2013 Mac Pro.

Boot Camp Assistant on the Mac Pro also specifies that it only includes support for Windows 8 or later, as evidenced in a screenshot from Twocanoes Software (via MacWindows) indicating that users are not able to install earlier versions of Windows. The 2013 Mac Pro is the first Mac that does not include support for Windows 7 with Boot Camp 5.

It is unclear why Apple has chosen to drop support for Windows 7 on the Mac Pro, but it could be a sign that the company intends to discontinue support for the operating system in future Macs given its advanced age.

This decision may not sit well with users, as Windows 8, released in 2012, has not been particularly popular. As of this month, Windows 8 and 8.1 only represented 10.68 percent of total worldwide OS market share, while Windows 7 represented 47.31 percent. Combined, Windows is installed on 90.84 percent of the world's computers.

Article Link: Apple Drops Windows 7 Boot Camp Support in New Mac Pro
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/03/17/mac-pro-drops-windows-7-support/
Y

Yamcha

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2008
1,825
158
Apple really needs to update Windows 8.1 drivers for the 2012 iMac's, there's still no proper support for my iMac with 675MX, I always get BSOD because of the nvidia audio driver, so had to use Windows 7 for now..
 
N

na1577

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2008
899
88
Even as a Windows fan, I wouldn't use Windows 8 if they paid me. It's a shame that Apple's dropping Windows 7 now, as this likely means future MacBooks won't support it either.
 
ValSalva

ValSalva

macrumors 68040
Jun 26, 2009
3,783
259
Burpelson AFB
It is unclear why Apple has chosen to drop support for Windows 7 on the Mac Pro, but it could be a sign that the company intends to discontinue support for the operating system in future Macs given its advanced age.
Click to expand...

Advanced age? I guess in Apple terms it is. Windows 7 came out in the Summer of 2009. Same age as Snow Leopard. Windows 7 still seems like the only option for Windows OS'es though. XP is too old. Vista... is Vista. Windows 8 is a nightmare.
 
bwillwall

bwillwall

Suspended
Dec 24, 2009
1,031
802
Care to explain Apple? Seriously people don't drop $3,000+ on computers so you can weed out the features you're too lazy to support. This pisses me off.
 
S

Sunday Ironfoot

macrumors regular
Apr 14, 2011
213
383
Not a big deal. It's still the same PC game whether it's on Windows 7 or Windows 8. That's the only reason people bootcamp isn't it, for PC games? :)
 
H

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,650
6,938
Not great, but not necessarily the end of the world.
They dropped the MP1,1 from 10.8 and 10.9 and I'm using one of them now. They didn't support Win7 with the 1,1 either and guess what, I run it in Parallels if I want to do something quickly and boot to it natively if I intend being there for a while.
AAPL are *******s sometimes but resourceful coders and the internet make virtually anything possible.
 
A

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
MacRumors said:
It is unclear why Apple has chosen to drop support for Windows 7 on the Mac Pro, but it could be a sign that the company intends to discontinue support for the operating system in future Macs given its advanced age.
Click to expand...

Wait, Windows 7 was released in 2009. A five year old OS may be of "advanced age" when compared to how OS X is iterated; but in the Windows realm, five years old is still a young OS. Hell, XP was released in 2001 and is just now seeing its end of life -- 13 years later.
 
Tankmaze

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
Thats how Apple roll I guess, in Apple OS world 5 years is a long time,
But in Windows year, 5 years is still young.
 
A

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
Well, Apple just threw a big bone to the folks over at VMware and Parallels. Those two companies have to love this news.
 
longofest

longofest

Editor emeritus
Jul 10, 2003
2,924
1,682
Falls Church, VA
MacRumors said:
It is unclear why Apple has chosen to drop support for Windows 7 on the Mac Pro, but it could be a sign that the company intends to discontinue support for the operating system in future Macs given its advanced age.
Click to expand...

Just because Windows 7 is middle-aged doesn't mean we need to start putting it in hospice care.

It probably has to do with driver development and the fact that most OEM component manufacturers are starting to target Windows 8 more now, as you can't get a new computer with Windows 7 anymore unless you are getting it through a corporate purchase agreement.
 
Nyy8

Nyy8

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2011
523
179
New England
I don't think Apple understands how Microsoft works. They make ONE good OS every 5 or 6 years.

2000: Windows 2000 (Good)
2000: Windows ME
2001: Windows XP (Mainstream)
2007: Windows Vista (You know you love it)
2009: Windows 7 (Mainstream)
2012: Windows 8

Let's see use Windows 8 or Don't use Windows at All... Is this some type of plan to make us only use OS X?

Little Side note, I had the choice between Windows 7 or 8 for my Mac over the summer. I chose 7.

Wait, just looked. Microsoft is expanding Windows 7 support till 2020, Why is apple so "out with the old"?
 
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b0nd18t

b0nd18t

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2012
307
814
From Apples standpoint it makes sense to not devote resources to many Windows versions. But if you don't support Windows 7, I don't understand why you would support any Windows at all? Its the most used version right now as others have stated.
 
MacGamver

MacGamver

macrumors regular
Aug 16, 2013
236
15
And this does not affect the old MacPros, right? So when 10.10 rolls out, they're not going to screw over existing bootcamp volumes on, say, a MacPro 3,1?
 
christarp

christarp

macrumors 6502
Oct 29, 2013
478
768
longofest said:
Just because Windows 7 is middle-aged doesn't mean we need to start putting it in hospice care.

It probably has to do with driver development and the fact that most OEM component manufacturers are starting to target Windows 8 more now, as you can't get a new computer with Windows 7 anymore unless you are getting it through a corporate purchase agreement.
Click to expand...

Actually windows 7 computers are still being sold, HP recently brought back windows 7 due to 'popular demand'

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2089403/ouch-hp-brings-windows-7-back-by-popular-demand.html
 
I

iVoid

macrumors 65816
Jan 9, 2007
1,145
190
Well, since they won't even support Mountain Lion, this doesn't surprise me.
 
Martyimac

Martyimac

macrumors 68020
Aug 19, 2009
2,444
1,678
S. AZ.
The ONE good reason I was going to buy a nMP is now gone. Guess I can thank Apple for saving me $3000+.
 
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