No EFI Support on Windows Vista?

MacBytes · 12:20 AM

http://www.macbytes.com/images/bytessig.gif

Category: Microsoft
Link: Vista will NOT boot on Intel Macs
Description:: Just minutes ago, Microsoft dropped a bombshell at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco (after the main conference had closed): there will be no EFI boot support for Windows Vista when it is released - it'll only be in "Longhorn server"; Microsoft is not going to allow EFI booting for 32-bit systems (which counts out all the Intel Macs released to date) and it can't say when EFI support WILL be implemented in Windows. Apparently we will have to wait for a "future 64-bit version" of Windows client. Australian Personal Computer Magazine has the full story.

Posted on MacBytes.com
Approved by Mudbug

Fiveos22 · Mar 9, 2006, 09:05 PM

Well, this can't be good.

Atlasland · Mar 9, 2006, 09:12 PM

I might have to switch back to Windows then.

Oh well.

Anyone want to buy the iMac in my sig?

dashiel · Mar 9, 2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlasland

I might have to switch back to Windows then.

Oh well.

Anyone want to buy the iMac in my sig?

why do you need to switch back to windows based on this news? you've got a G5 imac, seems irrelevant whether or not vista will boot on an intel mac.

Sharewaredemon · Mar 9, 2006, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlasland

I might have to switch back to Windows then.

Oh well.

Anyone want to buy the iMac in my sig?

For free? I'll pay shipping...

Phat_Pat · Mar 9, 2006, 09:16 PM

get ready for the what-if threads....

Steve1496 · Mar 9, 2006, 09:27 PM

Microsoft really dropped the ball here.

Ah well, what else is new?

Benjamindaines · Mar 9, 2006, 09:32 PM

I guarantee some cleaver person will find a way to make it work.

Stridder44 · Mar 9, 2006, 09:36 PM

Wait, so they use BIOS now right? Are they going to continue this? Isn't EFI the newer, better way to go rather than BIOS? Cuz right now this sounds like Microsoft trying to cut corners. But then again when haven't they cut corners?

illegalprelude · Mar 9, 2006, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlasland

I might have to switch back to Windows then.

Oh well.

Anyone want to buy the iMac in my sig?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dashiel

why do you need to switch back to windows based on this news? you've got a G5 imac, seems irrelevant whether or not vista will boot on an intel mac.

yea, I dont get it. did you buy a mac just 2 weeks ago in hopes of booting into windows in 3 months?

im guessing sarcasim or retardisim

whyrichard · Mar 9, 2006, 09:50 PM

but this only means that vista won't work... there are some working solutions for xp and 2000 at present......?

(for me, windows programs are critical. design and architecture programs are a must... and the ibook in my signature just bit the dust...)

r.

LimeiBook86 · Mar 9, 2006, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamindaines

I guarantee some cleaver person will find a way to make it work.

Exactly my thoughts, don't worry enough people want this, it'll happen eventually

...I hope

ibook30 · Mar 9, 2006, 09:58 PM

So Microsoft will move their software further from advanced technology, and further from Mac users. Sad. I hope by the time I buy and Macintel there as options- options are good.

Oryan · Mar 9, 2006, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Exactly my thoughts, don't worry enough people want this, it'll happen eventually

...I hope

If they've gotten OSX on pc boxes, we'll have Windows on Apple boxes. It's inevitable.

I hope that someday I'll be able to run Windows and OSX applications side-by-side seamlessly.

dongmin · Mar 9, 2006, 10:02 PM

This is a non-issue, in my opinion. In the next few months, we will get robust dual-boot, virtualization, and emulation solutions. What Microsoft will or won't do is irrelevant.

AtHomeBoy_2000 · Mar 9, 2006, 10:06 PM

just goes to show you how far ahead of the curve Apple is when it comes to technology. As usual, they are 2-3 years more advanced.

Steve1496 · Mar 9, 2006, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oryan

If they've gotten OSX on pc boxes, we'll have Windows on Apple boxes. It's inevitable.

I hope that someday I'll be able to run Windows and OSX applications side-by-side seamlessly.

You will be able to in the near future (6 months or so). XenSource is working on porting their application to Mac OS X so you can run Windows and OS X--side by side with no performance loss. Furthermore, they are partnering with apple so that Xen can be used in all new Macs.

treblah · Mar 9, 2006, 10:24 PM

Couldn't this debacle easily be solved by Apple releasing an updated EFI firmware with a proper CSM/BIOS?

It's not unusual in the WinTel world to flash new a BIOS. I'm sure Apple engineers could find a way to do this elegantly.

steve1496, link?

simX · Mar 9, 2006, 10:31 PM

What I don't understand is why people seem to think that Windows-booting on Intel Macs seems to be so necessary. In my opinion, if you're going to buy a Mac, buy it for its merits now, not for what could possibly happen with Windows-booting. Even if there was Windows-booting, why in the world would you buy a Mac to run Windows? If anything, I think it would make more sense to buy Virtual PC or use some other emulation program, especially because now that we're on Intel chips, the cost of emulation/virtualization will be low and Windows should run fast in such an emulator/virtualizer.

But to buy a Mac and base your purchase on being able to run Windows in the future? That doesn't make sense.

To me, being able to run Windows on a Mac is kind of akin to being able to natively run Windows applications on the Mac via yellow box (or whatever that technology was supposed to be called). If it was really easy to do, and you could do it without doing any significant hacking, Windows developers would have no reason to write Mac-specific software, and would just say, "Go boot your Mac into Windows and then run our software! Why should we spend millions of dollars creating programs for you Mac users when you can run our program already?"

I don't have any problem with those savvy enough hacking Macs to dual-boot Windows. But when it becomes a standard or expected feature, the Mac platform will suffer. So I think, in a way, it's good that Vista won't support native EFI booting, and I'm glad that Apple isn't officially supporting running Windows on the Mac.

Analog Kid · Mar 9, 2006, 10:59 PM

Not surprising... MS has been steadily backing off of Longhorn features for the last few years hoping to actually be able to release something. They're now down to a feature list that's shorter than their monthly patch list.

For those folks who do get Vista, can you scratch at the paint on the install media and let us know if they're just repackaged XP discs?

puckhead193 · Mar 9, 2006, 11:04 PM

ahh give it a week until someone fines a security flaw allowing it to be put on an intel mac

Analog Kid · Mar 9, 2006, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simX

What I don't understand is why people seem to think that Windows-booting on Intel Macs seems to be so necessary.

Whatever you think, the demand is real. One of the stories yesterday quoted that twice as many college students would switch to Mac if they could boot Windows.

You're probably looking at it backwards: this is less about Mac users wanting to run Windows and more about Windows users wanting to run OS X. Switching to Mac feels risky in a Windows world and this gives people a backup plan. Makes the boss feel a little better. Whatever-- the demand is there.

Meemoo · Mar 9, 2006, 11:20 PM

I'd much rather prefer games made natively for the mac, but it just doesn't happen.

I built a PC this September because my iBook could barely run Unreal Tournament. When Apple announced the new iMac, I found a buyer for my PC and monitored the OnMac contest ect, now I am PC-less, my iMac will be arriving "by the 17th" and I found out the ONE GAME, I really wanted to work (Command and Conquer: Generals) is virtually unplayable on the intel iMac, not only that but we are nowhere near close.

So here I am the week before Spring Break, my PC buddies have a few LAN parties ready and I can't attend.

I was really hoping they would figure out how to book XP from a external hard drive. This would be great because you wouldn't have to worry about partitions ect. I think it would be a great business if anyone ever gets XP/Vista to run NATIVE on the Mac to sell external harddrives preloaded with Windows. Hell, I'd pay $300 for one right now.

I would only boot into windows for LAN gaming ect. It would be no more different for me than turning on a Playstation, I'd still have my Mac for all it's functions.

I'd like to ad: Did Dual booting 10.1 and Classic stunt OS X development? No, even though OS X was a buggy mess at first development steamrolled forward.

excalibur313 · Mar 9, 2006, 11:34 PM

I think a really good WINE would solve 95% of windows needs. What are situations where it doesn't work?

The other thing to note is that even though MS won't support EFI I bet it won't be long befor EFI supports BIOS. Then all problems will be solved!

kretzy · Mar 9, 2006, 11:35 PM

What a shame.

Mar 9, 2006, 08:55 PM	#1
MacBytes macrumors bot Join Date: Jul 2003	Vista will NOT boot on Intel Macs http://www.macbytes.com/images/bytessig.gif Category: Microsoft Link: Vista will NOT boot on Intel Macs Description:: Just minutes ago, Microsoft dropped a bombshell at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco (after the main conference had closed): there will be no EFI boot support for Windows Vista when it is released - it'll only be in "Longhorn server"; Microsoft is not going to allow EFI booting for 32-bit systems (which counts out all the Intel Macs released to date) and it can't say when EFI support WILL be implemented in Windows. Apparently we will have to wait for a "future 64-bit version" of Windows client. Australian Personal Computer Magazine has the full story. Posted on MacBytes.com Approved by Mudbug Last edited by arn : Mar 10, 2006 at 12:20 AM.

Mar 9, 2006, 09:05 PM	#2
Fiveos22 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL	Well, this can't be good. __________________ Favre T's Steep and Cheap Alerts! I'm not sure I like what's happened to Last.FM

Mar 9, 2006, 09:12 PM	#3
Atlasland macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London, UK	I might have to switch back to Windows then. Oh well. Anyone want to buy the iMac in my sig? __________________ iMac G5 20" 2.0Ghz Rev B; 2GB RAM; 250GB HD Miglia TV Mini iPod Nano White 4GB

Mar 9, 2006, 09:16 PM	#6
Phat_Pat macrumors 68000 Join Date: May 2004 Location: I Live Where I Live	get ready for the what-if threads.... __________________ HELP STOP GLOBAL WARMING; USE MRoogle

Mar 9, 2006, 09:27 PM	#7
Steve1496 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Massachusetts	Microsoft really dropped the ball here. Ah well, what else is new? __________________ 13" MacBook\|2 15" MBP\|2 20" iMacs\|4 PCs 5.1 Surround Sound\|Airport Extreme N 32 GB iPhone 3G S/iPod Classic 160GB/Nano 4G

Mar 9, 2006, 09:32 PM	#8
Benjamindaines macrumors 68030 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: A religiously oppressed state	I guarantee some cleaver person will find a way to make it work. __________________ Pownce \| Last.FM \| Web Updated January 3

Mar 9, 2006, 09:36 PM	#9
Stridder44 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: California	Wait, so they use BIOS now right? Are they going to continue this? Isn't EFI the newer, better way to go rather than BIOS? Cuz right now this sounds like Microsoft trying to cut corners. But then again when haven't they cut corners? __________________ The Un-Funny Truth About Scientology (Warning: Graphic images) MacBook Pro 15.4"/2.5 GHz/250GB/4GB RAM iMac G4 17"/800 Mhz/80GB/512GB RAM

Mar 9, 2006, 09:50 PM	#11
whyrichard macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2002	but this only means that vista won't work... there are some working solutions for xp and 2000 at present......? (for me, windows programs are critical. design and architecture programs are a must... and the ibook in my signature just bit the dust...) r. __________________ macbookpro2ghz/iphone8gig/tibook/powerbook/ibook/duo/classic/lc/newton/ipod5/10/30 shuffle/60 '80 moto guzzi 1000sp/ktmdukeII/theworldsumluv

Mar 9, 2006, 09:58 PM	#13
ibook30 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: 2,000 light years from home	The Divide Widens.. for a while So Microsoft will move their software further from advanced technology, and further from Mac users. Sad. I hope by the time I buy and Macintel there as options- options are good. __________________

Mar 9, 2006, 10:02 PM	#15
dongmin macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2002	This is a non-issue, in my opinion. In the next few months, we will get robust dual-boot, virtualization, and emulation solutions. What Microsoft will or won't do is irrelevant.

Mar 9, 2006, 10:06 PM	#16
AtHomeBoy_2000 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Schaumburg, IL	just goes to show you how far ahead of the curve Apple is when it comes to technology. As usual, they are 2-3 years more advanced.

Mar 9, 2006, 10:24 PM	#18
treblah macrumors 65816 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: 29403	Intel Firmware Patch? Couldn't this debacle easily be solved by Apple releasing an updated EFI firmware with a proper CSM/BIOS? It's not unusual in the WinTel world to flash new a BIOS. I'm sure Apple engineers could find a way to do this elegantly. steve1496, link?

Mar 9, 2006, 10:31 PM	#19
simX macrumors 6502a Join Date: May 2002 Location: Bay Area, CA	What I don't understand is why people seem to think that Windows-booting on Intel Macs seems to be so necessary. In my opinion, if you're going to buy a Mac, buy it for its merits now, not for what could possibly happen with Windows-booting. Even if there was Windows-booting, why in the world would you buy a Mac to run Windows? If anything, I think it would make more sense to buy Virtual PC or use some other emulation program, especially because now that we're on Intel chips, the cost of emulation/virtualization will be low and Windows should run fast in such an emulator/virtualizer. But to buy a Mac and base your purchase on being able to run Windows in the future? That doesn't make sense. To me, being able to run Windows on a Mac is kind of akin to being able to natively run Windows applications on the Mac via yellow box (or whatever that technology was supposed to be called). If it was really easy to do, and you could do it without doing any significant hacking, Windows developers would have no reason to write Mac-specific software, and would just say, "Go boot your Mac into Windows and then run our software! Why should we spend millions of dollars creating programs for you Mac users when you can run our program already?" I don't have any problem with those savvy enough hacking Macs to dual-boot Windows. But when it becomes a standard or expected feature, the Mac platform will suffer. So I think, in a way, it's good that Vista won't support native EFI booting, and I'm glad that Apple isn't officially supporting running Windows on the Mac. __________________ Get Memory Usage Getter, the only Mac OS X utility that graphically displays the memory and CPU usage of every open process! 800 MHz 17" G4 iMac \| 1 GB RAM \| SuperDrive \| OS X 10.3.2 \| iPod Join the MacRumors SETI team, and help kick Symantec off the Top 200 list!

Mar 9, 2006, 10:59 PM	#20
Analog Kid macrumors 68000 Join Date: Mar 2003	Not surprising... MS has been steadily backing off of Longhorn features for the last few years hoping to actually be able to release something. They're now down to a feature list that's shorter than their monthly patch list. For those folks who do get Vista, can you scratch at the paint on the install media and let us know if they're just repackaged XP discs? __________________ "Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand... Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk hand-in-hand." --Peart

Mar 9, 2006, 11:04 PM	#21
puckhead193 macrumors 601 Join Date: May 2004 Location: NY	ahh give it a week until someone fines a security flaw allowing it to be put on an intel mac __________________ 20" iMac C2D - 2.33GHz, 3 GB ram, ATI X1600 256 MB VRAM 15" pb 1.5 GHZ Rev. C 30 gig ipod 3rd gen, 60 gig 5g ipod ~ white, silver 2GB nano, 64 gig iPod Touch

Mar 9, 2006, 11:20 PM	#23
Meemoo macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Sugar Land TX	I'd much rather prefer games made natively for the mac, but it just doesn't happen. I built a PC this September because my iBook could barely run Unreal Tournament. When Apple announced the new iMac, I found a buyer for my PC and monitored the OnMac contest ect, now I am PC-less, my iMac will be arriving "by the 17th" and I found out the ONE GAME, I really wanted to work (Command and Conquer: Generals) is virtually unplayable on the intel iMac, not only that but we are nowhere near close. So here I am the week before Spring Break, my PC buddies have a few LAN parties ready and I can't attend. I was really hoping they would figure out how to book XP from a external hard drive. This would be great because you wouldn't have to worry about partitions ect. I think it would be a great business if anyone ever gets XP/Vista to run NATIVE on the Mac to sell external harddrives preloaded with Windows. Hell, I'd pay $300 for one right now. I would only boot into windows for LAN gaming ect. It would be no more different for me than turning on a Playstation, I'd still have my Mac for all it's functions. I'd like to ad: Did Dual booting 10.1 and Classic stunt OS X development? No, even though OS X was a buggy mess at first development steamrolled forward.

Mar 9, 2006, 11:34 PM	#24
excalibur313 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Cambridge, MA	I think a really good WINE would solve 95% of windows needs. What are situations where it doesn't work? The other thing to note is that even though MS won't support EFI I bet it won't be long befor EFI supports BIOS. Then all problems will be solved!

Mar 9, 2006, 11:35 PM	#25
kretzy macrumors 601 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia	What a shame.

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