Intel Mac Firmware Update Brings BIOS Support

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Apple surprised everyone today when they introduced Boot Camp -- drivers and instructions on how to boot Windows XP on the new Intel Macs.

Along with Boot Camp, Apple has posted firmware updates to all their Intel Macs today. These firmware updates provide EFI with BIOS support, allowing all Intel Macs to boot operating systems such as Windows XP and Linux. This should also allow the Intel Macs to boot upcoming operating systems, such as Windows Vista. The Boot Camp CD which is provided simply provides needed Mac-specific drivers for full support of Windows XP on the Intel Macs.

While the original discussion thread is still growing, users are encouraged to post specific questions and answers in our Windows on Mac subforum and update the Booting Windows on the Mac guide page with tips and solutions.

[ibbetson]

time to buy some apple stock... here comes the revolution for wannabe switchers.

freakin' autoCAD on a mac.. finally!

[milo]

So I wonder who will be the first to boot linux or media center using this?

I assume most drivers will be fine for MCE, linux will require more DIY.

[IJ Reilly]

News Flash: Apple Shuts Barn Door After Horse Escapes!

[MacTruck]

LMFAO! Those get windows on a mac contestants must feel like idiots now. Except for the winner ofcourse.

[jono_3]

is this happy 30th?

[ericdano]

I think it's fine. If you want to run Windows, go for it. Personally, as a user of BOTH Mac and Windows, I can't think of anything I'd want to run Windows for. Plus, having all that Spyware/Virus protection software bloating my machine gets old.

[Mikido]

yes, it's true ! freakin' AutoCAD will eventually work. I have been waiting for this for years.

[1dterbeest]

Originally Posted by MacTruck

LMFAO! Those get windows on a mac contestants must feel like idiots now. Except for the winner ofcourse.

Nah, it is probably partially because of them that Apple released this so quickly to the public. If people hadn't been trying do do it themselves, then Apple would have less reason to do it FOR them.

[kalisphoenix]

I think this is a step in the right direction.

Not very ambitious, though. This might be a nail in the coffin of the hopes we had for Xen or some other hypervisor being integrated into the OS. Unless that's going to come in Leopard too, and this dual-boot solution is all that will work on our current iMacs and MacBook Pros.

:-/

Thanks, Apple

[richdun]

Alright, now the cat's out. Time to test how well this BIOS on EFI supports legacy OSes.

I want to see screenshots, all natively installed, no VMware, no VPC:
1) Windows 98
2) Windows 3.1
3) MS-DOS 6.2

And for style points, do them all on an iMac or a MacBook Pro (no minis, no screen to "prove" its a Mac).

[MOFS]

Originally Posted by jono_3

is this happy 30th?

More importantly is this April Fools day? I don't think anyone saw this coming - my jaw dropped when I saw this on BBC news. I think Apple is now moving very aggressively to go for market share. Who would've thought, Apple actively allowing Windows to be run on their computers...we need to start thinking of something stronger than "Hell froze over" - "Hell reached absolute zero" mebbe?!

[nagromme]

We may never know the behind-the-scenes process, but I tend to think that promoting Windows-on-Mac is a recent decision by Apple, not something planned all along. (Although it was surely on their list of "things we could do.")

[jsw]

Regardless of whether most Mac users need or even want to run Windows, this official release from Apple has paved the way for me to finally have hope of getting a MacBook Pro at work. I just received word that I can submit a request, and my feeling is that the chance of it getting approved finally exceeds the Macintosh market share.

This is not me bragging about getting a MacBook Pro (and, again, by "getting" I mean "allowed to ask about the possibility of maybe ordering one"). This is elation over the possibility of getting a Mac for "official" use - any Mac whatsoever. I've been using them at home and, unofficially, sometimes at work, but it's never been officially condoned. Now that I could run XP, I can ask for an Apple product. I don't have to install XP. I just, according to my manager, need to be able to if the need arises - via an officially provided method.

I suspect there are others in my position as well.

Bless you, Apple.

[iDrinkKoolAid]

This is the day I was waiting for since 1995!

That's sort of when I really couldn't do electrical engineering on a Mac as SPICE stopped being developed for the Mac. Yes, I can run Oregano via Fink but I'm not used to the complexities of open-source software.

As 95% of the software I use for my audio engineering research is on WinBlowz I can finally ditch using the molasses-slow Virtual PC, which I've been relying on since '95, to do number crunching. Some WinDoze electrical engineering software wouldn't even run under Virtual PC.

I've been forced to buy various Windows machines from time to time - all garbage. I've had a Compaq desktop which died within two weeks. I've put together a white-box PC which had glitches. And recently a Dull laptop which I sold since the quality and tech support were so horrible.

I was about to buy another Windows laptop, a Lenovo Z60t. But that would mean carrying two laptops - my PowerBook and a Windows laptop (and believe me, I used to do this). I would have tried the MacTel dual-boot solution but was scared to give it a try as I've heard just installing new Windows drivers can hose the whole hard drive. Not on a machine that my livelihood relies on.

But now, there is official support from Apple! One machine for all my needs. And those people who still state "Why would anyone want to run Windows on a Mac," please look around you (unless you're a graphics, video, or Pro Tools professional) see what most lemmings use as far as computing platform before you speak.

[monkeyandy]

I cannot be bothered reading through 30 pages of inane ranting (got to page 10!) by people to find an answer to this question....whoever has installed this what is the 3d graphics performance like in XP, does it run your games well? Can't seem to find this info anywhere, let us all know!

[kalisphoenix]

It's possible that Apple has been working on this all along, but kindly decided to release their version after the onmac.net people had their day in the sun. After all, it wouldn't be very nice for someone to announce a $13 000 reward and then have Apple churn out something the next day and cough politely while holding out their hand.

This is what a lot of people wanted, and Apple gave it to them -- an official solution. There's also some people who got a decent chunk of change doing it, and some people who hopefully had a lot of fun. There was also a lot of hype that got built up.

And then Apple released this just as people got over the "wow" factor of dual-booting and started working on the really heavy **** -- video drivers, et cetera. That's all fine and dandy for many Linux users, but most normal () people want a professionally-engineered graphics driver.

I know I've already posted on this, but I'm really pleased by this. More than I expected to be, especially considering that my wife's machine runs XP and so I see no need to put it on my box.

Of course, I'm still hoping that Apple moves forward with the Xen/hypervisor ideas, because dual-booting is only a solution for games. If Apple makes something as nifty as Mac-on-Linux, well, it'd be a juggernaut.

[ericdano]

Originally Posted by kalisphoenix

I think this is a step in the right direction.

Not very ambitious, though. This might be a nail in the coffin of the hopes we had for Xen or some other hypervisor being integrated into the OS. Unless that's going to come in Leopard too, and this dual-boot solution is all that will work on our current iMacs and MacBook Pros.

Actually, quite the opposite I think. If you release Boot Camp now, then people will develop drivers and what not to make the Intel macs run XP. Then, it would be quite a bit easier to get some type of Yellow Box or Xen to work within OS X. Less work for Apple, and the testing/developing would be by others rather than Apple.....since Apple isn't really "supporting" XP on it's hardware.

[qtip919]

Originally Posted by monkeyandy

I cannot be bothered reading through 30 pages of inane ranting (got to page 10!) by people to find an answer to this question....whoever has installed this what is the 3d graphics performance like in XP, does it run your games well? Can't seem to find this info anywhere, let us all know!

you should start this thread over in Mac Hardware

[ZildjianKX]

Originally Posted by iDrinkKoolAid

This is the day I was waiting for since 1995!

That's sort of when I really couldn't do electrical engineering on a Mac as SPICE stopped being developed for the Mac. Yes, I can run Oregano via Fink but I'm not used to the complexities of open-source software.

As 95% of the software I use for my audio engineering research is on WinBlowz I can finally ditch using the molasses-slow Virtual PC, which I've been relying on since '95, to do number crunching. Some WinDoze electrical engineering software wouldn't even run under Virtual PC.

I've been forced to buy various Windows machines from time to time - all garbage. I've had a Compaq desktop which died within two weeks. I've put together a white-box PC which had glitches. And recently a Dull laptop which I sold since the quality and tech support were so horrible.

I was about to buy another Windows laptop, a Lenovo Z60t. But that would mean carrying two laptops - my PowerBook and a Windows laptop (and believe me, I used to do this). I would have tried the MacTel dual-boot solution but was scared to give it a try as I've heard just installing new Windows drivers can hose the whole hard drive. Not on a machine that my livelihood relies on.

But now, there is official support from Apple! One machine for all my needs. And those people who still state "Why would anyone want to run Windows on a Mac," please look around you (unless you're a graphics, video, or Pro Tools professional) see what most lemmings use as far as computing platform before you speak.

OMG, I sooo feel your pain. Computer engineer here, between SPICE and VHDL I was going nuts. I bought a G5 right after they came out and I couldn't even run virtual PC.

[j-a-x]

What a cool surprises. It's not like I need to run anything in windows right now, but having that option is pretty awesome... and a great way to convince people to switch to Mac!

[milo]

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

News Flash: Apple Shuts Barn Door After Horse Escapes!

Hell, I'll take a late barn door close over one that takes hours and several attempts (including hard drive reformats) to close, and still doesn't quite work right.

[lonelemur90]

one word... wow... we all knew it was comming, but not this early; the insturctions and support from apple to dual boot a mac are here... If your ganno buy stock in apple, do it now, cause sales are gonna soar now that you can put XP (and vista later) on an apple with OS X. its a very exciting day.

[Whistleway]

This is too good to be true...

[hd78]

This is too good. Am I dreaming?