Windows XP Booting on Mac Contest Over

[derboy]

I need to use Unigraphics and Catia.

Finally designers and engineers will be able to use a mac for solidworks, proE and all the stuff that you have to have a pc for. This is the real business good news, sorry gamers.

Everyone that this would benifit wanted this situation for ages. Even when IBM predicted chips that could emulate windows 2x faster, in thier crazy roadmap ages ago. Unless you have a reason to have to use a pc, then doesnt really affect mac users.

though, i dont think i'll bother with a little partition for mario kart or whatever...

 

[monkeyandy]

What a plonker!

Personally, If I had an intel Mac at the moment I wouldn't waste the Hard-drive space installing Windows XP alongside Mac OS X. So far, any program that I have needed is available for Mac OS X anyway. Who would bother putting a 5 year-old OS on their Mac?

....for games maybe....but thats all....

And developers arent going to drop OS X just because Windows runs on Macintosh hardware. Mac users use Mac primatily because its their preferred OS. Developers know that there is a huge market out there using OS X who want software.

Some of us have jobs that require the use of XP. I am an ICT teacher. I hate PC's but have to teach kids to use them. I currently get by with Virtual PC on my iBook which is rubbish and slow. I want a nice new Intel iBook which will duel boot for games and programs such as Access and Publisher that I use in my lessons! Get a life! The world doesn't just revolve around OS X!

 

[oingoboingo]

Get a life! The world doesn't just revolve around OS X!

LOL! Take a look around chief. Which web site do you think you're on?

 

[weg]

I'd be interested in using OS X on a Sony Vaio- is anyone working on that angle?

Would be illegal, while the other way around (Windows on a Mac) is perfectly legal.

 

[bmuyl]

3d support / Major CAD applications ?

For major CAD apps, will there be any need for special graphic driver ?

 

[macros]

For major CAD apps, will there be any need for special graphic driver ?

I dont think so, because SolidWorks is running fine even on VPC only its really slow, (VPC does not have any hardware acceleration)

So in theory it sould be running great on those macs.

 

[derboy]

For major CAD apps, will there be any need for special graphic driver ?

i doubt it. Most programs use software rendering for the general environment, and then optimise if a card is available. So no need to have it but it would benifit from it.

Most of the dedicated rendering applications are mac native already. The CAD packages are not ported to mac because of the cost of translating the collosal maths based apps, which are quite specialised.

 

[barstard]

Double Cool

Yes. The contest looks like it has been won. And some of us get to use wiindows for some stuff. I tell you what, at least I will be able to use certain audio plugs that aren't available for my beloved Apple studio computers. No POS taking up space, one Mac running Pro Tools, one running Reason and one (the windows one) running Cubase or similar, with instruments going in to PT via Cubase or other for the plug-ins. Wow, I can't wait.

 

[sjl]

Some of us have jobs that require the use of XP. I am an ICT teacher. I hate PC's but have to teach kids to use them. I currently get by with Virtual PC on my iBook which is rubbish and slow. I want a nice new Intel iBook which will duel boot for games and programs such as Access and Publisher that I use in my lessons! Get a life! The world doesn't just revolve around OS X!

Dual boot for games? Yeah, I can see that.

For programs like Access and Publisher? Nope. For my money, I'd rather get a package like VMWare and run Windows in a virtual machine to gain access to those.

Sure, you lose a bit of performance, but you gain a much greater degree of flexibility. No longer do you have to choose one or the other.

Granted that VMWare hasn't announced a port of their software to OS X. In my mind, though, it's only a matter of time. There's probably a few other packages out there that do the same thing, for that matter, too.

 

[mark88]

Why is it everytime this topic comes up we have the same discussion over and over again, with people getting their knickers in a twist about the death of the mac software. It's pathetic.

 

[deltrotter]

I'm one of the ones who really needs to use XP inside of OS X at a decent pace. Does the winning of this competition make this more likely to happen? I.e. does it make it more possible if you see what I mean.

I use VirtualPC at the mo and it crawls. I am looking at upgrading to an Intel iMac, but have been waiting for the above.

Cheers

Del

 

[mark88]

LOL! Take a look around chief. Which web site do you think you're on?

Nevertheless, this blind faith and ignorance is not something to be proud of. So so many people here think OS X is just without flaw and that XP is so bad they can't understand why anyone uses it. Everyone is an OS X user simply waiting to break free of the Windows world....

Half these people haven't even used XP.

 

[Steve1496]

I was one of the testers. It does NOT yet work on a 20" iMac. There's an issue with handling the framebuffer on the 20" output. When booting into Windows for the first time to run setup, the CSM is supposed to hang for about 2 and half minutes with no feedback. It never gets past this.

But the graphical boot screen is really nice, although it is offcentered on the 20" at this time.

 

[Baldanzi]

Could be a good thing for some of us Architects.

Like it or not Autocad is our industry standard for drafting - and they is no Mac version currently. Yes I know that Archicad and other Mac drafting programs write/read DWG files (but it's never 100% correct in my experience). I know lots of Architects that have small firms that go to the wintel machines because they HAVE TO use Autocad (lots of clients demand it now). I also know that many of these same guys would much prefer and all Mac office (easier to manage 10 macs without a full time IT guy than 10 wintel machines!). This could really help a lot.....I could image a small 10 person firm with a mix of 20" iMacs and Powermacs running Archicad, and one or two of those being dual boot with Autocad installations. Even better if it was not a dual-boot scenario and a VPC type thing!

(Us Architects are a pretty vain bunch - I think deep down inside we really just like Apple hardware 'cuz it just simply looks so much better!)

 

[bmuyl]

share files

Will we be able to use same files from windows and mac osx on the hard drive ?
I mean access file we could need in both environnement from the two environnement (say excel...)

 

[Steve1496]

Will we be able to use same files from windows and mac osx on the hard drive ?
I mean access file we could need in both environnement from the two environnement (say excel...)

If Windows can see Mac OS X Journaled partitions (which I don't think it can) then yes.

 

[c-Row]

Will we be able to use same files from windows and mac osx on the hard drive ?
I mean access file we could need in both environnement from the two environnement (say excel...)

I guess if you set up a FAT32 partition, you could use it to share files between both OS'.

 

[iluang]

I will never install Windows XP as a dual-boot option on my Mac. It should be confined to its case -- Microsoft Virtual PC or something else! But it is, however, a good news that more PC users might switch to Mac because of this. Some of my friend were thinking about switching, and they asked that can they boot Windows on the new Intel Macs. Maybe it is important for heavy XP users to have a XP in their computer -- after they press the power key.

 

[dernhelm]

I call FAKE

I think their site has been hacked and bad photoshop jobs were placed on the front page. I maean look at that bear! Could it look more fake? The windows logo is practically floating off the screen!

 

[Swinny]

I can see the potential in this...We are looking at buying a cheap windows laptop in the near future as a test-bed for html, multimedia work etc and also to use a few non-Mac applications (a client uses Publisher a lot and its a pain to use in VPC)...now though, the option is to get a low-end intelMac and have the best of both worlds.

I dont think this is the kind of things thats going to really effect the general Mac/Windows balance...its just a nice-to-have for a few niche markets within the traditional Mac user-base.

 

[barstard]

I was one of the testers. It does NOT yet work on a 20" iMac. There's an issue with handling the framebuffer on the 20" output. When booting into Windows for the first time to run setup, the CSM is supposed to hang for about 2 and half minutes with no feedback. It never gets past this.

But the graphical boot screen is really nice, although it is offcentered on the 20" at this time.

Interesting. Hopefully this will quickly be resolved. Sure this is the first of a few issues which will be had, but I also expect them to be hastily repaired. I'll have to go and buy myself XP Pro.

barstard.

 

[mspicklechunks]

This is fantastic news and is just one more tick on the 'Pros' side of my Pros & Cons list for purchasing a MacBook Pro. Being a PC owner for the past 10+ years I'm looking forward to experiencing OS X and in particular taking advantage of what iLife has to offer.

Whilst a Mac will satisfy most of my software needs there are still a few PC apps that I need to access; boring things mostly like MYOB. Dual booting means I'll have everything I need and my partner will be happy as well because he'll be able to play Soldier of Fortune when we're on holiday.

In corp speak it's a win/win - whichever way you look at it.

 

[reyesmac]

The ball is in Apples court now

I want to see if Apple sues or breaks this hack. I will be very disappointed if they do. Being able to boot to windows and mac sort of makes the higher price you pay for a mac more than worth it.

 

[barstard]

Bloody Hell! XP Pro at Officeworks is AUD$474.

What a rip.

Oh well, maybe home is enough for my needs. AUD$319. What a crock.

Either way it's expensive. But then, if I want it. Pay the price.

barstard.

 

[MitchCumstein]

Good for Apple, bad for Microsoft

This can only be a good thing for Apple and a bad thing for Microsoft.

First let me say it was inevitable. Even if dual-booting never happened at some point we'll see near-native speed using virtualization. Apple knows this. In fact they filed a patent describing how a user can switch between OSX, Windows, and Linux. Since Apple will not liscence OS X for PCs, their computers become the superset - the buying decision with the least amount of risk.

I'm a recent switcher to Macs from Windows even though I had been admiring OS X since it was first introduced. Like many, it was hard for me to switch because my work required me to use Windows-only programs. Last year's introduction of the mini made it easy for me to test the waters - dual-booting will have the same effect on the thousands of people on the fence.

Although there will be some downside (some Windows programs may not be developed for OSX) I think the upside is far greater. Like someone getting a taste of freedom for the first time, once they take OSX for a test drive they'll be hooked. I know I am.

While Microsoft will be able to sell more copies of Windows. It hurts them that a barrier to switching is crumbling. As an ex-employee of Microsoft I can tell you they spend an emormous amount of effort finding ways to keep your entrails wrapped around the Microsoft technology stack. This is not a good day for my ex-colleagues in Redmond.