Apple Drops Windows 7 Boot Camp Support in New Mac Pro

[samcraig]

Nothing like removing the competition

I see it more hurting than benefiting. Supporting Windows 7 increases their potential market of people who want to own a Mac but rely on Windows as well. If someone relies on Windows, then Macs NOT having an option (of course there are still VMs) will decrease sales or keep them flat if anything.

 

[iBlazed]

Maybe since so many people run Windows on their Macs, Microsoft paid off Apple to drop Windows 7 support so people are forced to buy Windows 8 if they want to take advantage of bootcamp.

 

[jm001]

Not sure why people are up in arms about this. Just get Parallels or any other reputable VM ware and you can you even install Windows XP. I've been using Parallels since version 7 and it's been getting better and better. Current version runs Windows 7 very smoothly.

 

[The Economist]

If you have a Mac Pro you should be using virtual machines anyway.

 

[Glacial Truffle]

Metro is a mess and it's given Win 8 a bad image. If you do manage to avoid Metro, the desktop side is a definite upgrade to Windows 7. Better UEFI support, better performance, better task manager, UI (ribbon in explorer is a lot more intuitive), power user menu (right click bottom-left corner), etc.

If Win8 launched without Metro, people would probably be pretty happy with what happened to the desktop. But it did, and it was such a poor implementation, it overshadowed everything else.

 

[LordVic]

If you have a Mac Pro you should be using virtual machines anyway.

Sometimes I miss the downvote button.

Virtual Machines, no matter how efficient will always have an overhead. When you are trying to milk every last mhz out of your hardware for absolute performance gain, why dump 5%-10% (estimated) away on running VM instead of on bare metal.

 

[sputnikv]

this is clever. you won't have a more polarizing experience than using mavericks and windows 8. most people exposed to both will agree that windows 8 doesn't meet the same standard

 

[deconstruct60]

....
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. ...

and OS X representing 7.68% ; almost 3% less than Windows 8 (or in other words almost a 40% increase over OS X usage). So, if Windows 8 is not particularly popular what is OS X?

Sure, Windows 8 doesn't have the high adoption rate of 10.9 relative to the previous OS instance. But 10,9 doesn't have anywhere near the inertia that Windows has either.

More than likely folks who need Windows on a Mac are looking to run just a handful of application. They aren't looking for Windows primarily, just a few select apps that OS X doesn't have. Once those specific apps are launched the material difference between Windows 7 and 8 is pretty small. With 8.1 getting to and launching that select few apps is even less "drama" than the hyped up initial Win 8 differences.

Is Microsoft spending tons of efforts into writing specific drivers for Apple hardware? Is MS spending effort into support HFS+ , AFP , or OS X specific things in Windows?

 

[samcraig]

Sometimes I miss the downvote button.

Virtual Machines, no matter how efficient will always have an overhead. When you are trying to milk every last mhz out of your hardware for absolute performance gain, why dump 5%-10% (estimated) away on running VM instead of on bare metal.

VMs also eat through battery on MacBook Pros like nobody's business. I'm lucky if I get anything over an hour/hour and a half.

 

[JAT]

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

Yeah, really. Plenty of other reasons to do so.

 

[DipDog3]

If you have a Mac Pro you should be using virtual machines anyway.

Seriously, if you really need to run a dedicated version of windows, then just buy a cheap HP with Windows 7. You can use your Mac Pro to login with VNC or Remote Desktop or something. No need to clutter up a Mac Pro with a copy of windows.

 

[LordVic]

Seriously, if you really need to run a dedicated version of windows, then just buy a cheap HP with Windows 7. You can use your Mac Pro to login with VNC or Remote Desktop or something. No need to clutter up a Mac Pro with a copy of windows.

you just took over the person you were quoting for one of the most asinine comments of the day award.

 

[samcraig]

Seriously, if you really need to run a dedicated version of windows, then just buy a cheap HP with Windows 7. You can use your Mac Pro to login with VNC or Remote Desktop or something. No need to clutter up a Mac Pro with a copy of windows.

Because using VNC or remote desktop is the same experience?

 

[sjinsjca]

Shrug. So run it in a VMWare Fusion, Parallels or VirtualBox virtual machine.

Yawn.

 

[nagromme]

I'd already settled on Windows 8... just so long as I can use the same install in a VM most of the time, and only Boot Camp for rare uses.

I don't like rebooting (I need Windows to test stuff for my clients, but have stuck with VMWare for it). But the reboot bothers me less at SSD speeds. And thanks to Steam giving me dual game licenses, I'll probably reboot from time to time--at least until/unless OS X starts to use the 2nd GPU for gaming (which already works under Windows). My work machine wants to play too!

Now, just make enough Mac Pros that I can have one

 

[mdelvecchio]

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.

i bet you dont even own the new MP.

 

[jwdsail]

Ugh

I'm very disappointed to see Apple drop Windows 7 support in BootCamp. I'd rather cut off my left nut with a rusty soup spoon than use Windows 8...

Why in the world is Apple removing an option for people that need Windows and hate 8?

Yes, there's always Parallels, VMWare, VirturalBox... but come on...

Sigh.

Off to apple.com/feedback ... again..

 

[sjinsjca]

Virtual Machines, no matter how efficient will always have an overhead. When you are trying to milk every last mhz out of your hardware for absolute performance gain, why dump 5%-10% (estimated) away on running VM instead of on bare metal.

I rather think the Mac Pro has enough headroom to run Windows in a fashion such that the 5-10% is not missed.

 

[chrono1081]

Hm, I can't say I'm a fan of this. Windows 8 is utter and complete hashed together garbage. I know people spent a lot of time and work on it but its pure trash, there are really no redeeming features to it. I'm pretty sure whoever at Apple made this decision didn't use Windows 8...

Windows 7 was just fine and it's the last Windows OS I'll own unless Windows 9 does a giant turn around.

That being said I'm rarely on Windows anyway, I like Mac OS.

 

[Swift]

Are you sure?

Maybe it's the drivers or the MacPro processor setup. And maybe Windows 7 will be added. You can still run these OSes in a VM. At way more than an adequate speed.

 

[samcraig]

i bet you dont even own the new MP.

Is that a criteria for posting his displeasure with the situation. Perhaps he was GOING to buy one.

 

[JAT]

Maybe since so many people run Windows on their Macs, Microsoft paid off Apple to drop Windows 7 support so people are forced to buy Windows 8 if they want to take advantage of bootcamp.

I see what you are doing, but no. The answer is no, that didn't happen.

 

[Cougarcat]

While I still use Windows 7 as I just use it as a glorified games launcher, I don't see the big deal of requiring Windows 8. It's possible to turn off all the Metro crap, and you're left with a better-performing Windows 7, essentially. And on Apple's end, it's easier for them to support.

I can see the frustration, though, for someone who already has a Windows 7 license, gets a MP, and then needs to buy an upgrade that they don't want. But seriously, it's a drop in the bucket compared to your MP, and your boot times will improve.

 

[mdelvecchio]

The ONE good reason I was going to buy a nMP is now gone. Guess I can thank Apple for saving me $3000+.

the one "good" reason you were going to buy a nMP was to...dual boot to Windows 7? really? that was it? what on earth are you doing with this nBP? if it's not gaming, just load your windows apps in win8, or run win7 in VMWare if you need that specific version for your job.

 

[n-evo]

Hm, I can't say I'm a fan of this. Windows 8 is utter and complete hashed together garbage. I know people spent a lot of time and work on it but its pure trash, there are really no redeeming features to it. I'm pretty sure whoever at Apple made this decision didn't use Windows 8...

Windows 7 was just fine and it's the last Windows OS I'll own unless Windows 9 does a giant turn around.

That being said I'm rarely on Windows anyway, I like Mac OS.

You sure have a flair for the dramatic. Apart from the Start Menu the desktop works exactly the same on Windows 8 as it did on Windows 7. With Windows 8.1 you can even set the OS to immediately go to the desktop and automatically return there when closing apps, rather than Start screen. Combine that with pinning your favourite apps to the Taskbar and you won't really have to use the Start screen all too much.