Apple Releases Boot Camp Beta

[clayj]

OK, installing Vista did NOT work, at least the first time I tried it... when Vista Setup went to restart, on bootup it reported an error with WINLOAD.EXE. Vista's recovery options could not fix this problem. I had to restart the machine while holding down the OPTION key in order to get back to Mac OS X.

 

[bwilfong]

The conclusion you're drawing from your bad analogy makes no sense. Windows, in this regard, is the gas your car runs on. OS X is diesel, available at the minority of pumps across America.

Most people buy gas powered cars because gas is everywhere and they have more options in gas vehicles. If your car ran on both gas AND diesel, you'd probably end up filling up mostly on gas because it's more easily available.

So this real-world analogy also helps to show that Windows on Mac will eventually come at the expense of OS X support unless Apple has something up its sleeve.

Speaking of Diesel like this is like Apple users making generalizations about Windows or the other way around. Having a Diesel there are Diesel pumps all over these days so it's not like a rare commodity like most non Diesel users assume it is. "You have a Diesel? Isn't it hard to find fuel?"

 

[Philberttheduck]

i hate to be a noob and all but 34 pages is going to be time-consuming. can those that have successfully booted xp using bootcamp create a "Official I got XP using BootCamp" Thread? All this pandemonium in this thread, I think it's time to branch off.

My real question is, the ever so popular video card dilemma. With the first two pages stating that it has complete drivers (or to an extent), and lately there are about 2 or 3 posters saying that it doesn't work. Now, i don't know if those people have successfully used bootcamp to put xp, so that's why i asked for the earlier request of "i got it on" thread.

 

[destroyboredom]

I think you are right, but without a TV tuner what good is MCE? Might as well run Front Row at that point. I'd be curious to see if people could get MCE to work with a current Mac based tuner.

This is false. Windows XP MCE doesn't require tv tuner cards to be installed. While Microsoft's licensing originally required computer makers to include a TV tuner card with systems pre-installed with MCE, this licensing (not technical) requirement has been dropped. MCE will install on pretty much anything that XP will.

 

[Phil A.]

Another important question would be will XP be able to see the HFS+ Mac partition? If not, you would have to save anything you wanted to share to a FAT/NTFS partition. Not a problem, but important to remember.

Anyone who has got it running, it would be a help to answer this. Thanks.

Just finished installing XP on my mini, and can confirm that Windows won't see your mac partition by default (as there are no hfs+ drivers in windows). However, you can simply buy macdrive (http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/ - free trial on the site), and your mac partition will then be fully accessible for read / write access. If you want your windows partition to be fully accessible in OSX, format as a FAT partition in setup (which will actually format it as a FAT32 one) - you can use NTFS but IIRC if you do that you will only get read-only access to in in OSX. Be aware though that if you do install macdrive, your OSX partition will be susceptible to damage from viruses, etc, you may pick up if you go onto the internet with XP......

The installation was very slick and took just over an hour. After that, the driver installation was simply a case of putting the CD in. One word of caution - for me the keyboard eject button didn't work until I had put the driver disk on, so to eject the XP install disk, right click and select Eject.

One final thing - XP is very, very fast on the mini 1.66 duo!!

 

[Bonte]

How long will it be before XCode can compile for Windows?! A truly Universal app!

For all i can remember that was the intention when Apple presented osX but it was axed ... until now hopefully.

 

[crees!]

Not knowing if this was posted earlier but...

I wonder if Apple really, I mean REALLY has something SERIOUS up their sleeves in Leopard. They obviously have some type of plan because allowing Windows to be installed will bring in a flurry of new users. Maybe it is because of MS's further delay with Vista they decided to let Boot Camp out now to gain even more interest. Possibly a political move none-the-less. Whatever the reason they must have some very compelling technologies up their sleeves if they want these Windows users who get a Mac because of the ability to use both OSes to stay with Mac and eventually dump MS all together.

 

[crees!]

The worse thing that can happen with viruses is that you get a Windows virus on you Dual-Boot Mac and when you go to boot into Windows, the damn thing locks up and you automatically go back to booting into MAC OS X. Then you have to re-install Windows again and just wait for another virus attack.

Boot Camp is THE best Apple software to come out EVER. It is not meant to replace OS X on a Mac. It is meant to get Windows users to buy a Mac and to find out how horrible Windows is compared to OS X and for them to totally abandon Windows all together. When they realize that Windows is more of a hassle than it's worth, people will stop booting for everything and either use the Mac version of an app or if that's not available only boot into Windows to use that one or two apps and boot right back into Mac OS X.

This is perfect for people like my mother who has an HP and eMac. She will not give up her HP because of som POS PC apps that aren't ported to the Mac. Now when she updates her eMac to a Mac mini she can put Windows on with those POS apps and get rid of the HP.

Same with my parents and their Dell. I'm going to treat them nicely

 

[DannyBoye]

Here is the reality of it, apple is a hardware company, just so happens they have a kick a** OS. So Apple makes it possible to install XP, more people buy an apple, at the core market share goes up, in the end more reason for apple to put pressure on software companys to make native programs. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

[~Shard~]

OK, installing Vista did NOT work, at least the first time I tried it... when Vista Setup went to restart, on bootup it reported an error with WINLOAD.EXE. Vista's recovery options could not fix this problem. I had to restart the machine while holding down the OPTION key in order to get back to Mac OS X.

Too bad clay, I was keeping my fingers crossed for ya. I didn't know how absolute the "Windows XP w/ SP2" requirement was, as stated on Apple's website, but thought it might cause some grief.

Ah well, keep plugging away at it, I'm sure there's some way that Vista/MCE can be installed...

 

[BenRoethig]

I wonder how long it will be before Apple sells Windows XP in the Apple Store. They could probably sell the OEM version bundled with a new Mac for special pricing, but then maybe they have to provide support?

That's simple, never. They're doing this to transition users intot he Mac fold, not help microsoft.

 

[nagromme]

The worse thing that can happen with viruses is that you get a Windows virus on you Dual-Boot Mac and when you go to boot into Windows, the damn thing locks up and you automatically go back to booting into MAC OS X. Then you have to re-install Windows again and just wait for another virus attack.

That's a likely scenario, but don't forget the VERY worst that can (and often does) happen: you get a Windows virus, and your personal Windows files are attacked or stolen. If you boot to Windows to actually DO anything, then whatever you do is vulnerable. (Playing games while NOT on the Internet is a perfect use for Windows though )

Also, a Windows virus could be created that either reformats your internal drive (goodbye Mac files), or else has its own HFS support to attack or steal your Mac files. That's why unless I'm keeping Windows offline, I'd rather use virtualized Windows--it can't get out of its hardfile and harm the Mac side.

 

[dubnluvn]

Speaking of Diesel like this is like Apple users making generalizations about Windows or the other way around. Having a Diesel there are Diesel pumps all over these days so it's not like a rare commodity like most non Diesel users assume it is. "You have a Diesel? Isn't it hard to find fuel?"

I don't like the diesel analogy. More like Ethanol(Mac) v Gasoline(windows). Now that E85 is available (85% ethanol 15%Gas i.e. 85% Mac / 15% windows) More carmakers are building cars that can run both Gas and E85. Thus reducing the consumer dependence on Gasoline.

 

[BSWedge42]

Installed on iMac and MacBook

I work at a Campus Reseller in the midwest and we have installed XP on an iMac and a Mac Book Pro demo machine, so far they are working fine. XP runs fast and we don't notice any problems yet. Haven't really installed anything taxing yet but IE runs fine and we saved some text files to the Windows partition from the Mac side and were able to open once we rebooted in XP. You get a No Name hard drive icon on the Mac side of the Windows partition but nothing for the Mac on the XP side.
One odd thing we see a USB camera on the My Computer window, assuming that is the built in iSight, but crashes when we try clicking on it.
Overall way way better than Virtual PC.
We have more than a few customers who have said I would buy a Mac but I need to use this one app so I have to stay with PC. I am sure this will help quite a few folks switch over.

 

[BenRoethig]

I am a former Mac user, yes I said former. Steve said, hey no new powerbooks for at least a year, I sold my old one and bought the last PPC powerbook, then he comes up with Macbook pro, but it does not do Windows, I need Windows for my job.

So I say, what is my brand new shiny powerbook (yes small letter) going to be worth in 6 months? I decide to sell my new powerbook for a new Macbook Pro, but wait, we don't do Windows! So, I wait and read and wait and read and NO Windows!

I go out and buy a new dual core Windows notebook, very NICE, fast, excellent video, I am happy again right, NO, now we got a FREE way to do Windows, what the HELL is this company thinking about. I want a Mac and now I am stuck with a Windows PC.

I am so P**sed off at Apple it is not funny! Can't they get anything right! Ya, well if you want a person who does not like this new feature of Apple, here is one!

Everytime I turn around, they are doing something to bring their system up to todays standards and they are a day late and a $ short.

I love Mac OSx, but I am not ade out of money like Steve. When they are going to do something, they need to do it right the first time and quick piece mealing it out. They need to get their head out of their **s (ipods) and make their real product the right way!

But, I will calm down now and come to the realization that Apple has come to, the world LIVES on Windows and now Macs do too!

Former Mac lover and user!

Apple can be a very difficult company to deal with at times. They do things according to their own schedule, not even the most loyal customers can change that. I can't blame you for buying that PC, I did that myself. However, I came back after I couldn't stand windows any longer. Can't say I'm exactly happy with Apple, but I can say that I'm miserable with Microsoft.

 

[afornander]

will i have to repartition the whole hd or will it just shrink my osx partition and make a new xp one. i dont want to lose all of my files.

 

[macfreek57]

did anyone notice that the Boot Camp application is universal? is there any logical reason for apple doing this? Are they just being thorough so that when I launch the program on my ppc mac I can get a dialogue box that tells me to buy a new mactel instead of just getting a default error message?

 

[JGowan]

Windows Given Priority!

I take issue with a gross oversight on Apple's part. At the boot-up screen, Windows is the LEFT icon to choose and Apple the RIGHT. I think since most people read Left-to-right, "Macintosh HD" should've been on the LEFT side.

 

[nagromme]

will i have to repartition the whole hd or will it just shrink my osx partition and make a new xp one. i dont want to lose all of my files.

As the page says, you won't lose your files.

Repartitioning with most disk utilities will wipe the whole drive--even Apple's own Disk Utility. The cool thing about Boot Camp, though, is that it shrinks the Mac partition non-destructively and creates a new one for Windows.

 

[dubnluvn]

I take issue with a gross oversight on Apple's part. At the boot-up screen, Windows is the LEFT icon to choose and Apple the RIGHT. I think since most people read Left-to-right, "Macintosh HD" should've been on the LEFT side.

Maybe its not an oversight. Once a switcher boots and realizes how much superior OS X is then everytime they boot they make a concious effort to move the mouse accross the windows icon to the mac icon, thus reaffirming their newly found beliefs over and over again. In other words apple is daring you to use something inferior when you know there is something better if you just look a little further...damn they are smart...

 

[sedek]

Universal Binaries

I am sure this was already discussed fify threads ago, but the forum is moving so fast:

I am worried about Universal Binaries of third party providers, like Adobe. Why should they continue their development efforts if they can point to Windows? They could greatly reduce R&D costs and still be present on the Mac platform. I hope that Apple will give us a few more information about the their take on the future of OS X and universal binaries.

 

[King Crimson]

Hmmmmmm

I'd prefer a solution like virtual pc, the idea of booting Windows on a Mac just - well I'm no native speaker - well, I simply don't like it.

But a great thing for switchers and the gaming freaks on the mac. But bad is, that we'll have to boot Windows on a mac to play games pretty soon, I guess

Just give me iPC, an runtime PC environment developed by apple

 

[nagromme]

I am worried about Universal Binaries of third party providers, like Adobe. Why should they continue their development efforts if they can point to Windows? They could greatly reduce R&D costs and still be present on the Mac platform. I hope that Apple will give us a few more information about the their take on the future of OS X and universal binaries.

Re fears that development of Mac-native apps will diminish: no way. It will INCREASE because of Boot Camp.

Demand for native Mac apps will increase faster than ever now, and demand drives sales. Developers won't turn away now!

The only way demand for native Mac apps would decrease is if the number of Mac users willing to "settle for Windows" increases FASTER than the overall growth of the Mac OS X user base.

Settling for Windows means rebooting, giving up iLife and all your Mac apps, abandoning the security and ease of use of OS X, and--don't forget--PAYING for a copy of Windows. That's too much to settle for unless you have to. And then you'll do it only WHEN you have to. Not by choice. You will still demand OS X and OS X apps. And Adobe will gladly sell them to you

 

[bense27]

I wonder if there is some app that iSight will work with in Windows...

 

[xUKHCx]

seeing as this is a beta that has got an expiry date attached to it what happens when it expires...

do you lose the partition with any work you have on it?

I can see that this will become a free download as imagine them taking it away after so many people have bought macs on the premise that they can now easily boot into windows and then suddenly losing this feature altogether or being forced into upgrading to Leopard when it comes out. (I for one will most definately be buying Leopard when it comes out anyway, just wish i had an intel mac, but saving up for a mac tower when it comes out)