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Best Windows for me.

I

Intranquill

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 7, 2011
17
0
I saw a thread, just below this one, that said the cheapest (albeit not most legal method) would be to get the 30 dollar student upgrade kit, and do a few steps and there you are. But I've had bad experiences with non genuine Windows before, so I'd really rather not go down that path to avoid ANY issues what so ever. So my friends, that leaves me here...with my Home Premium.

I believe it is the cheapest full OS solution for Windows, and the ONLY thing I would use it for would be to switch over via bootcamp and play some games.

Are there any better versions that would be more rounded for that cause? Or does any version play games the same (minus the 32 64bit version thing). Which brings me to my next question, would 64bit be the way to go? According to the box, it has both on the disc.

Clearly I'm new to Macs with my new Macbook Pro 15 inch. I'm rather familiar with Windows, but when I add the bootcamp aspect of things, I start to get weary of what exactly I should be doing.

I greatly appreciate any insight. I just don't want to ruin my new beauty.
 
I think 64-Bit would definitely be the way to go. :) Home-Premium is also okay too I guess. I've always used Ultimate or Professional though on almost every Windows PC I've had. Not much of a noticeable different though other than simple additions here and there. Also, if you're just considering to use it on your Mac for some gaming here and there, Home-Premium would definitely be fine with that. Unless you plan on using Windows like "a-lot a-lot", then just stick with Home-Premium. Hope I've helped.
 
i also say 64 bit. I haven't had any compatibility issues with 32 bit games or any other software while running it. Also remember the 4GB memory wall with 32 bit...

I also prefer Professional over Home Premium just because of windows xp mode (nice for running the odd older program) and just some other odds and ends.

In Canada, the student upgrade package is actually for pro, not home premium and I thought that was the same for the U.S. but I could be wrong though. The only glitch with this is that the academic version is actually an upgrade version of windows, not a full that is required by Boot Camp to install. I was going to try the same thing but found some guys saying it was a no-go.
 
Appreciate the responses. Looks like 64bit is the way to go. I have been reading a bit about that XP mode, but only from what other posters mention. Does that mode really help out game wise? I know some games are only supported up to XP, and like you said, along with some programs. I do plan on playing older games (considering the general lack of power in the Mac), so if this XP mode is a plus for gaming, I'll return it for the other 2 versions.
 
64-bit and 32-bit Windows 7 Product Keys are interchangeable.

You can buy a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 and then download a 64-bit ISO, install it and use the same Product key with it.

---

Also there is a feature in Windows called Anytime Upgrade that lets you upgrade your License to a more expensive product (by paying the price difference).

So if you buy Home Premium and decide you wanted Professional, all you need to do is pay the difference. It will then unlock the features in Professional and give you a new Product Key.

---

Windows XP mode is for backwards compatibility with Programs, not games. You will NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY GAMES WITH XP MODE. XP mode is just a Virtual Machine (think VMWare, Parallels, or VirtualBox).

Almost all older games and programs run on Windows 7 x64 anyway. Some games like the original System Shock or the DOS version of Doom will not though.

If you really need 16bit backwards compatibility, you need to go with the 32-bit version of Windows.

---

Now to answer your original question, the only copy's you can legally buy and run on your Mac are Retail versions of Windows. They start from $179USD (On Sale) for Home Premium all the way to $399USD for Ultimate.

There are OEM versions you can buy ($99-$200USD) off of sites like NewEgg, Microcenter or Amazon. But the license agreement requires you to have built your own computer.

---

Seriously though, if someone you know has a old or broken Windows XP machine, have them sell it to you for 5 bucks... And bam, you now own a copy of Windows XP and can legally buy the upgrade disc. =P
 
Quad5Ny said:
64-bit and 32-bit Windows 7 Product Keys are interchangeable.

You can buy a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 and then download a 64-bit ISO, install it and use the same Product key with it.

---

Also there is a feature in Windows called Anytime Upgrade that lets you upgrade your License to a more expensive product (by paying the price difference).

So if you buy Home Premium and decide you wanted Professional, all you need to do is pay the difference. It will then unlock the features in Professional and give you a new Product Key.

---

Windows XP mode is for backwards compatibility with Programs, not games. You will NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY GAMES WITH XP MODE. XP mode is just a Virtual Machine (think VMWare, Parallels, or VirtualBox).

Almost all older games and programs run on Windows 7 x64 anyway. Some games like the original System Shock or the DOS version of Doom will not though.

If you really need 16bit backwards compatibility, you need to go with the 32-bit version of Windows.

---

Now to answer your original question, the only copy's you can legally buy and run on your Mac are Retail versions of Windows. They start from $179USD (On Sale) for Home Premium all the way to $399USD for Ultimate.

There are OEM versions you can buy ($99-$200USD) off of sites like NewEgg, Microcenter or Amazon. But the license agreement requires you to have built your own computer.

---

Seriously though, if someone you know has a old or broken Windows XP machine, have them sell it to you for 5 bucks... And bam, you now own a copy of Windows XP and can legally buy the upgrade disc. =P
Click to expand...

Yeah I definitely agree with you. You can easily pick up one of those old computers with Windows XP loaded onto them for like $20 or so off of Craigslist or if you don't like meeting locally, you can also probably get one of those off of eBay for $50 or so. After that, just get an upgrade license and it should be all set from there on out.
 
Good info to know, thank you. I'll stick with my Home Premium, and if I find that I need more features, I'll just upgrade accordingly.
 
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