Bootcamp questions

[MartinAppleGuy]

Hi there, I may be looking into buying Windows 8 for my iMac to use through Bootcamp and I have a few questions that I would love to be answered I will be using it only really for gaming (as well as maybe 3Ds Max).

1. Does the Windows 8 Full Version come with a disk that I can install it with?

2. Or do I have to use the ISO off of Microsofts website?

3. If I am gaming, what size of patron would you recommend? I have a 1TB HDD and I would have guessed 300GB? I currently have 850GB free and I have all of the software on the planet haha

4. Is the install hard?

5. Do i need an MS account for Windows 8? Or just the code that would be on the box that I buy?

6. I wouldn't plan on buying Anti Virus for it, if Windows was to get infected, can
it format other partitions, or affect OS X in any way?

7. Should I wait for Windows 10, or will that be a free upgrade?

8. If Win 10 is a few upgrade for 8.1, is it easy to install the upgrade on the patron without it affecting the OS X partition?

9. I have the Nvidia GeForce GT 750m graphics card, will the drivers from apple be good enough for gaming in Windows, or should I get the Nvidia drives in Windows?

10. Will my SuperDrive (external USB) work for DVD games for Windows?

I would be very happy for anyone to answer these for me

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

Actually don't worry about it, I can't really justify spending 80 pounds on something I hate just to play a few games every now and then.

 

[nerowolfe]

Yeah you install Windows 8 off a DVD when you buy it. Partition size depends on your gaming needs. I'd say 250-500GB is a save zone. Windows 8.1 requires that you log-in using an MS account, 8.0 doesn't (why I reverted back to 8.0)

Installation using bootcamp is straight forward. Bootcamp drivers are capable of running games (basically NVidia drivers,) but updating via NVidia is easy and recommended. Superdrive works just fine. OS X partition access from Bootcamp is read-only.

I don't have enough info to answer your W10 questions, but I'd wager a bootcamp update would make it simple. It's up to you and your needs, but I wouldn't wait for W10 if I wanted Windows compatibility right now. If that's what you need/want W7/8 would do just fine.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

Yeah you install Windows 8 off a DVD when you buy it. Partition size depends on your gaming needs. I'd say 250-500GB is a save zone. Windows 8.1 requires that you log-in using an MS account, 8.0 doesn't (why I reverted back to 8.0)

Installation using bootcamp is straight forward. Bootcamp drivers are capable of running games (basically NVidia drivers,) but updating via NVidia is easy and recommended. Superdrive works just fine. OS X partition access from Bootcamp is read-only.

I don't have enough info to answer your W10 questions, but I'd wager a bootcamp update would make it simple. It's up to you and your needs, but I wouldn't wait for W10 if I wanted Windows compatibility right now. If that's what you need/want W7/8 would do just fine.

Last question, is it really worth spending 80 pounds on Windows just to play a game every now and then? Can I get it cheaper? Because I will se it so rarely, I might even just hold off to see if Win 10 is free to be honest.

 

[nerowolfe]

Last question, is it really worth spending 80 pounds on Windows just to play a game every now and then? Can I get it cheaper? Because I will se it so rarely, I might even just hold off to see if Win 10 is free to be honest.

I can't decide that for you, entirely up to you to determine if it's worth the money and hd resources investments.

In my case, I needed windows anyways so I shelled $40 early on (was a promo offer) and also bought Parallels so I wouldn't have to partition my hd and install via bootcamp (which I ended up using later but that's another story)

If it's just very casual gaming, I'd try finding a port or a similar game available for OSX if an OSX version isn't available. Steam and GOG offer tons of quality mac titles/ports.


http://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=&sort_by=_ASC&os=mac&page=1

http://www.gog.com/games##sort=bestselling&system=osx_106,osx_107&page=1


Cheers

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I can't decide that for you, entirely up to you to determine if it's worth the money and hd resources investments.

In my case, I needed windows anyways so I shelled $40 early on (was a promo offer) and also bought Parallels so I wouldn't have to partition my hd and install via bootcamp (which I ended up using later but that's another story)

If it's just very casual gaming, I'd try finding a port or a similar game available for OSX if an OSX version isn't available. Steam and GOG offer tons of quality mac titles/ports.


http://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=&sort_by=_ASC&os=mac&page=1

http://www.gog.com/games##sort=bestselling&system=osx_106,osx_107&page=1


Cheers

Nah, I've decided to get it. I will get the 8.1 full version for bootcamp and partition it with 300/350GB of space for games. Do you know of the best video tutorial for doing it (with the DVD, not the ISO, or is that wrong?)?

 

[nerowolfe]

Nah, I've decided to get it. I will get the 8.1 full version for bootcamp and partition it with 300/350GB of space for games. Do you know of the best video tutorial for doing it (with the DVD, not the ISO, or is that wrong?)?

I installed windows 8 using SuperDrive just like you intend to do, and all I had to follow was the official boot camp getting started web manual. Youtube is laden with video tutorials and I haven't bothered to look at any number of them, but one below seems decent enough. Good luck!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzFq6TwTsc

 

[saturnotaku]

Nah, I've decided to get it. I will get the 8.1 full version for bootcamp and partition it with 300/350GB of space for games. Do you know of the best video tutorial for doing it (with the DVD, not the ISO, or is that wrong?)?

You don't need a video. Just download and read the Boot Camp setup guide from Apple's support site.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I installed windows 8 using SuperDrive just like you intend to do, and all I had to follow was the official boot camp getting started web manual. Youtube is laden with video tutorials and I haven't bothered to look at any number of them, but one below seems decent enough. Good luck!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzFq6TwTsc

That's great, and the video is really helpful.

You don't need a video. Just download and read the Boot Camp setup guide from Apple's support site.

I just wanted to see what I was getting into, diving head first into something like this without knowing what you are doing it not great.t If pictures speak a thousand words, I can only image how many words a video tutorials contains at 30fps

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I installed windows 8 using SuperDrive just like you intend to do, and all I had to follow was the official boot camp getting started web manual. Youtube is laden with video tutorials and I haven't bothered to look at any number of them, but one below seems decent enough. Good luck!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzFq6TwTsc

You don't need a video. Just download and read the Boot Camp setup guide from Apple's support site.

I have ordered Windows 8.1 full version for Bootcamp with my iMac. Just to confirm, the wireless keyboard will work during the initial setup of Windows 8 (when you type in the computer name and product code)? Apples site says this:

 

[saturnotaku]

I have ordered Windows 8.1 full version for Bootcamp with my iMac. Just to confirm, the wireless keyboard will work during the initial setup of Windows 8 (when you type in the computer name and product code)? Apples site says this:

I think that ad implies a wired Apple keyboard because the wireless one needs a Bluetooth driver to work, and this is not installed until you run the Boot Camp Support Software after getting Windows up and running.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I think that ad implies a wired Apple keyboard because the wireless one needs a Bluetooth driver to work, and this is not installed until you run the Boot Camp Support Software after getting Windows up and running.

I think that the bootcamp 5 and 8.1 actually allow for wireless keyboards as here is a Macrumors comment from 2014:

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I think that ad implies a wired Apple keyboard because the wireless one needs a Bluetooth driver to work, and this is not installed until you run the Boot Camp Support Software after getting Windows up and running.

And this at Apple support says it should work also.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

I think that ad implies a wired Apple keyboard because the wireless one needs a Bluetooth driver to work, and this is not installed until you run the Boot Camp Support Software after getting Windows up and running.

(https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/mac/5.0/help/#/bcmp173b3bf2) And also this: