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Did Apple Make The Right Move In Switching To Intel?

  • Yes

    Votes: 498 81.9%
  • No

    Votes: 66 10.9%
  • Don't know

    Votes: 44 7.2%

  • Total voters
    608
  • Poll closed .
EFI includes a compatibility mode to support operating systems that require BIOS. It's not emulated in any sort of way.

Older Macs required a firmware update for this but current ones can be wiped out of the box and have any other x86 based operating system installed on it.

The Boot Camp Assistant is just a simple live partition editor and Apple provides the drivers for Windows.

So you could just install XP or Vista straight on to an unformatted Mac? Yes or no. I'm honestly curious to know as it may affect my next purchase.
 
So you could just install XP or Vista straight on to an unformatted Mac? Yes or no. I'm honestly curious to know as it may affect my next purchase.

I don't think you can. I am pretty sure you have to go through the bootcamp setup at least once.
 
I don't think you can. I am pretty sure you have to go through the bootcamp setup at least once.

No, you don't have ran bootcamp at all.

You can format and install what ever the hell you want on an Intel Mac with up to date firmware.
 
So you could just install XP or Vista straight on to an unformatted Mac? Yes or no. I'm honestly curious to know as it may affect my next purchase.

That's goddam rediculous. You're going to make a purchase based on whether or not you have to spend 20 minutes in a different OS or not?


I did think about buying a Toyota, but I got a Mazda instead because there was more paperwork involved with the Toyota...
 
Not necessarily....

It's not like your Toyota vs. Mazda comparison at all, because the heart of it is a legitimate issue: The fact you CAN install a Windows type OS directly onto an unformatted Mac illustrates that the Mac is, indeed, a full-fledged "PC compatible" machine. If you HAD to have special software of some kind to get it to run, that would indicate that Apple messed with the Intel motherboard/chipset in some fashion to purposely hinder using it as a standard "PC clone".

(BTW, I did this on my Mac Pro 2.66Ghz system. I installed XP Pro directly onto a 2nd., formerly unformatted hard drive in the machine and didn't use "Boot Camp" at all. The only place where the Boot Camp assistant comes in handy is having it give you a set of device drivers for all the hardware in the Mac. Otherwise, XP can't detect some of the stuff properly on its own and defaults to generic video drivers, etc.)


That's goddam rediculous. You're going to make a purchase based on whether or not you have to spend 20 minutes in a different OS or not?


I did think about buying a Toyota, but I got a Mazda instead because there was more paperwork involved with the Toyota...
 
...(BTW, I did this on my Mac Pro 2.66Ghz system. I installed XP Pro directly onto a 2nd., formerly unformatted hard drive in the machine and didn't use "Boot Camp" at all. The only place where the Boot Camp assistant comes in handy is having it give you a set of device drivers for all the hardware in the Mac. Otherwise, XP can't detect some of the stuff properly on its own and defaults to generic video drivers, etc.)

Yep. Boot Camp is really designed to use Mac OS X at first to get comfortable with the system and then add in Windows if you need it. Apple designed it to be a feature, but you can of course do whatever you'd like.

Having both (I use Windows under Parallels) is actually very handy.
 
please remind me why we are wanting to install XP/Vista on a mac..... since when do we need to do that because there are already PC's that are solely based on running that pathetic system
 
Computer life for me was simple when I just used PCs. Its very stressful being on the underdog team. I had no clue people would be mad at Apple current success and want to go back to buying chips from IBM(Evil Empire with suits). It could be worse. Apple could have went with crap AMDs. All of my current gaming pcs are using intel processors. AMD is lagging behind.
 
please remind me why we are wanting to install XP/Vista on a mac..... since when do we need to do that because there are already PC's that are solely based on running that pathetic system

Because, I only want to carry one laptop, so I want it to be a good one. And, sometimes I need to deal with the Windows world too.

Does XP/Vista suck? Oh most definitely, but being able to bring it up, rock it, and then shut it off is very nice. Plus, with VM you can clone versions of XP, so if one starts to fail in some off-the-wall way you can just delete it and go to another 'clean' version without the hassle of installs. I created a nice version with all the software I'd like to use in Windows and then I just copy it leaving the pristine one and fiddling with the other. This way I can test certain configurations and play with things like OpenOffice for Windows and Safari without having to lug around an entirely different machine.

Plus, when you show someone that you can boot Windows, do some little but very specific thing, well it sells Macs.
 
please remind me why we are wanting to install XP/Vista on a mac..... since when do we need to do that because there are already PC's that are solely based on running that pathetic system
I believe what you're trying to say is why would we buy a Mac to only install Windows on it. Windows machines can look pretty too. :D
 
please remind me why we are wanting to install XP/Vista on a mac..... since when do we need to do that because there are already PC's that are solely based on running that pathetic system

Because some of us require Windows-only applications. Or apps that are, quite honestly, better in their Windows version. Or visit idiotic corporate or government sites that puke at a standards-based browser instead of Internet Exploder coming from a WinXP or above environment. All that and the fact that I'm not going to travel with two computers all the time.

I look at it this way: it just reminds me how much I like the Mac environment.
 
One thing I miss about PowerPC is that it differentiated Macs from PCs more. :( Mac hardware and PC hardware were completely different during PowerPC days.
 
One thing I miss about PowerPC is that it differentiated Macs from PCs more. :( Mac hardware and PC hardware were completely different during PowerPC days.

Actually, they were different from 1976 until the switch. That's why it was so hard to swallow for a lot of us. Motorola 6502 to 68K to 6xx PPC to Moto/IBM G-series PPC, thirty years with one processor "parent," that's a lot of history to get over.

Considering where the Power roadmap was going (and more to the point, where it wasn't going), I'm now happy about the switch.
 
Actually, they were different from 1976 until the switch. That's why it was so hard to swallow for a lot of us. Motorola 6502 to 68K to 6xx PPC to Moto/IBM G-series PPC, thirty years with one processor "parent," that's a lot of history to get over.

Considering where the Power roadmap was going (and more to the point, where it wasn't going), I'm now happy about the switch.

Still, a PowerPC Mac would be more special than any x86-based PC. Besides the OS, what does make a Mac special anymore now that they have Intel inside them?
I guess I am a very nostalgic person.
 
Intel yes, Motorola no.

I absolutely love the speed of my new iMac. I don't even feel the need to upgrade to a MacPro. In the good old Motorola days, I always felt unsatisfied with my G4 or G3. I never had the money for the high end. Now, I got a fast machine for little cash. Intel is the second best thing to happen to Apple. Making iTunes available for Windows was the first.
 
Still, a PowerPC Mac would be more special than any x86-based PC. Besides the OS, what does make a Mac special anymore now that they have Intel inside them?
I guess I am a very nostalgic person.

We are special; we dont have an "Intel Inside" sticker ruining the case! :D

I gotta admit that Intel is doing a lot specifically for Apple though, witness the CPU used in the Air--that was made just for that machine (not to say it won't find it's way into other Windows-based boxes).
 
We are special; we dont have an "Intel Inside" sticker ruining the case! :D

I gotta admit that Intel is doing a lot specifically for Apple though, witness the CPU used in the Air--that was made just for that machine (not to say it won't find it's way into other Windows-based boxes).

The MacBook Air is the only exception right now but that might change. :(
One thing would be nice if Apple and Intel were the only ones together and all PC manufacturers went to AMD. I guess I could only dream. :eek:
 
G6 no way!

I don't miss the Motorola days. Not one single bit. I remember waiting months and months and months for processor upgrades. Measly upgrades. Measly upgrades you had to pay through the teeth for.

The worst was trying to justify the excitement of a 200 mhz g4 upgrade to your PC using friends.

I was so excited by the G5 release, but I am soooo glad I didn't get one. It cost 2000 bucks for the 1.6 ghz G5. The thing is so slow, and the 1.8 Ghz G5's are sucky.

The liquid cooling... forget about it.
 
I don't miss the Motorola days. Not one single bit. I remember waiting months and months and months for processor upgrades. Measly upgrades. Measly upgrades you had to pay through the teeth for.

The worst was trying to justify the excitement of a 200 mhz g4 upgrade to your PC using friends.

I was so excited by the G5 release, but I am soooo glad I didn't get one. It cost 2000 bucks for the 1.6 ghz G5. The thing is so slow, and the 1.8 Ghz G5's are sucky.

The liquid cooling... forget about it.

The PowerMac G5s were good (at least 2.5GHz ones):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWBcsRFFuU0
 
To misquote a certain Windows fanatic...

"Design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design, design!"

Still, a PowerPC Mac would be more special than any x86-based PC. Besides the OS, what does make a Mac special anymore now that they have Intel inside them?
I guess I am a very nostalgic person.
 
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