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I would like to kill Apple, due to their incompitance in writing drivers!
- Thread starter thejadedmonkey
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Sounds like thats it. Only time I've seen the local volume option disabled was when the audio kext didnt load (obviously not on a real mac), but what you've described seems to pin point every aspect of his problem.
I would - normally - agree. I did think I may have had that problem at first too. But again, Windows told me that the audio was set for the internal speakers. So if I did have a hardware problem, it was with a software glitch at the same time. I rebooted without powering off the unit, so I assume that whatever happened somehow effected the EFI, which is why it also did not work under OS X. Then I caused whatever was being effected to reset itself by plugging in headphones.
Long story short, even if it was a temporary hardware problem with a stuck switch, the drivers within Windows weren't reporting what the hardware was supposedly saying; I stand behind my original post... Basically that Apple couldn't (or doesn't want to) write a descent Windows driver if the company's bank account depended on it.
Doesn't the quote in my post suggests that hardware manufacturers write the drivers?
Below the quote, am I not asking for clarification as to whom writes the drivers?
I wouldn't ask if I knew the answer. The OP says Apple writes the drivers and another poster states hardware manufacturers write the drivers.
Does anybody know who actually writes the drivers?
The drivers are just horrifyingly out of date, arent they 7 Beta drivers or something?
Whenever you go on Apple.com or see Windows mentioned by Apple, they seem to deny the existence of 7, and focus on XP/Vista.
Just download the up-to-date drivers from the manufacturers website.
Whenever you go on Apple.com or see Windows mentioned by Apple, they seem to deny the existence of 7, and focus on XP/Vista.
Just download the up-to-date drivers from the manufacturers website.
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Even if apple doesn't write drivers, they should test their products and fix the obvious problems their computer have in windows... The trackpad, webcam, and sound to name a few.
Even if apple doesn't write drivers, they should test their products and fix the obvious problems their computer have in windows... The trackpad, webcam, and sound to name a few.
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Erm, you wouldn't happen to know what company made your MacBook Pro, would you? I'll give you a hint.... their logo is a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it.
Usually the hardware manufacturer writes the driver, and distributes it to the OEM. So Dell's trackpad drivers come from Synaptic (sp), while their wreless cards come from Broadcom and the like. Dell just tests them, and ships them pre-installed with Windows. Apple, on the other hand, gets all sorts of custom hardware made for them specifically, and they would have to be the one writing the driver as it's not industry standard hardware that is being offered to all the OEM's.
Well, see here's the thing. Much of the hardware is made specific for Apple. The trackpad and keyboard being the most obvious, as the keyboard has specific keys that no other company makes (plus a backlight), and the trackpad having a single-button, or, if you have a new MBP, made of glass. Right now, my ATI x1600 drivers are horribly out of date, even though I have the latest botcamp update installed, simply because Apple doesn't really care to update the drivers for it.
But what, you ask. What if I were to go to ATI's website, and download the newest driver myself? I mean, this is Windows after all. So I do that, but because this specific x1600 graphics card was made special for Apple, I can't update the drivers, because, quite simply, the catalyst control panel doesn't even see that I have an ATI graphics card, let alone that it's the only graphics card in my system and currently in use...
So I'm left with a keyboard that has function keys which don't work properly, a mouse that's overly sensative, a GPU or CPU that keeps my computer running about 20 degrees hotter than in OS X, 1/2 the battery life, and random issues (like the headphone jack, although this is the first I've experienced it), that I can't really fix.
What really gets to me though, is that if Apple just bothered to use standard hardware, all this would be avoided. For the LAN and WAN chipset, I get updates in Windows Update. I never have problems with networking, but then again it's the only part of the computer that Apple didn't specialize.
P.S. While I'm on my soapbox, Apple didn't even bother to offer Windows 7 support for my MBP, because the ATI graphics card (the generic, PC version) doesn't have drivers... Apple would have had to pay ATI to write drivers specifically for Windows 7, or write them in house. And if you're wondering why ATI dropped support for a GUP less than 3 years after I bought my computer... well lets just say the GPU debut with Windows 98 drivers.
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thejadedmonkey, mobile GPUs have been rarely updated by the OEMs and only until recently have ATI/nVidia been providing drivers for as many mobile models as possible with mixed blessings from OEMs.
Sadly, anything pre-DirectX 10 from ATI and more so on the mobile side is dead in the water for support. Whatever ships standard with Windows 7 is the newest you will probably ever see.
If I want to run Windows on a notebook, I would purchase it from a vendor that ships and supports Windows as the primary operating system. Given the overlap in mobile hardware between the iMac and Apple's notebooks, I avoid running Windows on the bare metal hardware.
The really only leaves you with the Mac Pro to play around with and with any level of driver support. It does get to a certain point where you are going to need to have two notebooks with one dedicated to one operating system.
Sadly, anything pre-DirectX 10 from ATI and more so on the mobile side is dead in the water for support. Whatever ships standard with Windows 7 is the newest you will probably ever see.
If I want to run Windows on a notebook, I would purchase it from a vendor that ships and supports Windows as the primary operating system. Given the overlap in mobile hardware between the iMac and Apple's notebooks, I avoid running Windows on the bare metal hardware.
The really only leaves you with the Mac Pro to play around with and with any level of driver support. It does get to a certain point where you are going to need to have two notebooks with one dedicated to one operating system.
Why do you need to run Windows?
Sounds like you need Windows enough to buy a dedicated Windows PC if its functionality on a Mac is so bad.
Maybe you should have bought a Windows PC in the first place.
Did you try switching off the special functions for the function keys in Mac OS X?
Did you try turning down the mouse sensitivity in Mac OS X?
Your headphone jack was just stuck. It happens.
AMD makes the boot camp graphic drivers for ATI graphic cards. You just have to keep your eyes open for when they are released.
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/bootcamp-xp.aspx
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/bootcamp-win7.aspx
If the driver for the specific combo of Mac model and Windows version you use is not available then you just have to wait until AMD puts them out. Apple has no control over when AMD releases the driver updates.
Sounds like you need Windows enough to buy a dedicated Windows PC if its functionality on a Mac is so bad.
Maybe you should have bought a Windows PC in the first place.
Did you try switching off the special functions for the function keys in Mac OS X?
Did you try turning down the mouse sensitivity in Mac OS X?
Your headphone jack was just stuck. It happens.
AMD makes the boot camp graphic drivers for ATI graphic cards. You just have to keep your eyes open for when they are released.
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/bootcamp-xp.aspx
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/bootcamp-win7.aspx
If the driver for the specific combo of Mac model and Windows version you use is not available then you just have to wait until AMD puts them out. Apple has no control over when AMD releases the driver updates.
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Hmm. Well, while I hear your point, it seems a little aggressive against running Windows on a Mac.
My 13" MBP runs Win 7 swimmingly, I think. As others had mentioned, the trackpad support in Windows seems to be the worst supported component, but I would say only in comparison to the trackpad support in OS X. I read a review of (I think it was) an HP Envy 13 recently. The review reported that the trackpad was virtually unuseable, and it was the only input option built-in on a ~$1700 laptop.
So, while I would agree that the trackpad support in Windows is the worst supported component for an MBP, only because in OSX the trackpad is feature rich. As a Windows laptop I think my MBP has better trackpad support and function than most other Windows laptops with built-in trackpads.
Also, with both my old 13" BlackBook and current 13" MBP, I would argue that the WiFi card worked better under Win XP and Win 7 than it works in OS X--better being more stable, better reception, and more accurate reporting of reception.
It really bugs me that in OSX, a network may show 2 bars before connecting, then when connected will jump to 4 bars, and generally continue to show either 4 bars or then just stop working entirely. No subtlety. Grrr.
I also set bought a 11" MBA (not my choice) for our CEO and set up as Win 7 only. Works great. Yes some of the options available in OS X are not there in Win 7, but it seems to have the same options available to it that a Windows only laptop would have.
To each his own, I think. Cheers.
Frankly, I am a rather unhappy and pessimistic person. I am frugal, have a strong opinion on my expenditures, and strongly question utility of what I purchase.
I am currently looking at a Dell Vostro 14" with Radeon HD 6630M for $US979 with a 3 year warranty. It is strongly competing with the rumored Alienware M11x R3 that I was considering and the Vostro has a much longer warranty. It also has a backlit keyboard and looks quite good in red.
HP experimented with the buttons built-into the trackpad for a few model revisions. Even with driver updates from Synaptics, the performance was always subpar. It was bad enough that HP decided to switch back to dedicated buttons independent of the trackpad on their 2011 dv6/7 models and I believe on the Envy 17 3D. The trackpads are still as large as they were previous models though.
I have encountered similar behavior as well.
Their windows drivers are so horrible, I don't think I've encountered anything like this before, in my life.
I was listening to music at Starbucks on Windows... and starbucks closed. I closed my computer, unplugged the headphones, and went home....
At home, I opened my computer, and there was no sound. I rebooted. Still no sound. I rebooted into OS X. No sound... there was a big X over the volume pop-up.
So here I am thinking that my 4+ year old MBP's speakers died. Then I remembered it went "Bing" when I rebooted it. So I plugged my headphones into the computer. and they worked. Then I unplugged my headphones, and the computer is working again.
This was rediculous! It's a $2000 computer Apple, advertised as being able to run Windows. At least make it so I can use the computer under OS X if I have Windows installed!
/rant
I'm not going to disagree that the drivers are pretty awful, but you can easily update them yourself by downloading the latest Nvidia or ATI drivers, as well as the latest Realtek sound drivers. Running Windows Update can find updated drivers as well.
I always do this because the Boot Camp drivers are old and outdated. Keep your drivers up to date, keep Boot Camp up to date (should be easy seeing as they release updates rarely), and make sure to run Windows Update. I've yet to have any problems or issues, and I'm on an old early '08 MBP.
While I tend much more towards the generally happy side of things, I'm mixed with optimism on some fronts and pessimism on other fronts.
But I, too, tend to be frugal and research most purchases beyond what is generally necessary. I'm pretty frickin' picky most of the time, too.
Haven't seen the Vostro's too much, but they seem pretty similar in form and function as the Latitudes minus the docking ability. I really dig backlit keyboards, which is kinda a bummer 'cus not that many manufacturers offer them, so it limits options. Not sure I could deal with a 14" screen laptop, but generally, 14" screen laptops aren't all that much bigger than the 13" MB/MBP. Would love the border around the screen and keyboard shrunk on the 13" MB/MBP decreasing the footprint. It'll never happen, but an extra 1/2" narrower, even, would make the 13" seem so much smaller. Sigh.
The Alienware M11 definitely seems like a bad ass 'puter. Ugly as sin, but powerful. The Asus UJC somethin'-or-other seems like a nice, reasonably powerful small laptop.
Just depends what folks need/want a computer for.
Cheers.
While I tend much more towards the generally happy side of things, I'm mixed with optimism on some fronts and pessimism on other fronts.
But I, too, tend to be frugal and research most purchases beyond what is generally necessary. I'm pretty frickin' picky most of the time, too.
Haven't seen the Vostro's too much, but they seem pretty similar in form and function as the Latitudes minus the docking ability. I really dig backlit keyboards, which is kinda a bummer 'cus not that many manufacturers offer them, so it limits options. Not sure I could deal with a 14" screen laptop, but generally, 14" screen laptops aren't all that much bigger than the 13" MB/MBP. Would love the border around the screen and keyboard shrunk on the 13" MB/MBP decreasing the footprint. It'll never happen, but an extra 1/2" narrower, even, would make the 13" seem so much smaller. Sigh.
The Alienware M11 definitely seems like a bad ass 'puter. Ugly as sin, but powerful. The Asus UJC somethin'-or-other seems like a nice, reasonably powerful small laptop.
Just depends what folks need/want a computer for.
Cheers.
If you want a nice looking laptop with a backlit keyboard, this one is also rather powerful.
HP Envy, comes in 13,15 and 17 inches, although Ive heard the Quad-Core i7 version suffers from overheating issues.
Good golly, so you experienced one glitch and make a thread about how you want to kill Apple? Relax and be glad it is trivial and you have a workaround if it ever crops up again. In the meantime, report the problem to Apple so that they can fix it (or at least try to reproduce the glitch).
Just visited the Dell Vostro website to compare models and sweet freewheeling Jesus is that a terrible designed layout. Even on my 1440x900 resolution screen I'm still seeing scroll bars going back and forth. The lines don't seem to follow any progression (which is better than the other). Screen sizes are all over the place, no base prices, random states for each line. The list goes on.
Not criticizing the Vostro or Dell itself, I'm sure they're great machines. Just commenting on that God-awful website layout. And surprised a multi-billion dollar company doesn't have a better design.
Not criticizing the Vostro or Dell itself, I'm sure they're great machines. Just commenting on that God-awful website layout. And surprised a multi-billion dollar company doesn't have a better design.
I think it's sort of silly.
A 4 year old MBP running Bootcamp/Win... You suspend the system without shutdown/logout and then force it back into OSX. You had the headphones in when you suspended Bootcamp/Win. Of course Bootcamp/Win is going to try to claim the headphone jack. Jeez... I would have expected you would have had to go back into Bootcamp/Win and close out properly. I would have had to do it on my HP VM to resolve it. ~Pebkad
A 4 year old MBP running Bootcamp/Win... You suspend the system without shutdown/logout and then force it back into OSX. You had the headphones in when you suspended Bootcamp/Win. Of course Bootcamp/Win is going to try to claim the headphone jack. Jeez... I would have expected you would have had to go back into Bootcamp/Win and close out properly. I would have had to do it on my HP VM to resolve it. ~Pebkad