Only Windows XP on my MacBook

[tommyz23]

Lodewijk,

I'm using my macbook as a Windows XP machine. I have bootcamp on it and the default OS is XP. I can't remember the last time I booted into the Apple OS.

I'm not real happy with apple and it's the last piece of apple equipment I will buy. The driver support from apple for windows doesn't seem to be perfect. I was never able to update to the latest bootcamp, but everything seems to be running OK.

The only reason I bought the macbook was because I wanted to give apple OS a try. I didn't find anything appealing about it so I stuck with windows.

I may update it to windows 7 in the future, but I'm worried about having problems, because of it being apple hardware.

But yes you can install Windows XP and just ignore the apple OS.

 

[Lodewijk]

Thank you very much, Tommyz23.

I don't know how long a mac usually lasts, but it would make no sense to me to put short lasting content in a forever lasting solid metal case.

I always run my browsers and e-mail in Sandboxie, so the chances of getting malware are very slim. On top of that I have Avira AV and both work on the Mac. My current backup program won't work on it, so I'll just get compatible backups software.

I just now read that Microsoft will support xp at least until 2020:
http://www.techlineinfo.com/microsoft-will-continue-downgrade-support-to-windows-xp-until-2020/

I am even contemplating getting the previous model 13" MBA. I only need one USB, and don't mind getting the SuperDrive for it. Stereo I can get with my headphones. That model -in the box- is "only" €949 ($1.295) where I live. I find the screen a bit small, but with Windows xp and the full screen of Opera -F11- it might be all right for me.

Would xp work as well on the MBA as on the Pro you think? I read something about heat and the fan running constantly and at high speed on the MBA... but could that be because it was used with the OS X, and would not occur with only xp on it?
(I just mailded CoolBook asking if it would work on a Mac with only Windows xp on it.)

You still have the Mac OS on your machine, even though you don't use it. I would like to just have Windows xp, no OS X at all, not even a part of it somewhere on my Mac, since I would never use it anyway... unless the Mac couldn't work without it.

 

[Mal67]

I had xp on a bootcamped partition so I could run office 2007. I got tired of switching from one to the other and ended up getting a good deal on a windows 7 machine and am now running that with w7 and office 2010 and some other progs. I got rid of the xp partition which has now given me some space back on the mac hd. Two machines but they are both getting lots of use

 

[tommyz23]

Lodewijk,

If your not going to be using the apple software, why are you getting a mac computer? You probably could get a better deal on a windows based PC, granted it will come with Windows 7, but you could always dual-boot Windows XP on the machine.

 

[balamw]

I don't know how long a mac usually lasts, but it would make no sense to me to put short lasting content in a forever lasting solid metal case.

Macs make lousy XP only boxes due to the issue that tommyz23 brought up. The drivers Apple provides for some of their special hardware, well frankly, ... suck. (e.g. the trackpad is heavenly under OS X and a pain under Windows, the battery life suffers under Windows due to poor power management, etc..., etc...)

A big part of what makes the Mac "last longer" than a typical Windows box is OS X. The driver support for the hardware and the superior power management (at least on a Mac).

B

 

[Lodewijk]

I just received an offer from my boss -TNT Mail- to buy the Macbook Pro -mc371- with a 10% discount... more temptation.

With bootcamp it is possible to run xp -I understand now- without removing Mac's OS.
1. If I would leave Mac's OS on the machine, and only use xp, how would that influence the trackpad, if it would at all?
2. Since the Mac uses non-removable batteries, is it possible somehow to turn off the charging of the batteries while the Mac is plugged into an AC outlet? I learned that keeping lithium ion batteries charged 40% their life lasts much longer:
"For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level."
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

 

[balamw]

I just received an offer from my boss -TNT Mail- to buy the Macbook Pro -mc371- with a 10% discount... more temptation.

Nothing wrong with a 10% discount.

1. The multi-touch trackpad is awesome (IMHO) in OS X, and provides basic functionality with Windows. If you run Windows XP in a Virtual Machine, rather than native on the Mac you will get more of the features of the trackpad enabled because you are using the OS X drivers which are then virtualized to Windows.

2. You are not storing a charged battery unless you are not using the machine so ignore that article. The batteries will generally give you many years of performance and can be replaced by Apple for a modest fee. http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/service/battery/ Not much higher than the cost of a "normal" laptop battery. If you really want to extend the life of your battery in a Mac follow Apple's recommendations for calibrating the battery and use Coconut battery to track its performance under OS X. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1490 http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/

B

 

[MacSignal]

@ Lodewijk: If you love XP and are determined to stay with it on higher quality hardware, I would suggest shopping for a business class Windows laptop that offers an XP "downgrade" option.

 

[balamw]

I would suggest shopping for a business class Windows laptop that offers an XP "downgrade" option.

AFAIK as of October 22, 2010 OEMs can no-longer pre-install the downgrade or do anything other than give you the right to downgrade to XP with media you provide.

IMHO all hardware will run best with the OS it was designed for, and for most purposes XP runs well in a VM on modern hardware (so much so that W7 Pro/Ultimate come with a pre-activated XP VM). I honestly don't understand the drive some folks have to stick with XP despite the effort.

B

 

[Lodewijk]

I am glad to know that it is better to keep the original OS and that the battery on a Mac lasts for years, and that replacing it is not too expensive.
This I will keep in mind for the time my current laptop -an Amilo- is not reparable anymore. Because I just found out from the repair guy who looked at it that he'll fix it. Right after my last post here I watched a clip full screen on YouTube about running xp on a MBA, and after a minute the screen froze, and the sound changed into that of a machine gun. This had happened many times before, but this time my old trick of letting it cool off -or start it in safe mode, and then back to normal mode- failed: only a black screen appeared, time and again.
For €150 new chipset for video will be installed, and a new cooler. "I'll save you €1400!" he laughed. Because even with the 10% discount it would have cost me over €1550.

The Amilo I have -silver top, silver back of lid, black keyboard- I have looks a bit like a Mac anyway...

Maybe next time it will be a Mac I'll get. Thanks for all the helpful info.

 

[shanghai3110]

only XP on my macbook PRO

I am running a summer 2010 PRO purely on windows XP as thats the only system compatible with the server we had. We"re changing server software and now Mac OS is also OK hence I want bootcamp set up. I have been trying to get the Mac OSX installed but everytime I boot I am stuck at a grey screen with the apple logo. All option I could find I have tried. Any good suggestions?