Paranoid Bootcamper Seeks Reassurance

[BothBarsOn]

Hi all,

Stupid question alert: are there any circumstances in which it would become impossible to boot Windows on the Mac in the future? Could Apple suddenly drop Bootcamp (for whatever reason)? If they did, could 3rd party software step in to allow dual-booting?

I've just got a new i5/330m MBP and I find myself gobbling up games on Steam like crazy. Every time I do, I wonder if they could be snatched away some day ... Like I said, stupid question, and no big deal - just wondering.

Thanks.

PS I know Steam is coming to the Mac next week, but the catalogue will be tiny compared to the Windows side

 

[balamw]

Boot Camp came about because third parties figured out how to boot Windows on the Mac before Apple released anything.

Hard to put that genie back in the bottle.

B

 

[BothBarsOn]

Thanks for the reply. My credit card weeps.

 

[KeriJane]

Hi all,

Stupid question alert: are there any circumstances in which it would become impossible to boot Windows on the Mac in the future? Could Apple suddenly drop Bootcamp (for whatever reason)? If they did, could 3rd party software step in to allow dual-booting?


Thanks.

Hello.

Boot Camp is here to stay so far as Snow Leopard goes and for the foreseeable future.

There is no way Apple is going to remove Boot Camp from Snow Leopard.
It's possible that once OSX completely dominates the market they'll drop it but that probably won't be for a while. At least not till 10.8.

There is one thing that can stop your Windows installation cold: Windows Activation.

This has nothing to do with Apple or OSX.

"Windows Activation" can get triggered if you install Parallels or Fusion after activating Windows using Boot Camp.
If you are using the "Full Retail Boxed" version of Windows, re-activating is painless. At least it was for me.

If you are using an "OEM System Builders" variant of Windows, you will most likely have to phone in a re-activation request and hope that they allow a re-activation on a computer that technically wasn't "built" with Windows.
Explaining to Microsoft's Activation assistants that you're using "OEM" software on a Mac or under virtualization software (Parallels, Fusion) would be a bad idea.

To worsen the deal, if you re-boot Windows using Boot Camp after configuring it in Parallels, you'll lose the Parallels configuration and possibly have to re-activate again!

Full Retail Box is the way to go for Windows on a Mac. It's still a pain but at least you won't lose the license.

Have Fun,
Keri

PS. Windows is just a passing fad. Sooner or later it'll be an all-UNIX world.
(I read this prediction about 10 years ago, OSX is only the beginning)

 

[j4g3rb0mb3d]

If you are using an OEM license, hide Windows Update KB971033 from updating. You'll never have an activation problem again.

 

[BothBarsOn]

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Bengt77]

If you are using an "OEM System Builders" variant of Windows, you will most likely have to phone in a re-activation request and hope that they allow a re-activation on a computer that technically wasn't "built" with Windows.
Explaining to Microsoft's Activation assistants that you're using "OEM" software on a Mac or under virtualization software (Parallels, Fusion) would be a bad idea.

I'm running the Vista 64-bit OEM System Builder's edition on my MacBook. It runs beautifully. If you keep the OS running on just one computer, you won't ever have to re-activate. Well, I've never had to, at least. Why would you have to; under what circumstances would it be necessary? Really, the OEM versions are a great way to save some money and still run Windows legally.

 

[balamw]

Really, the OEM versions are a great way to save some money and still run Windows legally.

I think it's quite amusing that you linked the Microsoft Licensing for Hobbyists (don't do it) and Ed Bott articles under that text (go ahead), since it is relatively clear from both of those links that Microsoft does not license OEM to end users and thus the "legality" of end user OEM use is a grey area at best.

If you are considering OEM use, please read those links and the license itself (at the end of the Licensing for Hobbyists page) before you do so and decide for yourself if the savings are worth it.

B

 

[Bengt77]

True; you're right. It's a very grey area for sure. What people must understand when going ahead and ordering the OEM version, is that they basically give up any chance of receiving support from Microsoft. As the thing with the OEM Windows versions is that they're supposed to be supported by the person who built their system. Since that person, in these cases, are the end-users themselves, they are their own support persons.

I have to issues with all that; I'm quite at home in Windows. If you don't know your way around Windows at all, though, you're being foolish in choosing any OEM Windows version.

 

[balamw]

If you don't know your way around Windows at all, though, you're being foolish in choosing any OEM Windows version.

That's the point that gets missed in all the "OEM is the same as retail" posts. It's basically a "if you have to ask, you don't want to know" type issue.

If you already know your way around Windows and its multitude of variants, you don't need to be asking can/should I get OEM or retail. If you don't, stick with the only type that is supported by both Apple and Microsoft: full retail.

If you think you still want to go OEM, do some of your own research before going down that path.

B