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Video of Windows XP Booting on iMac

My Two Pennies

I wonder if that windows 'flag' screen is like the apple screen. Something that covers up what ever its doing in the background. Maybe an openfirmware hack to push boot params from EFI to legacy? Seems rather odd not to just let it go to the normal black screen with grey blocks across the bottom. Acctually my first thought was that he was running a version of Vista. The shakiness might come from him holding the camera while taking the video? I remain skeptical, only because I want to convince my boss to buy me a 'tel Mini to prove we can boot windows on it so we can buy a lab of sub $600 dollar computers than can be easily portable. But with Novell it just costs to much to get OSX lic. for the client, hence WinMac. (more I just want a 'tel Mini to play with :) )
 
Counter said:
I bet Bill isn't quad cpu aware, let alone his steaming pile of brain-**** XP :D
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Um, XP Pro is Quad aware. I should know I have it running as such at home.

Cheers,

:: Chuck
 
matd said:
Was someone able to read (decrypt) the configuration on the Control Panel ??? Curiously these most interesting things were quickly skipped.
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I looked at the video full screen and frame by frame and picked out some of the Hardware configs.

First they have created a 200MB FAT32 disk that I would guess they use to boot up with- There are 2 other partitions on the HD, 1 for OSX and one for Windows.
The other thing I noticed is that like most all newer computers, XP does not have the drivers for the built in hardware. From what I could see on the video, Drivers will need to be collected for the built in isight (USB), the Network card, The ATI video, and most likely the sound card. Only the webcam driver will be hard to come by- mostly because we have no idea who makes it. From what I saw in the video , I’d say that this approach will result in a fully functional XP (or Vista) system, that will in fact be a very good windows computer.
 
Jorey3969 said:
Why cant they just make a better movie, and take some good pictures, and just provide better evidence?
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They're providing the best evidence of all, they've passed along their solution so that others can test it and verify that it works. Who cares about how good the movie or pictures are, they're taking them with what they have, which is a phone camera.

People are such whiners. These guys figure out this big technical feat, and you complain the avi is out of focus?
 
tdar said:
I looked at the video full screen and frame by frame and picked out some of the Hardware configs.

First they have created a 200MB FAT32 disk that I would guess they use to boot up with- There are 2 other partitions on the HD, 1 for OSX and one for Windows.
The other thing I noticed is that like most all newer computers, XP does not have the drivers for the built in hardware. From what I could see on the video, Drivers will need to be collected for the built in isight (USB), the Network card, The ATI video, and most likely the sound card. Only the webcam driver will be hard to come by- mostly because we have no idea who makes it. From what I saw in the video , I’d say that this approach will result in a fully functional XP (or Vista) system, that will in fact be a very good windows computer.
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I can't wait for Intel macbook.. If this holds up true, I am buying one and dual boot it to my happiness !!
 
kjs862 said:
I rated this thread as negative. For me Apple computers represent a product that is exclusive, when you factor the fact that you can add a Microsoft OS onto a Apple computer, it makes it less exclusive.

I think a big part of Apple's success as far as ease of use is concerned has to do with their tight integration within their own products. For example iTunes and the iPod. If they loose this and allow Microsoft's OS to boot up on Apple's computers who knows what will happen. We may find more virus's heading our way, or we might find all other windows glitches on our Apple computers. I can understand how people need applications that just run on Microsoft's OS, but if that's the case don't buy a Apple computer, or buy both. Just my two cents.

Ken
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Sorry, I disagree.

Apple computers are no more exclusive that a $500 run out of the mill Dell with an insideous chip incorporated into the computer at MY expense that is actively working against me, the LEGAL owner.

I find this hack a good thing. A computer is a computer. Yes, that includes a "Mac" too. Same CPU, same buses, same architecture, same everything.

You may live in a country where people of various ethnic groups have a variety of DRMed inplants around their.... *parts* and can't procreate together, but here everything is free and open. Computers should be the same.

I don't care about Apple's hardware-software integration. Sure, it is well done, but who is to say that it is perfect and should be dictated upon me, the LEGAL PAYING owner?

No one.
 
age234 said:
Right, but you're not looking long-term. If this kind of thing goes mainstream, with time there will be no reason for companies to make Mac apps. Slowly, people will trickle back into using Windows as there are fewer and fewer Mac apps. Eventually, Macs will be down to a base of pro musicians, video editors, and compositors using Apple's pro software. Back to the "Macs are for creative pros" myth, back to the mid-90s when Apple was langushing in despair.
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This argument is beating the same old dead horse. Using this line of logic, companies could have done this a long time ago and just told PowerPC Mac users to get a copy of Virtual PC with Windows XP in order to run their programs. Large software vendors who currently do make Mac software aren't that stupid enough to cut their own throat when they have a revenue stream with that native software nor are they going to suddenly stop writing for the Mac just because Windows can either be dual booted or run virtualized at near native speeds by expecting their customers to have to go out, buy a retail version of Windows, get their machines to dual boot or setup a virtualization software, and purchase their Windows-only program.

When Adobe and Microsoft needed to carbonize for Mac OS X, they could have done it then. Their respective Windows markets were much larger. Yet, they ported. They both could have told off Intel Mac users to not expect any universal binaries of their software and to just wait for a Windows dual boot/virtualization solution. Both are working at moving that code base to Xcode.

If anything, this value added capability will grow the Mac's mindshare especially amongst those who may have originally found it a risky proposition to consider a Mac. Now the possibility exists to have two legally usable environments in one system which is desirable for those of us who have no choice but to use Windows apps. This also now makes it attractive to that small market of Windows users who are actually looking at the Mac but are hesistant because of a greater number of issues with the most important one being able to use previously purchased software. This allows the ability to transition at their own pace by preserving their previous Windows software investments. None of this has a bearing on those Windows users who are happily content with Windows and/or don't even realize there is an alternative as well as current Mac users who have no need for this. No one is putting a gun to any Mac users head and saying you need to dual boot or you have to run virtualization software. This is currently a niche solution for a smaller number of Mac and Windows users. It has the potential to sell Mac's to those who may not have ever considered one before. If this can impact Apple's marketshare upwards, this will give software vendors more incentive to develop for the Mac, not retreat from it.
 
deadturtle said:
I wonder if that windows 'flag' screen is like the apple screen. Something that covers up what ever its doing in the background. Maybe an openfirmware hack to push boot params from EFI to legacy? Seems rather odd not to just let it go to the normal black screen with grey blocks across the bottom. Acctually my first thought was that he was running a version of Vista.
Click to expand...

I've seen custom boot screens on Windows XP (I have one) and I've read you can do it too with a custom Windows XP disc (using a program like nLite) so that's not a big concern.

What's getting me is that light to the right of the screen when it turns back on. Also, does anyone with an iMac know if the light glows when you restart the computer or start it from a cold stop?
 
age234 said:
I can't see much good coming out of this.

When all kinds of people have Windows on their Macs and they start getting all the viruses that go along with it, think of the bad press Apple is going to get. They'll never mention that it's *Windows* getting the viruses, just that thousands of viruses are on peoples' Macs.
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If there is a big Windows virus it would effect all Windows computers. I don't think that people reporting it would care about the small number of Macs running XP that were affected. People may be stupid, but I think they realize that it is the OS that gets the virus not the hardware. All it will do is emphasize that Mac running OS X were not infected and Windows is the problem!

If we want to climb into the conspiracy theory tree, we never saw anyone operating anything. It could have been a video playing fullscreen.
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I think it is funny that people are still trying to find reasons this may not be true. The idea was submitted for testing. Can we really not all wait a few days to hear the results? I am sure those lucky nine people who are trying this are going to start the minute they get the instructions, not put it off for a few weeks!
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Then again, drinking nothing but Mac-zealot kool-aid can produce results like the guy above who thinks OS 9 is better than XP. :rolleyes:
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Blackboard and chalk is better than XP.
 
pjkelnhofer said:
People may be stupid, but I think they realize that it is the OS that gets the virus not the hardware.
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Want me to link a bunch of posts from these forums that prove some people think otherwise? They usually run along the lines of "OMG, now that Macs are going Intel, won't they be more susceptible to viruses?"
 
capran said:
Except for that odd initial boot screen, white with the Windows XP logo?
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Yeah, wouldn't something like this have looked cooler?
 

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Just in case people are wondering the 200 MB FAT32 partition is what stores the EFI stuff. This is already present on Intel Mac's.

Apparently the XP install stuff is working quite well, as the osx86project people are mentioning. Waiting for more information.
 
weldon said:
Just wanted to point out that it is perfectly legit to buy the OEM version of Windows XP Media Center from Newegg.com for only $115. Media Center Edition is a superset of XP Pro so you get support for the Core Duo as well.
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That and a MacMini Core Duo + 2 or 4 USB TV tuners and you have a GREAT HTPC\DVR
 
tdar said:
one MacBook tester and one Imac tester report that it works!
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Where are you seeing this? Just want to know so I can see what it works on because I'd LOVE it to work on my new Mini (once I order it :))
 
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