Hi guys, hope this is a change from all the new MBP threads. Anyway, for bootcamp (and I guess VMWare aswell) should I install Windows 7 in 64-bit or 32? I am running a mid 09 15'' 2.8ghz MBP, it isn't customised, so stock parts.
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Windows 7 64-bit or 32?
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64-bit for sure, you can still run 32-bit apps on it, but get the speed bonus & extra apps available with 64-bit.
Okay, now about this speed boost, is it major? Like will it be like i5 and C2D or just like a 2.8ghz and a 2.6?
As mentioned above, 32-bit can only recognize something like 3 & 1/2 GB RAM, so if you have 4+, 64-bit will be considerably faster.
I think OS X can support allot more RAM than windows, although you would have to ask someone who knew for sure, this never made sense to me either, yet people still put 32GB in their Mac Pro systems well before Snow Leopard.
EDIT: Taken from Apple's website:
The 64-bit transition.
The entire computing industry is moving from 32-bit to 64-bit technology and it’s easy to see why. Today’s Mac computers can hold up to 32GB of physical memory, but the 32-bit applications that run on them can address only 4GB of RAM at a time. 64-bit computing shatters that barrier by enabling applications to address a theoretical 16 billion gigabytes of memory, or 16 exabytes. It also enables computers to process twice the number of instructions per clock cycle, which can dramatically speed up numeric calculations and other tasks. Earlier versions of Mac OS X have offered a range of 64-bit capabilities. Now Snow Leopard takes the next step in the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit.
Good choice. It works as good as the 32bit version (just remember to download 64bit versions of applications if available).
I have no experience with windows 7. I take it that non-64 bit applications can still run if you install a 64 bit version of Windows 7 right?
Yeap, Win 7 64bit.
But which version for games? Home Premium or Pro or Ultimate? MS state only the Pro and Ultimate versions have the XP compatibility mode on them?
But which version for games? Home Premium or Pro or Ultimate? MS state only the Pro and Ultimate versions have the XP compatibility mode on them?
If you ask me theres really no difference between Home Premium, Pro & Ultimate, I only have Ultimate because thats what my friend had the installation disk for.
Yeah I never really got what the different versions were for. Does anyone know what exactly the real difference is to the user at the end of the day?
If you have ram that is over 3.25 gb, a 64 bit OS is for you. If you have anything below 3.25gb of ram, then a 32 bit OS is for you.
Just differences such as Pro and Ultimate XP mode, I think also Professional and above have domain support and I think Ultimate has BitLocker but Pro and lower version do not. Just those kind of things which most users won't really care about.
I only got Pro because it was the same price as Home Premium with my student discount!
I.e. it is confusing and not very clear at all. I don't even know what BitLocker is. And what is domain support?
The only reason I can think of in this day and age to run a 32-bit OS is if you need 16-bit app compatibility (decade+ old software) or don't have a 64-bit computer (Core Duo).
Well BitLocker is just like Apple's FileVault I think - encrypts your files except on a Mac you don't need to pay for an "Ultimate" version to get it... and as for domain support, anyone correct me if I am wrong but I think it's just if you type a username/password at login which logs you into a college/company network so you can access their services/applications instead of logging in as a local user on the actual machine.
will win7 64-bit run on my late 08 aluminum MB? I have heard both ways, windows tells me yes when running it, but I don't know if it officially supports it.
Thanks! It always annoyed me how Microsoft released so many versions of their software. Deliberately to make more money no doubt, but it is great with OS X that everyone gets everything for the same price.
Hmmm, still not sure? I've had the RC1 version but that's the full wack ultimate so can't really go by that. And as that runs out next month, think I may get a copy as 7 is much easier to use then XP. But as I understand, if you have older PC games as I have, then you need to use some sort of compatibility mode but I don't know if this is in all versions of 7?
On the MS site it's not clear:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx
It states Windows XP mode is not in the Home Premium edition but makes no statement if you need that for the games!!! Damn MS haha. When I googled the earliest game I could fine was Quake 2 which is way older then my oldest game I have but again that I think was on 7 Ultimate.
On the MS site it's not clear:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx
It states Windows XP mode is not in the Home Premium edition but makes no statement if you need that for the games!!! Damn MS haha. When I googled the earliest game I could fine was Quake 2 which is way older then my oldest game I have but again that I think was on 7 Ultimate.
I thought it was an xp emulator, so if you didnt need to load anything then no you don't need the xp emulation, its not like win 7 has super backwards compatibility its not a game console.
AFAIK Any copy of Windows 7 can run under Win XP compatibility mode, however Pro and above also include the ability to run a full copy of XP in a vm. It's by Microsoft themselves so better support and no need for VMware or VirtualBox etc.
See here.