Windows & Linux without any Mac OS/X at all

[pinsrw]

Hi all,

I've always been a fan of Apple's hardware, but their OS uses fonts that I my eyes simply can't focus on. They look quite blurry to me, and I've compared them side by side with PCs at my local bigbox store and been amazed at how sharp Windows fonts are by comparison. (Yes turning off font smoothing doesn't help.)

So I'm curious if anyone here has completely replaced Mac OS/X with Windows XP and/or Linux and if so, what drivers issues came up.

I don't have a Mac now but locally the MBP 13 2010 is on sale for $1k so I may spring for it. It's either that of buy a Lenovo sight-unseen by mail. Apple and Lenovo are the only companies making laptops that I can tolerate.

Thanks.

 

[flopticalcube]

It can be done but its generally considered wise to keep a small (say 20GB) OSX partition for firmware updates.

 

[pinsrw]

It can be done but its generally considered wise to keep a small (say 20GB) OSX partition for firmware updates.

I guess I see the point in that, but how does the Apple boot loader work? For instance, does it start up with a menu that I can set to automatically boot to Windows or Linux if I don't don't press a key or touch the trackpad?

 

[flopticalcube]

I guess I see the point in that, but how does the Apple boot loader work? For instance, does it start up with a menu that I can set to automatically boot to Windows or Linux if I don't don't press a key or touch the trackpad?

Yes. For an OSX/Windows setup, you can specify the startup volume in either OSX System Preferences or Windows Bootcamp Tools. You can also use other boot loaders like refit.

 

[taylermatt42146]

If you're only going to be using it for windows then I would recommend going with Lenovo. I mainly say this because in a lot of cases Bootcamp isn't as much as a Windows experience as a PC is. Mac's have amazing features, but most of the features that sold me on a mac are either not there in Windows, or they are crippled.

http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html

Here's a windows/mac font style comparison chart if you're interested. It kind of leads me to believe that the mac you were looking at had some issues with it.

 

[mrsavage1]

i have dumped my retail win 7 hd into my macbook pro. it works right out of the box(need to install drivers though). So no u definitely don't need osx(although the mabook would function a lot better with osx).

 

[pinsrw]

It kind of leads me to believe that the mac you were looking at had some issues with it.

Every time I've used Mac OS/X, the fonts are blurry. I've tried many Macs in stores (perhaps twenty) and this is always the case. I can see how people might get used to it over time but I'd rather not.

In general, in order for my eyes to focus, they need to need a definite, sharp feature to latch onto. It's just like with a digital camera's auto-focus. There has to be something sharp or else the focus isn't precise. But Mac fonts are always blurry. I think over time it could only degrade one's vision.

I could see how graphic designers and photographers might like the Mac, because they focus on graphics that do have sharp edges, and text that is large. But for word processing these smaller blurry fonts are a problem, and I found that turning off font smoothing at the one store that allowed that with reboot didn't help.

 

[pinsrw]

So no u definitely don't need osx(although the macbook would function a lot better with osx).

What features of the Macbook/pro don't work under Windows?

I should think that video acceleration, sound, wireless work fine. Is there a particular feature that has problems?

How is the battery life? Does the computer sleep like normal when you close the lid?

Thanks.

 

[xi mezmerize ix]

i have dumped my retail win 7 hd into my macbook pro. it works right out of the box(need to install drivers though). So no u definitely don't need osx(although the mabook would function a lot better with osx).

What was the point of buying a Mac?

Hi all,

I've always been a fan of Apple's hardware, but their OS uses fonts that I my eyes simply can't focus on. They look quite blurry to me, and I've compared them side by side with PCs at my local bigbox store and been amazed at how sharp Windows fonts are by comparison. (Yes turning off font smoothing doesn't help.)

Thanks.

I'm the opposite. I can't stand the fonts in Windows...at least for XP...i've never used vista or 7.

 

[xi mezmerize ix]

What features of the Macbook/pro don't work under Windows?

I should think that video acceleration, sound, wireless work fine. Is there a particular feature that has problems?

How is the battery life? Does the computer sleep like normal when you close the lid?

Thanks.

I feel like the battery drains faster in windows, the keyboard backlight always comes on when i start up (not really an issue), graphics drivers dont install for me, and using the trackpad is an annoyance. Other than that its just like a PC.
It does sleep when u close the lid but its not the same sleep as in osx...i think.

 

[matticus008]

I've always been a fan of Apple's hardware, but their OS uses fonts that I my eyes simply can't focus on. They look quite blurry to me, and I've compared them side by side with PCs at my local bigbox store and been amazed at how sharp Windows fonts are by comparison. (Yes turning off font smoothing doesn't help.)

And they have been amazed at how jagged and poorly rendered Windows fonts are by comparison. They're just ugly.

They're not out of focus by any measure on the Mac; they're just not overcompensated for screen presentation like on Windows. There is absolutely no physical differentiation--your eyes are not better or worse in either environment.

It is entirely psychological. I'm of course not questioning your preference--if you like the way they look on Windows, that's fine. But it is purely a subjective preference and it is absolutely incorrect to suggest otherwise.

I can see how people might get used to it over time but I'd rather not.

On the contrary, the fonts are painstakingly rendered with the absolute highest typeface fidelity. People "got used" to Windows fonts going the other direction, because Windows alters the typeface design to fit pixel boundaries. Apple, true to the design professional, shows the typeface as it was drawn.

I'm not sure what you mean by "smaller" fonts--since the presentation in terms of line height is identical on either platform.

There has to be something sharp or else the focus isn't precise. But Mac fonts are always blurry. I think over time it could only degrade one's vision.

No.

If it's something that bothers you, you can by all means run Windows exclusively on the computer. System firmware updates are rare, and even when they're released, they usually have no affect in Windows. You will give up some functionality for the odds and ends--the touchpads and power management drivers from Apple just aren't as good as OS X (on the other hand, the graphics performance tends to be better with the nVidia drivers). If battery life is a concern, you should buy a Lenovo. You won't be getting anywhere near 7 hours with Windows.

 

[balamw]

I feel like the battery drains faster in windows, the keyboard backlight always comes on when i start up (not really an issue), graphics drivers dont install for me, and using the trackpad is an annoyance. Other than that its just like a PC.
It does sleep when u close the lid but its not the same sleep as in osx...i think.

Note: The battery life is comparable to a similarly specced PC, but much less than the same hardware running OS X.

Audio drivers are another place where many folks complain it isn't as loud under Windows as OS X.

There are third party drivers/utilities for the backlight and audio drivers. I'm a bit surprised no enterprising soul has written a replacement trackpad driver.

B