Windows on a new Mac - blasphemy I know, but is it okay...?

[-DeaDLocK-]

To cut a long story short, I need a laptop for the business that has a six-pin Firewire port. The only ones I know of are the ones Apple make. Never used a Mac in my life. Hardcore Microsoft power user since DOS 5 days. Need to put software on it and take it out on the field pronto, which means not a lot of time to learn OS X.

Plan is to get a basic boggo MacBook and shoehorn Windows onto it and use it like I would a Dell. Quick glances on Google results are saying absolutely no problem with doing this since Apple have gone x86.

True? Any thoughts? Is it stupid?

Thanks.

[page3]

Not tried it, but take a look at:

www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

and

www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

[magic torch]

Not caused me any problems. There may be the odd issue here and there, but I've not heard of anything significant.

Good site for help www.macwindows.com

[-DeaDLocK-]

Great links chaps. Thanks a lot.

[RobDickinson]

Mate has a new powerbook and runs maOS and XP no problems, did have some driver issues for a few things early on.

[UpTheIron]

I went a step further than Bootcamp or Parallels...

1. Buy MacBook
2. Boot in OSX, update firmware
3. Insert Windows XP CD
4. Reboot, boot from CD
5. Blow away all existing partitions
6. Continue with XP install

Note: Step 2 is important, and you will have to somehow boot using OSX (e.g. external HDD) to repeat in future.

[ThePassenger]

UpTheIron said:

I went a step further than Bootcamp or Parallels...

1. Buy MacBook
2. Boot in OSX, update firmware
3. Insert Windows XP CD
4. Reboot, boot from CD
5. Blow away all existing partitions
6. Continue with XP install

Note: Step 2 is important, and you will have to somehow boot using OSX (e.g. external HDD) to repeat in future.

I believe the BootCamp install can generate a driver CD? If so that'd make this route quite simple.

[m12_nathan]

A driver cd doesn't update the firmware, given they seen to update it every few months it's best to keep a way of booting to OSX (external HDD). Beware the lack of # key and various other annoyances when useing the weird Mac keyboard in windows (like no ability to change the screen brightness or volume using the correct keys).

[magic torch]

Could always boot into OS X on an external hard drive or another machine. Handy if you've got a iPod with some space.

[bobthemonkey]

www.microanvika.com/product.asp?TXT=INFO&PNO=CAR54242&ref=froogle&cam=CAR54242&key=141863
£24 v £750ish

Or am I missing something?

[ThePassenger]

bobthemonkey said:

www.microanvika.com/product.asp?TXT=INFO&PNO=CAR54242&ref=froogle&cam=CAR54242&key=141863
£24 v £750ish

Or am I missing something?

Those PCMCIA cards are unpowered ports. And I think they recently changed the standard for PC Cards and the MBP won't accept that one anyway

[-DeaDLocK-]

bobthemonkey said:

www.microanvika.com/product.asp?TXT=INFO&PNO=CAR54242&ref=froogle&cam=CAR54242&key=141863
£24 v £750ish

Or am I missing something?

Yep - most of those six-pin ports are unpowered. I'm using something at the moment on an old laptop where the card comes with a hole for auxillary power, so I have an AC adapter plugged into my PCMCIA card to supply the requisite power to the correct terminals, but it is hardly elegant.

The thing is I need to buy a new laptop anyway, so rather than it being a PC with a card and a messy adapter I figured it would just be easier (if a lot more expensive, like for like) to go out and get a Mac.

[PJR]

I've put windows XP on a Macbook via Bootcamp. Was all very painless, and works as well as XP can be expected to.
Also, the latest beta of Parallels can now work from the Bootcamp windows partition. So you don't need 2 installs of windows anymore. Pretty much the best of both worlds now.

I dont really use Windows though.. I just installed it to see if Windows was really as bad as I had remembered it to be. And it is

P,

[anonymous-user]

I'm using parallels on an iMac and it works a treat. I even think the Windows apps I'm running under XP run faster than on my old Windows machine.

[ThePassenger]

garyhun said:

I'm using parallels on an iMac and it works a treat. I even think the Windows apps I'm running under XP run faster than on my old Windows machine.

Probably do. The iMac has a Core Duo processor and I believe the best Intel chipset to compliment that processor.