Dual Booting

internetadam · 03-16-06, 03:34 PM

OK, its official. The MacBook Pro (intel macs in general, but this is laptop forum, so i'm going specific here) CAN boot windows xp sucessfully. This means you an now justify the macbook pro purchase with work since it will run windows.

you can head on over to engadget and check out the post about it since i'm too lazy to dig up the link right now. haha

all you need to do is get a win xp SP2 (must be SP2) cd, copy the files, patch it with the efi bootloader, reformat, reinstall osx, the load up windows. theres a detailed how to included with the patch.

enjoy all the osx/xp-on-1-hd goodness!

Driftless · 03-17-06, 01:04 AM

Unfortunately, it will boot up. There is a major issue with drivers right now for the Apple hardware. Even though it is a chip, or board that windows might see and it universal, it isn't certified yet, and most drivers are being testing right now just to see if they work or not with the way apple had them manufactured.

There is a lot more going on deep down than just loading and running. But I do see them becoming more and more stable in the future now that it was proved possible last night, just don't rush out immediately and do it thinking you will be able to do it instantly...besides, the way the windows CD has to be burned isn't legal......yet.

Here's the link to it:

http://onmac.net/
The Wiki has the info, and the forums have the discussion.

internetadam · 03-17-06, 02:48 PM

actually, i think it is legal, because you are not pirating anything, and i've seen the directions before on microsofts own site to create a custom install of xp, granted it was on the msdn section, but that would indicate that they are open to it at the least.

Driftless · 03-17-06, 06:55 PM

Open to it? I bet they are now...

"Run the latest copy of Windows on ALL Platforms."

Tht would sell more copies, and make Gates richer. They're open to it now. LOL

According to the EULA, it may be copied, but may only be ran on 1 device. If it is to be used for multiple installs, you would have to purchase multiple licenses, and if it were installed on another with the same license, you would have to re-activate the OS, and I'm pretty sure that they would throw a fit at you for that. Now buying a second copy...if it weren't so expensive I'm sure lots of folks would be up for it.

Grentz · 03-17-06, 07:37 PM

there are circumstances where you do need to recompile (rebuild) windows disks, so that is not totally illegal

Driftless · 03-17-06, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Gray Rentz

there are circumstances where you do need to recompile (rebuild) windows disks, so that is not totally illegal

Oh, I agree! All I'm getting at is that for the majority of users and what we have available, it is illegal to pull data off a standard XPSP2 disk to alter, remove or add data and rewrite the disk, in effect making an illegal copy.

Obviously there are more legal ramifications to be seen, and there also may be exceptions to rules now that it can be done.

internetadam · 03-18-06, 05:42 PM

i was reading on engadget that apple's legal team would "lay the smack down" on this before too long, but i think if anybody does, it will be ms's team since it is their cd and their os, but i don't think it would really matter to them, since it would increase their market share, or at the least, keep it where its at.

it should be interesting to see how this all plays out, thats for sure.

RICOUK · 03-18-06, 05:56 PM

If Surely M$ won't mind becuase they will sell more copies of their OS and Apple won't mind because to get a Mac you have to buy the OS anyway so they have made their money from you. It's win win for both companies.

Plus, why buy a Mac just to put Windows on, they are rubbish and PCs can be customised.

Grentz · 03-18-06, 07:23 PM

it is kinda a win win for both companies...but you never know, they are both also large companies that pretty much are in total all out competition with each other. Should be interesting to say the least!

internetadam · 03-19-06, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Gray Rentz

it is kinda a win win for both companies...but you never know, they are both also large companies that pretty much are in total all out competition with each other. Should be interesting to say the least!

i totally agree. this will be interesting to see all this play out. as much as i hate to admit it, i think i'm converting into a mac fanboy, because i find myself watching apple closer and closer, and ever since i got my black nano back in january, i've really liked them. in fact, i'm getting an intel mac laptop for when i go to college. i want something small, but if i have to "settle" for the macbook pro, i could deal with that, its just that i'd like something with a little better battery life than 3.5 hrs (while watching a dvd).

btw, when i do get my apple laptop, i would be glad to do a little write up for ipaqhq (

) to give a different perspective on computers, especially if i do get the macbook pro, because its got some pretty nice specs. for those of you who don't know, heres a quick run down:
intel core duo 2.0 ghz
1 gb ram
100 gb hdd
wi-fi
bt
radeon x1600 mobility (256 mb, possibly dedicated)
15.4" WS display
slot-loading super drive
built-in isight camera

one thing i know i'll do is a photoshop test. windows v mac os to find out which one really is faster at photoshop on the same computer.

Driftless · 03-19-06, 10:58 PM

For right now, that would be an extremely BAD test as Photoshop is not supported under the Intel Macs yet. It runs under a translation protocal called "Rosetta" and it SERIOUSLY impacts Photoshop, MS Office, and a few other high-end programs. Hell, even Apple's Aperture program is not supported yet.

Don't get me wrong, the programs WILL run, but until the newer programs are out (CS3, Office 2006, Aperture 2.0) they will be very slow.

You'd actually be surprised how many Mac users are here!

Besides...just because Windows can load up doesn't mean it runs well...they are still having many, many issues with drivers.

Originally Posted by Internetadam4657

one thing i know i'll do is a photoshop test. windows v mac os to find out which one really is faster at photoshop on the same computer.

internetadam · 03-20-06, 03:48 PM

yea, i guess i should have said when an intel native version comes out.

i knew about rosetta because i watch all the "stevenotes" religiously, even wwdc when they first announced the switch.

oh, and to add to the reason to wait, especially for the macbook pro users, theres a "minor" driver missing thats fairly important, the one that kinda controls the fan. (read that on engadget today)

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