Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Bootcamp advice

  • 08-12-2009 1:01pm
    #1
    quad_red
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,564 ✭✭✭


    I got a Macbook last month (2.26ghz, nvidia 9400m, 2 gb ram etc.)

    As I get ready to sell my pc laptop, I am looking at my options in terms of bootcamp in order to be able to mess around with a few games if I wanted to.

    Basically, so I can use the games I've bought off steam. Now, my laptop had Vista which I wasn't a fan of.

    So my choices are XP or Windows 7.

    I am sort of dismayed to find out that XP compatability mode isn't in 7 Premium. That means I'd have to go the whole hog and get Ultimate.

    Any advice? Should I jump to 7 or stick with XP? What sort of games will run on the macbook? Anything reasonably new?
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Rulmeq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,101 ✭✭✭Rulmeq


    If you are going the bootcamp route, you're current options are XP or Vista. Windows 7 isn't supported yet (I'd hope to see something early in the new year on this).

    You do have other options though, you can try Parallels, or VmWare Fusion (paid options) or Sun's Virtual Box (currently free, might change after it comes out of beta). These are probably better options anyway, as they don't require a reboot whenever you want to do something on windows.


  • #3
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Do you need XP compatibility?


  • #4
    quad_red
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,564 ✭✭✭quad_red


    Rulmeq: I don't think I'd need to 'hotswap' into windows. I'd only use it really if I wanted to use Steam etc.
    Sean_K wrote: »
    Do you need XP compatibility?

    Yeah, I'd want to use Steam. And I have a little gadget to convert VHS to digital. It runs on Vista but I'm not sure about Windows 7.


  • #5
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    quad_red wrote: »
    Rulmeq: I don't think I'd need to 'hotswap' into windows. I'd only use it really if I wanted to use Steam etc.



    Yeah, I'd want to use Steam. And I have a little gadget to convert VHS to digital. It runs on Vista but I'm not sure about Windows 7.

    I use Steam on windows 7 no problem.

    If something runs on vista then it should run on 7.

    But as Rulmeq said, 7 isn't supported by bootcamp yet.


  • #6
    Rb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭Rb


    I've got 7 running on bootcamp flawlessly. It actually runs really, really nicely.

    The only problem I'm currently facing is that there's no support for the macbook touchpad, which is fine because I mainly use 7 when playing games so have a mouse anyway.

    Apple have said they'll be releasing the bootcamp support for 7 before the new year anyway so there's no panic. I've got Windows 7 Professional 64bit on 2gb of ram at the moment, but I'll be upgrading to 4gb in Jan so if you're willing to upgrade your ram, I'd say go with the 64 bit version.

    With regards to Xp mode in 7, afaik it's only in Professional and Ultimate. I wouldn't bother with ultimate though, there's not much difference between it and Professional, apart from that it comes with 32 languages in the box. (afaik).

    I've had absolutely no problem using 32bit programs on 7 either, it seems to be completely compatible with everything produced for vista and XP so far.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Trojan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,414 ✭✭✭✭Trojan


    I've been running Windows 7 (32bit) since the Beta on my Macbook Air. Here it is back in March:
    3349539522_1b06b8dc77.jpg

    The Beta ran fine back then, as did the Release Candidate during the summer. Now it's running the full release of Win 7 Ultimate (N version). I installed with Bootcamp 2.0 (the version on my MacOSX disk), then updated Bootcamp to 2.1 then 2.2.

    Works a treat, I love the MBA hardware and I'm very happy with Windows 7. Just need to disable that annoying bootup sound and we're away :)
    Rb wrote: »
    The only problem I'm currently facing is that there's no support for the macbook touchpad, which is fine because I mainly use 7 when playing games so have a mouse anyway.

    The reason I went through the hassle of the 2.0 -> 2.1 -> 2.2 upgrade was to get the tap to click on the touchpad.

    If you're on a MacBook with similar soundcard to the Air you may need the Realtek drivers (go through their site and get the filename, then google it to find a source that is quicker than their 10k/s).

    🎙️ The Recognized Authority Podcast



  • #8
    quad_red
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,564 ✭✭✭quad_red


    Just thought I'd give an update.

    I installed Windows 7 tonight. Absolutely straight forward. The one issue is no wireless - everything else, the isight camera, bluetooth, the trackpad etc. all work perfectly.

    Read a few sites detailing this as well and will take a whack at sorting it out tomorrow.

    But I was surprised at how painless it all was.


Advertisement