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Review: Apple Boot Camp Public Beta

by Bob Crabtree on 13 April 2006, 11:57

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qafgc

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Final thoughts and links


The only issues I noted in normal Windows use were that neither the iSight camera nor the keyboard backlight worked. That doesn't bother me much but others may use these devices more than I do. But, as I said, I'd imagine that drivers (and software) are being written right now to get them working.

All the other hardware I used work perfectly. In fact, the wireless card actually worked better than in OS X, which is scary and a bit annoying, too.

Back at base, I use the MacBook very close to a wireless router, so get a full strength signal in each operating system. Even so, OS X sometimes still manages to lose the connection when it wakes up – and I didn't see that happening under Windows.

I've not had a chance to look into relative battery life yet but would guess that it would be much the same under each OS - but that's speculation, not fact.

Truth is, I don't expect to be using the Windows partition a great deal as I work mainly on OS X and have a Shuttle system for running Windows gaming and serious software. However the ability to run Windows wherever I happen to be is fantastic.

I'm an IT consultant and most of my clients use Windows XP. That means that I need to have a Windows-based system all the time. The Boot Camp program gives me the option to use which ever OS I need and that's great. Kudos, then, to Apple for bringing out this beta for people who need or want to run Windows as well as Mac OS, and also for promising built-in dual-booting support in the next version of Mac OS X.

HEXUS.links

John Peddie, thoughts on Apple's switch to Intel processors
HEXUS.headline - Apple to release Intel-based Macs early
HEXUS.headline - Boot Camp beta utility
HEXUS.headline - unofficial dual-boot competition
RH Designs - Mouse Tools
How to create an SP2 slipstream disc - Unattended Windows
Battlefield 2 - shortcut edit hack
Gordon Handley's web site - GORDYHAND
Problems with Boot Camp - Apple forum thread

AVI videos of XP running on MacBook, thanks to Boot Camp Beta

Windows XP booting (1.8MB)
Counter Strike being played - 01 (11.3MB)
Counter Strike being played - 02 (9.1MB)
Counter Strike stress-test running (5.1MB)
Is that a Dell I see before me? (6.3MB)
Battlefield 2 being played - 01 (4.6MB)
Battlefield 2 being played - 02 (5.1MB)

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HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by dom_xbox - Thu 13 Apr 2006 20:52
Has anyone bothered installing mac osx on their PCs?

Infact now that macs are too using x86 can they be considered macs? because they are sold by apple?? or because they have a “funky” design..

always wondered why mac users said pcs were rubbish.. it was windows they were making fun at im sure of it.. so now they want to run windows on their macs…

Oh i dont know.. its thursday and i have a few days left… i will use them to consume… something
Posted by Gordy - Thu 13 Apr 2006 21:05
PC's have never been the target of the average mac users dissapointment. Its the windows operating system.

Now in a ideal world everyone would use mac os x and we'd all be happy bunnys unfortunatly this is the real world hehe. Windows has the major market share and while most software is available for mac os x not everything is. (MS Access, Autocad to name but a few) mac users tend to have a pc for these packages and for games.

I know of mac users who travel with a powerbook/ibook and a pc laptop

Now they can sell the pc and just use one computer for everything. Just a quick restart and your in a windows world. It makes things much easier.

Another use is for a web developer, the only way until now to test in every major browsers was to have a mac and a pc now you can do it all with one machine.

I've got a lan this weekend and I'm taking my macbook as its far easier to move than my pc! :)
Posted by dom_xbox - Fri 14 Apr 2006 11:47
Do you think that steve jobs will be thinking.. hang on.. why dont we allow those people with pcs to use mac osx as an alternative to windows…

I know there are some “non-legal” versions flying around but I think it might be an idea for apple to maybe think about this?? not that they are short of cash.. but they have huge adverising slogans like “loading apple a day keeps the BSoD away”..
Posted by Bob Crabtree - Fri 14 Apr 2006 14:01
Just to ram home the point that Gordy makes in his review about doing a backup, you might care to read this Apple forum thread.

A number of people there are saying that Windows XP is running okay but they've lost access to their OS X partitions - and, in some cases, it looks like they might end up having to zap those partitions and lose their data and program set ups.

They didn't, of course, do backups and so have no get-out-of-jail cards.

What's unclear, though, is whether or not the people who had problems properly followed Apple's installation instructions.

Bob
Posted by Gordy - Sat 15 Apr 2006 11:50
dom_xbox
Do you think that steve jobs will be thinking.. hang on.. why dont we allow those people with pcs to use mac osx as an alternative to windows…

I know there are some “non-legal” versions flying around but I think it might be an idea for apple to maybe think about this?? not that they are short of cash.. but they have huge adverising slogans like “loading apple a day keeps the BSoD away”..

Nah they will never do this well not in the short term, for one reason and one reason only drivers.

part of the reason os x is more stable is down to drivers, apple have only a small amount of devicies and cards to support. Windows has to allow for far more, the sheer amount of possibly computer specs makes windows impossible to perfect.

To catch up to windows for all the drivers wouldn't be worth the hassle. Add to that the fact it would eat up mac sales as well and you won't catch apple doing it.

As Mr Jobs has said in the past Apple is a hardware company not software.






Update on Boot Camp:

I took the macBookPro to a small Lan yesterday and it was a great success I had no problems and it was far far easier turning up with a laptop and a bag of bits than a whole pc. I will definitly be doing it again :)