Vista Goes to Boot Camp
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For anyone pining for a Mac to run Windows Vista, Apple is ready. Yesterday, the Mac maker released a new beta version of Boot Camp. |
Boot Camp 1.2 lets end users create a second partition for Windows Vista and provides the option to boot up into either operating system. Apple includes software drivers, too.
Vista-dual boot on a Mac is nice, for anyone willing to pay for two operating systems. Vista Home Premium full version runs around $240, which is a hefty premium over the Mac's purchase price. Also, only Apple's more costly notebooks or towers pack the hardware to run Vista with optimum experience.
Vista delivers on MacBook Pro. My test Mac—with 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 256MB graphics accelerator and 2GB memory—pulls a respectable 4.2 Windows Experience Index rating.
Apparently some Microsoft folks find Macs just fine for Vista, too. This video shows a Microsoft Norway employee showcasing Vista features on an iMac.
Some Microsoft dealers and retailers offered Intel-based Mac/Windows XP bundles. Why not offer reduced-priced Windows Vista Home version with Intel-based Macs? I can think of few good reasons why not to bundle, other than price.
Businesses with an Enterprise Agreement or Software Assurance upgrade protection already would have rights to that Vista license; price wouldn't be a problem. For that exec long lusting for an Apple laptop, Windows Vista could make the difference.
To Microsoft, a license sale is a license sale, even if for a Mac. Similarly, a Mac sale is a sale to Apple, even if the end user runs Vista.
Boot Camp removes an important "I might need Windows" psychological barrier to buying a Mac. Windows PC manufacturers shipped computers with floppy drives long after floppies were obviously obsolete. Why? Fear there might be need for a floppy drive. Garage or basement cleanings are other examples. People find items not used for years but keep them anyway because someday (likely never) the items might be needed.
For would-be Mac switchers, Boot Camp removes that psychological barrier, because now these people could have Windows. The $240-to-$400 extra cost for Windows XP Home Premium or Ultimate would be another psychological barrier that could delay buying until there would be need.
The real question: How many people working for Microsoft use Macs running Windows? Please fess up, if that's you. Commenting is anonymous.
Comments (10)
Using Vista on Mac is as FOOLISH as running Microsoft-Watch and writing everything against it INTENTIONALY. :)
Posted by DD | March 29, 2007 1:41 PM
i agree with 1st post
Estoy de acuerdo con el 1er comentario.
Posted by GE | March 29, 2007 3:27 PM
My perception of Boot Camp is that it is not a stable product. My only experience with it is a friend who has XP. The latest update to Boot Camp brought him a series of problems with the drivers and Windows has a lot of trouble booting. He comments that he's not the only one on the support boards and it seems to be a common issue.
I use Virtual PC on my G4, it works fine and I prefer to have both OSs running at the same time for easy task switching and file sharing. Of course even with two gigs of RAM it would be a feat to run OS X and Vista on the same machine at the same time. Say by using VMWare or Parallels. It might not be a WOW experience, but functional never the less.
Posted by Gerardo Tasistro | March 29, 2007 4:46 PM
"Businesses with an Enterprise Agreement or Software Assurance upgrade protection already would have rights to that Vista license"
This is not an accurate statement. In order to be covered by software assurance you are required to have purchased the a license (i.e. XP professional") from an OEM. Businesses wanting to deploy Vista on Mac's will have to pay for the license
Posted by k | March 29, 2007 5:27 PM
Great advertisement for Apple Joe, er... this is the Apple Watch website isn't it ??
Posted by Neil | March 29, 2007 7:33 PM
K is absolutely right . You need to acquire a legal license before you talk about upgrade. The problem started when some journalists forget the fundamental principle of journalism -- Check and verify the fact.
But Joe is proficient in Microsoft bashing , not Microsoft Volume Licensing
I see most of his contents are factually inaccurate .
Posted by Eder | March 29, 2007 10:03 PM
K and Eder, sorry, but you are mistaken.
Software Assurance is available through Microsoft Open, Open Value and Select volume-licensing programs. Typically SA rights are purchased with the original license, which doesn't necessarily have to be deployed to exercise rights to the new version.
Microsoft offers clear explanation of SA on its volume-licensing Website. Here's a link to a nice, easy chart laying out the volume-licensing plans:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/a/a/7aa89a8b-bf4d-446b-a50c-c9b00024df33/Volume_Licensing_Programs_Chart.pdf
Joe
Posted by Joe | March 29, 2007 10:33 PM
"Great advertisement for Apple Joe, er... this is the Apple Watch website isn't it ??"
Hey Neil. Would you please step down off of your high horse and while you're at it, cut the "Microsoft vs Apple" crap.
Joe said nothing about Apple being better than Microsoft in this article. He simply tested Vista on his Mac using Boot Camp and reported his results. What's wrong with that?
If you want to play the "Microsoft is better than Apple" game, if Vista crapped out on Boot Camp, wouldn't that help Microsoft's case? Apparently it didn't and so there you have it... Microsoft has another channel to sell software and make money. As long as the software runs, who cares what kind of machine it's on?
I have Windows based engineering software that runs just fine through Parallels so I can have the best of both worlds. I can enjoy OSX and still use my Windows-only engineering software. What more do I need?
Your arguments are a bit like saying that only one brand of stereo can be installed in a car when there are others that fit and function in the same slot. (for lack of a better example)
Posted by Chris | March 30, 2007 2:07 AM
Nice "Buy a Mac" ad, Joe. At least your consistent.
Posted by Paul | March 30, 2007 2:22 AM
Microsoft bashing? I don't know Joe's personal intent, however he is not stating anything that has not been on a hundred user boards.
When I asked the IT guy at an insurance company about VISTA and my getting a new computer - he said get a mac. I was appalled - this was my die hard windows guy, calling mac users a bunch of fanatics. I asked him what caused the change of heart and he replied that they had been testing VISTA at work and it was that bad.
I didn't listen though. I was to afraid of something different and bought a laptop with Vista Home Premium. It is constantly messed up. Nothing works with it and anyone posting anything positive about VISTA I raise an eyebrow to... to me this article not bashing where it has an obvious chance to.
I will not be buying another PC, ever.
Posted by Brian | May 9, 2007 2:40 PM