A potentially VERY noobie question: Can I flawlessly run Windows Vista/7 on a MBP just as if it was a PC?

I heard about something like that. I am VERY interested in buying a laptop soon, and so far, my main consideration is the Dell XPS16 because of its beautiful screen. I did not even CONSIDER a MBP because I have been a PC user forever and even at school, I hate using the MAC because of its OS; I need me my windows!

But I heard I can run Windows on a Mac; the best of both worlds!


It seems too good to be true. Can I use a Mac just as if it was 100% a PC? Is it easy to do? How does it work?



Thanks a lot in advance guys!

 

Since the internal hardware is now essentially the same (CPU, GPU) as any other PC, yes, with one exception: Apple doesn't provide very good Windows drivers. They work, but this means you'll get worse battery life under Windows and things like the touchpad, backlit keyboard, etc. won't work quite as nicely as in OSX (for example multitouch I believe does not work under windows).

 

get the xps16.

 

In a nutshell, no. 90%, maybe.

 

thank all of you guys, exactly the type of replies I wanted.


masterchef, why you say that? (ONLY thing giving me second guess on the xps16 is the heating problem which I heard is very minimal on the MBP)

 

If you're not going to use OS X (which is 99% of a Mac) don't bother getting the Macbook Pro.

Go with the Dell and have a proper Windows machine.

 

I a nobbie way to answer your question. You'll have serious heat problem if you install Windows on MB through bootcamp. The heat problem is very minimal on MBP if you run OSX.

 

Normal you are right , if you run anything other than OSX the fans stay at 2000 rpm , but you can now get a free program to manually adjust the fans so overheating is not so much of a problem.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/

EDIT : If i remember somebody said the fans did adjust themselves in Win7

 

Well.. I did say it in a "Nobbie" way, didn't I.

 

ight cool, thanks guys!

 

among the reasons listed here, firmware updates are delivered through OSX. so if you never use OS X, you don't get firmware updates for your hardware (these are not very often, but still).

if you still want firmware updates, now you get an entire operating system devoted just to dealing with firmware updates for your hardware. yay.

 

The Dell Studio XPS line is a pretty darn good deal right now. If you configure one with the "correct" GPU, there is no reason why you can't have your W7 and...

 

Well, you still have to run OS X to get those much needed firmware updates. But aside from that, will it be flawless? From all the miscellaneous problems and flaws I've read about here, I doubt it, and it doesn't matter whether you're running XP, Vista, 7, 32-bit, 64-bit, whatever .....

I have been to two Apple stores hoping to actually see Windows run on a Macbook Pro. The first store (Raleigh, NC) had XP running under Boot Camp, but did not have Windows activated. The second store I visited (Durham, NC) didn't have any Macs running Windows under Boot Camp. One would think that this might be a selling point.

Also, I get better advice from this message board than I do from any of those salespeople at the Mac stores. And yes, the Genius Bar is usually packed. Are those folks at the Genius Bar really geniuses???

I like the Mac OS, and I think Apple has top notch support. But as for Windows running flawless on a Mac, I've not yet seen it and I won't believe it until I see it.

 

Yeap, as everyone has said, you can run Windows natively on a Mac with Boot Camp, but I agree with the opinion that if you hate OS X and have no plans to run it, might as well get a Windows PC, unless you absolutely must have the Mac hardware .

Its just more cost-effective, and even "space-effective". Mac OS X will take up hard drive space, no matter how little .