MacBookPro/Running XP Pro SP2 OEM 100% via Bootcamp

I need your advice.

I've been a PC user in a PC Business environment, and I just dropped my Sony SZ120P last week, damaging it. It's time for a new laptop.

I'm contemplating purchasing a MBP and running XP Pro SP2 OEM.
What would be a little different in my case than some of you, is that I don't have any "need" for OSX. I am planning to run XP Pro 100% of the time.
I understand it would probably be cheaper to purchase a PC laptop, but alot of manufacturers are only offering Vista now, and the hardware build is just so much better on the MBP. I intent to hold on to this machine for a while.

These are the functions that need to work using Bootcamp:
Isight camera via Yahoo/Windows Live Messenger
Ethernet
Airport Wireless
USB (camera)
Firewire (external drive or camera)

Will I have any issues with these functions?
Am I crazy for suggesting this?
Will WinXP SP2 OEM ver work?

Your thoughts are appreciated!!!

 

You cannot legally use the OEM copy from your Sony computer.

 

It's not the copy from the Sony, it would be an OEM ver like the one's they sell at Newegg.

Any other thoughts?

 

yea OEM xp will run just fine.

i think the other poster thought you were gonna use the key off the bottom of your sony. thats illegal.

 

Yes, in fact, you need Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista, no earlier versions of Windows will work.

And yeah, those tasks will work fine in Boot Camp on a Mac.

 

I would suggest that during the times your not using if for business to give OSX a try.

 

Since you don't have any need for OSX then your best option is to go for the Lenovo Thinkpads since they do allow you to opt for Win XP Pro instead of Vista. And their laptops are pretty well built too. Just a thought. I would definitely check out the T series thinkpad.

 

maybe he likes the MBP?

get what you like.

the apple and the Lenovo are great machines

 

Thanks for all your input!

I have some flexibility at work, being the only IT guy there, and have experimented with alot of laptops. I would have to say that I love the Thinkpad T42's before the whole Lenovo buyout. I'm not very happy with some of the Levono's we have that are not a part of the Thinkpad family. I just purchased some Dell D630's that are very nice, but I'm not too happy with the quality of the screen + the graphics driver. I really like to performance on my Sony SZ120PB, but again, it's cracked and on it's way out.

The MBP looks like it's very well built. Quite solid screen, processor and graphics display/control are of typical Apple quality. The bus powered firewire port is built in, which I like as well.

It's really a hard decision...

 

When I use XP on my Macbook Pro, it heats up a lot faster than when using OSX. It basically runs hotter than OSX. What I do to remedy this is to crank up the fan speed in OSX, then reboot into XP, where the increased fan speed is retained.

Personally, after having used this system of OSX/bootcamp for a while now, I would recommend getting a PC laptop for windows use. There is a reason why OSX and Apple hardware work so well together.

 

I use my MBP in xp a lot and i have to say unless u r doing some CPU intensive stuff it doesnt really get that hot. That is my experience and i play a sh**t load of BF2 on it. The trick that works 4 me is when u game or other intesive stuff just remove the battery.

 

i always turn the fan up 10-20% in OSX then reboot.

windows like more fan give it more cowbell!

 

doesnt your CPU speed get cut when you do that?

all my macs have done that to this day.

 

yeah if you take out the battery you cut the cpu pretty sharp.

i dont know, windows on the mac has some issues... like right clicking, scrolling, heat...

i feel like apple pretty much made their drivers to the point where windows is functional, and stopped. In osx, right clicking, scrolling, and heat are all very well managed. The battery life also gets cut somewhat just from being in windows...

the peripherals work as expected. last time i checked, the isight worked also.

plus you'll need to keep osx to do firmware updates when they roll through, which is kind of pointless if you want hard drive space dedicated to windows.

meh. its possible. i wouldn't want it personally. get an external mouse (vx nano was my choice) and that solves two of the annoying problems. If you are plugged in most of the time, or at least aren't unplugged more than about 3 hours tops, it could work out mostly cleanly.
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its definitely not crazy to think like you do. since apple's switch to intel, TONS of people have had your exact thought.

 

I have put XP and Vista on my Laptop (had Vista removed it and got XP)
There are new 2.0 drivers out there on Torrents sites.
They even support some of the Vista 64x drivers.

As for the right clicking its two fingers like in mac. And the multimedia buttons work just great too. The Firewire 800 & 400 drivers work (thought for 800 to go faster you need the devices drivers) and everything now works with the Leopard DVD. iSight, Sound, Ethernet, Wireless ( N wireless you need modded .INF files on Vista but works on XP). Display drivers works great but I'd recommend LaptopVideo2go's Drivers you get better performance in games and more flexiblity on choices with external screens. Bluetooth works too ( I sync with my CDMA phone on BitPim) Everything works; Scrolling with two fingers, Right click with two fingers.

Only proplem is unsupported scrolling like in-game scroll = zoom, with the mouse it works but with the trackpad its very crappy.

And the Eject Key works ( gotta love sloat loading bay)

It works and does what a PC does when is on bootcamp.