Will Macbook and Microsoft dance together?

Hey,
I am interested in purchasing the new Macbook Pro, especially as it seems as it will be able to run Windows also. However, does this mean it will be able to run XP, or just the next version of windows? As well, is this dual core processor really so revolutionary as Mac says, or will it be obsolete in a couple of months?
Thanks a ton

 

Why would dual core be obsolete? Intel doesn't make products that are only on the market for a few months, that's a bad business strategy.

As to Windows, with a hack it will run XP. As to Vista, since it's not out yet it's hard to know, but I don't see much reason why it wouldn't work too, again with a hack.

 

Right now, no, XP will not run on Macbook Pro due to their use of extensible firmware interface (EFI) rather than BIOS. However, Apple has publicly stated that they will not actively block running XP on Mac hardware. The new Vista does support EFI, so there is a better chance for it. And you just know that someone, somewhere, will develop a Linux version that works... lol And also don't discount potential hacks that might fool the Mac in getting XP to install.

However, one must raise the question of whether that's even desirable in the first place -- why would someone pay a premium price on a laptop, only to forsake the superior OS that was bundled with it, and spend a lot of time tweaking a bug-ridden, relatively insecure OS just so it will somewhat run?

Dual core processor really isn't nothing new, heck the G5 is a dual-core processor, and both Intel and AMD has had dual cores out on the market since forever. The centrino duo is an evolutionary step up, in that it offers great performance, and requires little power. Will the current "champ" be obsolete in 6 months? Probably not, but definitely no longer will it be the "champ" -- technology moves fast, EVERYTHING will become obsolete a year or 2 from now, one just have to balance need verses want.

cheers,

yass

 

All I have to say is don't buy the MacBook Pro just because you think you can easily use it to dual-boot with Windows. It is just too soon for that to happen. It isn't even shipping yet. If you are in need of something at this particular moment there are plenty of others that are out there that are just as good or even better than the MacBook Pro. And by the way you can use a "windows" pc and run the totally free and less of a pain, hackless linux together with Windows. Afterall both OSX and many Linux versions are built upon similar systems and linux is just as secure as OSX. And if you use the gnome desktop environment for Linux it looks very similar to the OSX interface.

Try giving Linux a try, if you feel the need to have something feel like OSX and with little worry of trying to hack it to work. If you need help there are plenty of us who have had experience with dual booting Linux and Windows or google around at various linux forums, there are more linux forums and help pages than there are for any other operating system out there, well this is an assumption so I might be wrong.

And when you buy a notebook, the second you give the money to the clerk and have the notebook in hand it becomes obsolete, no matter what it is, so I wouldn't hold off because you want the latest and greatest. Because the latest and greatest will only be that for maybe a few moments in time, then you will be looking for something new. It always happens.

 

Hey everybody,

Thanks alot for the helpful replies. What i meant about Macbook Pro becoming obsolete was in refrence to the Merom chips that are supposed to come out in a couple of months. Are they signifigantly different than the Yonah ones currently used?

 

Yes, thats why I am not buying my next laptop yet, I am going to wait for the 64-bit Intel Duo-Core Processors.

 

The problem with that logic is that a few months after the Merom chips come out, something new and more powerful from either AMD or Intel will come... and so forth.

Nobody really knows whether Merom will be that much better -- Heck dual-core 64-bit desktop cpu have been around for a while now from AMD and Intel, and on most applications they offer marginal improvements. Of course on 64-bit optimized applications, or applications that really benefit from having 64-bit wide address, you will see significant improvements.

Should you wait? probably not. Computers are only as good as how useful they are to your needs. You can wait forever to buy something because 6 months from when you bought it, something more powerful will be coming out. just go w/ your needs and be content.

cheers,

yass

 

If you need a notebook now, don't hesitate to buy - something new is always comming out. However, I would consider waiting for either AMD's new Turion Duo or Intel's Merom CPU if you can because of their 64-bit abillities. So basically, if you don't need the notebook now, don't get it. If you do need the notebook now, then get one.