Like I predicted a few days ago, Microsoft is thinking about officially supporting Windows on Apple's Intel Macs. According to The Wall Street, Microsoft said it is still studying whether it will offer technical support for Windows on Macs. "There are several open questions to address before we have a final answer," says Kevin Kutz, director of Microsoft's Windows client group told the publication. The report also notes that Apple's Boot Camp requires a new copy of Windows XP, which it notes is available for suggested retail prices of $199 and $299. "It won't work to use less-costly upgrade versions or software installation disks for PCs that users already have." Update: Microsoft Watch's Mary Jo Foley wonders who want's Windows on a Mac, and why.
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Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-07-06
That isnt true, dispite what Microsoft claims. If you ditched your computer with the retail version of XP installed, you can still use the original CD on any other computer you have ... including this Mac computer.
If it fails during activation, just call up microsoft's 800 number and have them fix. If no fix, send them to court for not allowing you to use your software you purchased with-in the license agreement.
You are NOT invalidating the license agreement by installing XP on another computer when the previous one is completely dead.
So no, you do NOT need to buy a new copy of windows XP in this case.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
My bad. But this is why I said a retail copy, not OEM 
My HP came with an OEM copy of XP Home. Since I am a web developer that use IIS, I needed XP Pro in order to do local development.
Thus I went to the store and bought XP Pro (Full ...), wiped my laptop and installed Pro from scratch. I am planning on using the same cd when I get my new Mac. I'll just end up wiping the notebook again and having it use it's XP Home.
But your right, I was wrong, on both counts, Microsoft, and exactly what Apple stated.
Member since:2006-04-04
Member since:2006-02-23
Actually you are in the wrong, if you get your computer with a win xp license, it's usually an OEM version.
These are only valid on the computer they are stuck to.
See the following site:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/oemeula.htm
[Edit: Dang, CPUGuy was first . Keeping the post due to the link]
Edited 2006-04-06 16:27
Member since:2005-11-15
Member since:2005-10-12
"That's assuming that Microsoft's OEM EULAs are legal. There is an interesting first sale question here."
Yes indeed. In the EU I think this would be a post sale restriction on use and so unlawful. They can determine who they sell to, and under what conditions (subject to the laws on linked selling). But once bought, subject to copyright, I don't think they can tell you want to do with it. Maybe this explains the latest insistence that the software shall be installed on the machine it is shipped with? But even so, should you take it off and install it on something else, surely no EU court is going to hold that this is an enforceable post sale restriction on use.
Its not really about Eulas either. Its whether you can get away with these restrictions, in a Eula or any other sort of contract.
Member since:2005-07-20
Member since:
2006-01-01
Member since:2005-07-03
But Incidentally, you cannot run OS X for less on a non-apple box. If you happen to need/like/deserve OSX but still need Windows for [insert your desired reason] then you DO want to run Windows XP on a high price intel based Macintosh.
Your comment might be a troll, might be not. Guess we'll never know.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-07-17
Microsoft is in a tough situation. They can increase their market share but on the other hand Apple is starting an OS war on it's own ground. If Apple manages to sell more hardware then more people are going to be able to decide which OS suits them better - OSX will win in this case. It won't be anything spectacular but it's another step.
Member since:
2005-07-28
Member since:
2005-07-06
I wonder if we will see a lot of the blame game when something goes wrong. If Word crashes then yes its Microsoft's fault. If that bluetooth device doesn't work will it be Microsoft's fault or Apple's fault or the device manufacturer's fault. Like all things with different vendors, there is going to be a lot of the "its not us its them" type of thing going on. Aside from that I'm pretty pleased about all of this.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
No one is expecting Apple to support Windows as you and they mentioned before. And it has nothing to do with malware for hardware not working properly. What I was trying to get at was the fact a particular piece of hardware doesn't work/connect up with the Mac. Then who do you turn to for support or will it come down to "at your own risk" for those wanting this particular configuration?
Member since:
2005-07-06
"It won't work to use less-costly upgrade versions or software installation disks for PCs that users already have."
And the reason that's the version of XP that most users have? It couldn't have anything to do with Microsoft pushing a few years ago for OEMs to only provide restore CDs and not full-blown Windows disks, could it?
Member since:
2005-10-12
The answer to Mme Foley's question is really really simple. There are people who want to run the OS of their choice, on the hardware of their choice. The hardware of their choice is Apple. The OS of their choice is Windows. Now they can do it, and they will.
They are not a huge proportion of the market, but that they exist at all should give Apple pause for thought, and wipe the grin off those silly bootcamp pages.
Member since:2005-11-06
"The answer to Mme Foley's question is really really simple. There are people who want to run the OS of their choice, on the hardware of their choice. The hardware of their choice is Apple. The OS of their choice is Windows. Now they can do it, and they will.
They are not a huge proportion of the market, but that they exist at all should give Apple pause for thought, and wipe the grin off those silly bootcamp pages."
Actually, most of the people that *right now* are installing Windows with Boot Camp are *Mac gamers* (yes, they exist :-) ). Gaming is usually done fullscreen, so the OS becomes unimportant once the game start. Most games need accelerated 3D, and rebooting is the only choice for that.
So, for all this people, installing Windows is a mean to an end: Having game "X" running on his/her Mac. Running Windows is not the point.
The other group of people that *may* be installing it are switchers or people who had both a PC and a Mac and decided to ditch the PC. The possibility of installing Windows if desired removes the "what happens if I need to run a Windows app that doesn't happen to have a Mac version/equivalent?" fear.
Rebooting is not a realistic option in this case, since besides the hassle, you would like to be able to do things like clip text in a Windows app and paste it on a Mac app. For those uses, virtualization is the solution, since that allows you to run "Windows in a window" for that odd app you may need. That way, you can keep taking advantage of Mac OS X features and run the occasional windows app on the side:
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/screenshots/sc201/
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/mac/
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-10-15
i worked at a computer shop. and if you want to be able to send restore cd's you haveto have a deal with microsoft that are quite expensive (atleast if you are not a chain of stores). the microsoft rep told that we could have a restore image on the hardrive wich the customer would have to burn them self but we could not ship the machiens with restore cd's if we dont pay up.
so if they arer pushing for it they are doing a bad jobb.
Member since:
2005-07-02
Member since:2005-07-06
I know it's illegal in about 10 states in the USA if it is not shown at the time of the deal (before the money is paid). This goes for any software whether in a box or downloaded off the net.
In such cases, the EULA for WOW, UO, EQ, AQ, etc are illegal as it is not shown when you buy the software at the store, and not enforcable in court.
So .. if it states you can only connect to "official" servers .. well, thats an RIAA tacted and not worth a damn thing.
