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Print 119 comment(s) - last by hemmy.. on Oct 29 at 2:49 PM

Apple mocks the history of Windows in its latest ads, comparing Windows 7 to such flops as Windows ME.  (Source: Apple)

However, Apple can't seem to resist Microsoft's quality software -- it announced today that it will be offering Boot Camp support for Windows 7 by the end of the year.  (Source: Gizmodo)
As much as Apple pretends not to love Microsoft, it can't seem to stop supporting it

Apple delivered its launch day anti-Windows 7 ads as promised.  The new ads poke fun at Microsoft's history, comparing Windows 7 to past unpopular Windows OS's that were initially lauded.  The new ad flashes back to a younger Vista era PC saying that Vista would have the problems of past Windows... and a Windows ME PC...  and a Windows 2.0 PC.  The new commercials were one of the few downers for Microsoft on a day that was filled with excitement.  

But try as hard as it wants, Apple just can't seem to bring itself to truly rain on Windows 7's launch party.  Truth be told, though Apple will never admit it, its very good friends with Microsoft.  After all, Microsoft offers one of the most popular pieces of software for Macs -- Microsoft Office for Mac.

And for the last three years two of the most popular operating systems on a Mac besides OS X were Windows XP and Windows Vista.  Apple may pretend that Windows is buggy and worthy of scorn, but when it comes down to it, the allure of the productive, functional OS is too much to resist and too much to deny its customers.

Apple even showed Microsoft a bit of love on Windows 7 launch day.  Responding to a deluge of comments from Apple MacBook owners pleading for official Windows 7 Boot Camp support, Apple revealed that it will be adding support for the new OS before the end of the year.

Granted, it won't be adding support for all Macs.  Certain older iMacs and MacBooks Pro from 2006 won't be allowed to use Windows 7.  Its unclear why, considering these computers have Intel processors and in theory could have specs more than capable of running the new OS.

Mac owners looking to get their Windows 7 groove on can probably it already, following the directions posted here.  

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RE: Why?
By gstrickler on 10/23/2009 12:03:58 PM , Rating: 3
The machines on which Apple doesn't support Win7 w/BootCamp are all 32-bit Core (not Core 2) machines, max 2GB RAM, and have either the Intel GMA 950 or ATI X1600 GPU. While the hardware might meet the minimums necessary to run Win7, it would suck. As far as I can tell, ATI doesn't even offer Win7 drivers for the X1600, although some beta users have gotten it to work. The GMA 950 is officially supported, but it's performance sucks.

So, the bottom line is that Apple doesn't support Win7 on those machines because it would suck on those machines.


RE: Why?
By Alexstarfire on 10/23/2009 1:08:34 PM , Rating: 2
I find it odd that Apple is trying to dictate what Microsoft's OS can run on now. I wonder who in breaking some laws now. Yea, let's make <insert other company's product here> just not run on these Apple machines just because we can. Sounds a lot like the whole IE debacle again, except Apple doesn't have a monopoly.


RE: Why?
By gstrickler on 10/23/2009 1:49:29 PM , Rating: 2
They're doing no such thing. They're simply stating these are the machine upon Apple will support running Win 7 under Boot Camp. Apple doesn't sell Windows machines, but they do support running Windows on some of their computers. People have run the Win 7 beta on some of the "non-supported" machines, so it's not that they won't work, it's just that Apple won't officially support it.

Dell, HP, Gateway, Lenovo, etc. all choose on which older machines they will support a new OS. This is no different. In each case, you may be able to run the new OS on "non-supported" machines, but you're on your own doing so.

For instance, as of right now, Dell lists the supported operating systems for the Optiplex 520 (less than 3 years old) as Windows XP and 2k, not even Vista is listed as supported (although it was available with Vista, so clearly Vista is/was supported). My Precision 390 (also under 3 years old) is includes 2k, XP, XP-x64, Vista x32/x64, and RedHat 4&5, but no Win 7. I know it works with Win 7, but it's not officially supported, at least not yet. Some of the newer machines do list Win 7, so it's not just an old list.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx...


RE: Why?
By Alexstarfire on 10/23/2009 2:20:20 PM , Rating: 2
I really have no idea what I was thinking when I posted that because you are quite right. I think Reader1 was getting to me.


RE: Why?
By gstrickler on 10/23/2009 2:54:17 PM , Rating: 2
I understand. I'm a Mac (and Windows) user, and I mostly ignore Reader1 and Pirks. Sometimes they post facts and/or legitimate complaints, but it's combined with so much bias or inaccurate info that it's mostly not worth reading.

I am a Mac fan. That doesn't mean I'm an Apple fan, and I'm definitely not an Apple or Mac apologist. Great OS, mostly great machines, not always great policies. Apple has always treated me fairly and my Apple products have been reliable. Sure, there have been failures, but not excessive ones, and the few that were design flaws were covered under a warranty extension program. Not everyone has had the same experience. As with any large company, there is always someone who believes they've been mistreated. Some have legitimate complaints, but most are just being unrealistic.


RE: Why?
By gstrickler on 10/23/2009 2:27:55 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Yea, let's make <insert other company's product here> just not run on these Apple machines just because we can.
Apple doesn't sell Windows or Windows machines, therefore, it's not Apple's responsibility to make Windows run on their machines. That they choose to produce Boot Camp as one way a user can run some versions of Windows on some Macs is a marketing decision, nothing more. Without Boot Camp, no version of Windows will run directly on a Mac (although you can run it in a VM using VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop).

They've done nothing to prevent running Windows on their machines, they simply don't officially support certain versions on certain machines. More accurately, by writing Boot Camp, they ADDED support for specific versions of Windows on machines meeting specific HW and EFI requirements.

In reality, Win 7 will run on the non-supported machines using Boot Camp v3.1, people have been using the Win 7 beta on those machines for quite some time. Apple doesn't support it, but it does work.


RE: Why?
By bnutz on 10/23/2009 1:53:12 PM , Rating: 2
There are Core 2 systems that max at 2GB and use the GMA 950, so it not that is 32bit vs 64bit, its because they want you to buy a new machine if you want win 7. I have a Toshiba with those specs running 7 perfect and even my P4 Dell notebook with a Radeon 9000, and 1GB works well. I don't get the Aero features on my Dell, but that is the least important feature to me.


RE: Why?
By sebmel on 10/24/2009 10:26:53 PM , Rating: 2
So really twisted logic here! Apple isn't supporting Microsoft's OS?

Doesn't it occur to you that that just might be Microsoft's job? Why isn't Microsoft writing the drivers? It seems to me that surely it's Microsoft that ought to promote the sale of Windows... or have the people complaining here become so insecure about the quality of Microsoft's work that they want Apple to do it for them?


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