Why do you want to Dual-Boot?

[sud0n1m]

I wanted to dual-boot because I needed Microsoft's Windows XP and Office 2003 for my job for features not found in OS X and the Mac version of Office. Why did you want to dual boot?

[GMR0780]

i needed dual booting for running autocad and various home automation programs which are written for windows...

this program has helped alot giving me the best of both worlds.

Thank you to everyone involved with the project!!!

Greg

[jann]

Some hardware just REQUIRES (stupidly) Windows in order to go through the company's setup program. Other hardware has features that are only enabled through the Windows version of the software (SmartHome, are you listening?).

Both of these reasons really should not exist in a perfect world, but they do.

I do not run Office for Mac or Windows (Use OpenOffice instead).

I DO run games like Warcraft which have PC and Mac versions, but unfortunately the Mac versions lag behind the PC version in features and frame-rates (WOW does not lag in features, but frame rate on Mac is horrible!)

So, the answer is that most things I run either require Windows or the porting company that is used to move it to Mac just wants to get out something that works..not something that works better!

Jann

[DaveGee]

While I voted "I need applications / features not available for OS X"

The real answer is:

- I don't want to be prevented from running XP apps if needed

Or even more to the point:

- I don't like feeling like I'm missing out on something thats 'xp only'

Let's face it... Sometimes XP is required for certain things and us OS X users have been left out in the cold... the sheer number of developers working on 'software solutions' for XP is the reason pure and simple. Having dual-boot XP / OS X is a good first step in resolving this issue. Having a full-speed virtual machine XP environment would be even better (Hello VMware where are you?!?!!).

Dave

[proxyed]

I need dual booting for applications like AutoCad and addins for cad that are windows only. As well as a few other apps that are designed by my employer ( of course windows only).

[ooninay]

For my home PC, the only thing I use Windows for is Age of Mythology Titans expansion (game), so I want to ditch that PC and regain the space on my desk that it's taking by dual-booting my Mac into Windows instead. For my work PC (a laptop), the only thing I need Windows for is Microsoft Access and VPN-ing into work, which for some reason still doesn't work on my Mac (probably my company's fault).

[Perpetual Dawn]

I'm planning to upgrade the old desktop with a spanking new iMac taking advantage of my student discount before I graduate..

Truth is I don't really need to dual boot.. I've had an iBook for a while now and it does everything I need it to do (except the odd windows application)..

I guess its because I can... My long term plan will be to have it tucked away on an external hard drive eventually...

Thanks to everyone who have made these things possible btw.. I dont think you guys have been given enough credit, I'd love to have the ability to do what you guys have done! :)

[boohoo]

I develop software in a learning technology research center near London. The Intel mac running OS X/Windows/Linux *IS* the holy grail of development platforms. I can write all my software and do all my testing on one sexy machine.

Savings? Time. Money. Fannying about. All gone. Good work guys.

[Maaij]

I install XP because its cool to have Windows on your Mac :)

99% of the time I will use MacOSX. But a lot of video doesnt work on MacOSX (WMV) Its nice I have an option to play it in XP :)

Flip doesnt work with Intel Mac yet.

[CaptainG]

I want to be able to run AutoCAD on the XP side and run Adobe, once they are converted to Universal, on the OS X side, along with the slew of other incredible Mac production apps. I'd rather spend $300 on a huge hard drive than having an XP paper weight on my desk. My life got so much easier when I switched to Mac, so being able to use one side of the machine for fun and the majority of work, and the other for the occasional drawing project is attractive.

[dstart]

I want to play Counter Strike: Source :D

[gygysamurai]

2 words: LAN Parties :rolleyes:

Can you imagine how incredibly cool it'll be going to a LAN party? All of your PC friends will be packing around their towers and LCD monitors, messing around with cables and what not, then you'll walk in with your beautiful, definied, and glorious iMac. The room will fall silent as the sexiest sound in the world eminates the airwaves.

*DOOOO!*

That's right.

haha looking back at what I just wrote really makes me wonder if the only reason I want to dual boot with Windows is for bragging rights :p

[jekaboom]

Half Life 2, Counterstrike Source, Day of Defeat Source, Diablo 2, Civ 4, FEAR.... :p The list goes on and on. I need FCP for my job, and I love cutting back every once and awhile and smacking noobs on CS.


Just like me :D

[Afternoon Delight]

Half Life 2, Counterstrike Source, Day of Defeat Source, Diablo 2, Civ 4, FEAR.... :p The list goes on and on. I need FCP for my job, and I love cutting back every once and awhile and smacking noobs on CS.

[SAN66]

I want to play Spore (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8372603330420559198&q=spore) when in comes out. And although it is Maxis and would probably eventually be ported to Mac, I don't wan't to wait the 8-12 months for this to happen. I'll probably end up getting the mac version anyways, once its out, but the drool factor of this game makes me unable to wait so long to get it.

[bgd]

I have to say I don't care about OS X at all, all I want is a great looking laptop that can run Windows :p

[brelae]

autocad, testing webpages in the "other" browser, impending release of Spore, because I can :)

[freakyterrorist]

I LOVE windows, its sooo stable, and internet explorer is the most advanced browser

NOT

But i have so many windows games it was the only thing holding me up from buying a mac. XP on a mac is the greatest thing. now you get games on a crappy operating system and other programs on the coolest and most advanced operating system ever OSX!

[mbp_if_xp]

To be honest, I don't want to "Switch". The Mac Book Pro is in my opinion the most attractive notebook on the market. I'd love to try out OS X, but would prefer being able to run XP on the MBP as the main OS.

Do you think this will be possible anytime soon? :)


J

[eobet]

I use Xara X and Adobe professionally for Windows, and it seems that both those applications won't be released in universal binary form until next year.

Also, games of course.

(Only reason I bought a Machintosh now was that my PC laptop happened to break a while ago. If it wouldn't have, I would have waited.)

Oh, and did I mention games?

Perhaps I should also mention games.

There's games availible for Windows, you know.

Well, you get the point. :)

PS. Games.

DS. So much for being "professional". ;)

[joeyjeremiah]

Quite simply:


I make my living designing and developing software for the Windows platform.
If everybody used OSX, demand would necessitate I made my living designing and developing software for OSX.
Until this time, I do not want to have to carry around 2 laptops.


Bring on full support for Virtualization - I would love to run Windows / OSX simultaneously and RDP into Windows from OSX for work. :)

[sdavis]

I would like to be able to get dual booting because where i work we have computer labs and a new TV studio where we would like to use Final Cut Pro for video editing and it would be nice to have a MAC lab, but at the same time it would be kind of useless to have a mac lab for just one major, we would like to have the functionability of a PC+MAC lab which almost everyone here has helped make happen...

now once the drivers are all set i can deploy the lab! :)

[danvdan]

To finally, be able to say "well actually..." when someone says but it doesn't run windows applications. Now there is no reason at all not to buy Apple.

[matty429]

Because I can.

[rxcited]

My work environment is mechanical engineering design. The high end packages all used to run on Unix boxes, HP-UX and SunOS, mostly in the old days. About a decade ago, Windows/NT became a viable alternative platform and since then all the 3D CAD vendors have migrated to the Windows platform. Most if not all of them have already phased out or vastly reduced support for running on the Unix boxes - why would customers spend 50% more for equivalent or lesser performance, and realistically still need a second box for desktop applications? Linux could have been an alternative, but the driver support has always been lacking, so the CAD vendors have not tried to support it. So we have eliminated our old setup "1 Unix box + 1 Mac" for our engineers, to be replaced by "1 PC" - they can run the CAD apps, desktop apps, email and browsing. Unfortunately for the Mac around here at least, this has worked out great.

So with the ability to run Windows apps full speed with 3D graphics support, the Mac become a viable alternative again, ironically a Unix solution under the hood. Honestly though, the dual boot solution is not too practical. In order to justify the extra cost of the Mac (presumably when the higher end ones become available - we need quad processor models with 6-12 Gb of RAM), we need to use the Mac as is and run our necessary Windows CAD apps at full speed with 3D graphics support, rooted on the Mac desktop.

The dual boot solution is very cool and interesting and proves Windows binaries can run on this hardware, but for practical purposes, we need a VMWare like solution. I can only guess that VMWare Inc. is working on this right now, given the virtualization technology built into the Core Duo, and given that VMWare has already addressed the technical issues running on top of Windows and Linux. Perhaps MS will modify VirtualPC to become more of a translator than an emulator with associated improvment in speed. This I would think will take a long time though.

For now, XP On Mac is mostly a novelty for me. I am anxious to see how my CAD apps perform when the ATI driver becomes available. Assuming the ATI driver on the MBP gives good 3D performance and fixes the screen saver issue, I could actually imagine keeping it booted in XP for hours at a time! Hibernation would be nice too - probably not going to happen. As for an engineering workstation replacement in my work environment, we'll have to wait and see what the new Mac desktops are like and if/when a VMWare like solution works well enough to become a viable PC replacment.

BTW, in case you haven't run across the post on another thread, set your XP time zone to Hong Kong (if you are PST) to fix the clock issue. :D

-- Fuzz

[Cynic821]

mainly to show off. i chose other. i ordered my MBP before i had any idea of being able to boot xp from it, but at my office i will pwn the boss who has a trash Vaio and thinks hes the coolest.

I just needed a new video editing station as my Dual G4 1.25ghz was lagging behind in the HD department. And also need to be able to take my work with me on the go to show clients their work in progress to save me time in developing .

But like many others, at my job, it will make things easier to test on multiplatform , and i need to test all of our software on an Intel Mac since we dont have one yet at the office.

ANd once the Video Drivers are out, FEAR will be able to give me the only real reason why I personally would boot to windows.

[Steve1496]

Games, ActiveSync (which turned out not to work with the version I need), and some WMP things.

And of course because I like to try new things and help people getting those things going.

Steve

[marjetica]

Beside my daytime job I also write for a computer magazine. I started off 6 years ago with Mac HW/SW but gradually got some Windows software assignments as well. I own a quite old ThinkPad laptop and also have an iBook (2005 crop) on "permanent lease". So having one laptop with two systems is my dream. Unfortunately MBP is quite expensive in Slovenia (and in Europe generally when compared to US/Canada), so I'll wait to get one for the review purpose. And if I fall in love with it ... When you think you get practically two laptops inside one, making choice is a bit easier. Apple should help with writing optimal drivers for its machines running Windows. And if VmWare develops a decent Virtual Windows for Mac, that's it pretty much.

[inferno10]

I wanted to dual boot because there are some applications and components that aren't available in the Mac realm. Some of the movies online are encoded using some ancient codec that hasn't been ported over to OSX, which forces me to need Windows. Some of my work and lab applications are Windows-only, so I need to dual-boot in order to get work done at home. I used to play games when I was a PC user (Battlefield 1942 was my favorite game), so being able to dual-boot is a godsend. Also, there's the l33t factor.

[sshjason]

I want to dual boot (as well as run Windows in Mac) because I would love to have ONE machine that is portable which will allow me to test my code out on. (everything from web pages, Java, c++ to .NET via Mono.) I hate developing in Windows, like developing in Linux, and LOVE developing in OS X.

[AmyO]

I want to dual boot to keep a Windows-only box out of my house. My partner is growing her soap and lotion making hobby into a part-time business, and all the specialty software for home crafters (formulating and inventory management) is Windows only. She's used VPC for one program, but it is sooooo slow and causes more headaches than it is worth, so we were looking into getting a mini-pc for her soaping stuff. Now, I can get a Mac Mini (which I have been silently longing for anyway) and she can boot it into XP when she needs to, and the rest of the time it can live in OSX as an addition to our home entertainment center. (Mmmmm, new and improved Front Row. . .)

[DavidJJ]

I voted for "I need applications / features not available for OS X" because at work we use AutoCAD, Studio Max v8 (which I tested and posted about it running fine), and the corporate Intranet requires access via Windows only.

The real reason isn't HL2 or the 6-18 month (or years) wait for games for the Mac like The Movies or Trainz 2006 (that finally get announced). But it is games.

It's for those other great "niche" games that never make it to Mac ... Rome Total War (oh god, the very thought makes me dizzy), Winning Eleven series, EA's hockey franchise, Pirates!, Titan Quest (upcoming), and little shareware gems like Oasis etc.

[windypants]

im waiting for "the math works" to release a universal version of MATLAB.... until then, it's xp for me.

[ely2k]

In 1995 I been at College and starting to learn QBasic Intro to Programming. The professor assigned lots of homework. The Lab at college was too crowded. At those times, I had at home a Power PC 6100 and installed DOS compatibility card and Windows 3.1. It worked fabulous with a simple stroke on the keyboard.
I made all my learning successful, got my credits, and lots of fun. Now the real thing is here. Thanks guys for your contribution to the knowledge. You deserve a Nobel Prize.

[Sonic McTails]

I want to dualboot because I want to stop having to carry around a Windows laptop and also because I need to development for Windows.

[neuronbob]

I want to dual boot because even as a 20-year Mac user, I have to use software for work that is Windows only.

This works GREAT! Thank you all.

[gatorage]

Because I work in the creative arts and use a mac all day, but have to move regularly between a mac and a PC for 3ds Studio Max.

So 3DS Max is the reason

[compufix]

I am just a sucker for punishment 8-) I have plenty of Windows and OSX machines around...I was basically just looking to see if it could be done.

-Compufix

[iguani]

Primarily, I'm going to be able (when MBP arrives) to access the work network and environment from home. I'll be able to run Outlook et al and get full integration, so I can check mail, schedule meetings, work on documents, etc. (Please don't tell me about Entourage and so forth; it does quite well, but it simply doesn't integrate well enough. On our PC network, I need a PC -- went through the Mac hassle for a year before changing. And I've used Macs for 20 years, and still love Macs.)

Secondary to that is probably the games, just for occasional amusement (although if I found a PC game I liked that could change). But top of the list is being able to work from home, and that will be sweet.

[mzanier]

well, only need m$ win for remote Desktio, cause rdp client from m$ for mac kinda slow.

[reevsaj]

one word.
oblivion

[deemadden]

I'm a Windows/.NET developer by trade, working for a company where the bulk of its infrastructure is based on Windows technologies. So much like the moderator, I'm a Mac junkie, forever mired in the Windows world by trade.

[Amazingant]

I have programs I use that only work on windows, but i want the better computer. plus i just don't want to move from windows because i know it so well.

[imapetert]

I need Maya and Adobe while the universals are cooking.

Once those come I am dropping the size of the partition for games only. I really hate having windows on this computer ... its a very necessary evil.

sadly, game support in terms of speed really does not cut it with OSX

[Legobrick]

Lots of reasons:

1. My corporate remote login only supports Windows. So if I want to work from home I need a PC running XP.
2. DirectX. I like games, its my pressure release valve and am not willing to wait a year for the Mac version to be released, which then runs slower than the PC version.
3. Because I'm not an evangelist one way or another...I just want to use a PC to do things. Mac OS (which I'm still v new to) seems to be very elegant, and while being relatively intuitive to use, also appears not to sacrifice flexibility too much. Windows XP on the other hand, I'm starting to realise, was a big time drain on me getting things done, I seemed to spend half my life searching for stuff hidden in config screens and typing in arcane crap into dialog boxes, when all I wanted was to get on with it and do what I needed to do. But it does support games, and lots of other stuff, so yes, compatibility with 90% of the world.
4. Because I wanted to try it out, and the Powerbooks are so damn sexy, my Macbook pro even more so. I needed a laptop anyway so I killed 2 birds with one stone. I'd probably find it hard to justify spending a couple of grand on a Mac laptop, but a beautiful laptop that runs XP, and I get to try out Mac OS too? Nice one. Its the hardware that sold it to me...and now the software is winning me over.
5. iPod/iTunes halo effect - yes, guilty as charged. Although I do get somewhat annoyed with the DRM on music from the iTunes store, but I accept that it's Apple's business model and so good luck to them. T
6. I'm also hoping chicks will be impressed with me being a doubly free-thinking creative-yet-business-y type ideas guru, and I'll get laid a lot more...:cool: