Windows on Mac, quick synopsis
So I set up my 20 inch Intel-based iMac with Boot Camp, Apple's software to let you run Windows XP on your Mac. Here are my thoughts:
Gaming is now awesome. The iMac isn't a hardcore game system by any stretch of the imagination, but it plays just about everything out there well enough.
What's more, it appears that DirectX 9 on XP is a hell of a lot more optimized than OpenGL is OS X is.
Having said that, Windows XP still sucks for the most part. The interface is nowhere near as refined as Mac OS X, viruses and spyware present a real problem to daily use (Counterspy has already snagged dozens of spyware intrusions on my Mac since I installed it last Wednesday) and running XP on a Mac just looks wrong. It's sort of like using a pig to put on lipstick, if that analogy makes any sense backwards.
Comments
Peter, I noticed in the Boot Camp round table, you mentioned you had problems getting network working with Parallels. I had issues too. I had to do two things to get Parallels guest OS networking operating on my MBP.
1. Change the Network Adapter of the VM to use en1 (if you're using the Airport card).
2. Enable the "Automatically detect settings" checkbox in the LAN Settings of Internet Options. I had originally disabled that when installing Win 2K.
After making those two changes, I had my Win2K guest OS on the network. However, it was really slow. I don't know if it was the app or current traffic on my network. I'll have to test more tonight. I have more security patches to install...
Posted by: a2daj | April 10, 2006 06:37 PM
If my Mac wasn't in the shop, I'd have set up Boot Camp and Windows already, just to see what Oblivion and/or Civ IV looks like.
The repair guy said it *should* be ready tomorrow, but we'll see. Hopefully the new logic board does the trick. :/
btw, the lipstick I'm picturing is sort of a garish hot pink.
Posted by: Suz | April 10, 2006 10:18 PM
I don't know if I'm just being retarded or what. I'm running the beta 2 and I still can't figure out what to do to get networking working.
Posted by: flargh | April 11, 2006 09:35 PM