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#1 2008-07-02 12:01 pm
- Worfscuzzin
- Member
- Registered: 2008-07-01
- Posts: 1
To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Have been using my Macbook for school .....works Fantastic...been a Mac Addict for yay long...
now , for several grad school courses, Win XP is required ...a necessary evil for whatever reasons...( perfesser laziness maybe...? )
Requesting any advice y'all care to relate...: With Mr. Letterman's permission:
Top 5 reasons ( or more ) :
1) FOR installing Windows XP on my Mac ....
2) AGAINST installing Win XP on the Mac....
Having used PC's in real life workplaces, I shudder at the possibility of any mid-semester software disasters caused by having both systems on my computer....
THANKS !!
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#2 2008-07-02 12:06 pm
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
1 install xp cuz its the standard.
2 dont cuz it sucks.
i dont think i need 5
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#3 2008-07-02 1:56 pm
- nayrk
- User Error

- From: Outland
- Registered: 2004-05-01
- Posts: 622
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
NSX wrote:
1 install xp cuz its the standard.
2 dont cuz it sucks.
i dont think i need 5
yea thats... uh... pretty much it.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm a schizophrenic
And so am I
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#4 2008-07-02 2:56 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
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- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16859
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
If you have them on seperate partitions, you can always nuke and pave the XP partition without effecting the OS X one, so mid-semester software disasters shouldn't be an issue. (Save your work to your thumb drive or something first, obviously.)
If XP is required, it's required. Might as well install it now, get used to it a little, and save yourself some headaches when there's a time crunch.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#5 2008-07-02 3:03 pm
- Chickenhawk
- Friends don't let friends hunt drunk

- From: The bad air state
- Registered: 2005-06-01
- Posts: 4887
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
I don't have a mac that can dual boot, but I do dual boot windows xp and ubuntu on my desktop. I originally did so because I, like you, have a piece of software required for my classes which I do/did not want to use the labs for, but have also come to using it for gaming and the like. There's no shame in dual booting with windows; I still probably am booted in Ubuntu for 70% of the time my computer is running.
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#6 2008-07-02 3:04 pm
- Chickenhawk
- Friends don't let friends hunt drunk

- From: The bad air state
- Registered: 2005-06-01
- Posts: 4887
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
You could possibly have software issues with XP, but that won't propagate over to your mac. Windows cannot write to HFS+.
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#7 2008-07-02 9:30 pm
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Chickenhawk wrote:
You could POSSIBLY have software issues with XP, but that won't propagate over to your mac. Windows cannot write to HFS+.
LoL, that is certainly guaranteed, even with microsoft's own softwares
Core Mini 1.66ghz 2048ram 320gb
DLSuperDrive Tiger uses for stupid intel stuff
12 Aluminum 1.5ghz 1280ram 250gb
SLSuperDrive Panther uses for Logic Express
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#8 2008-07-02 11:59 pm
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
XP isnt that horrible of an operating system... its alot better than vista in my opinion.
I would take DVpierces advise and install XP and get it over with. Have you looked into VMWare Fusion as an alternative?
Last edited by dhack21 (2008-07-02 11:59 pm)
SlackWare Linux.
Because it just works.
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#9 2008-07-03 2:17 am
- kamizuno
- Poking you with a stick

- From: Smileytown
- Registered: 1999-07-13
- Posts: 1881
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
XP is better than Vista for running under VMs on a mac, I've tried both Vista and XP on Fusion and Parallels and it runs faster and works just as well as Vista.
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#10 2008-07-03 4:02 am
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
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- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16859
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
NSX wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
You could POSSIBLY have software issues with XP, but that won't propagate over to your mac. Windows cannot write to HFS+.
LoL, that is certainly guaranteed, even with microsoft's own softwares
Not if you have a clue what you're doing.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#11 2008-07-04 9:54 am
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
A) YES - Install XP
1. More Gaming options
2. More software options
3. Cover most compatibility bases
4. Show Off ("Of course I can run Windows on my Mac!")
5. Gain sympathy for most of the planet.
B) NO - Don't Install XP
1. Save HD space
2. Spare yourself the hassle of learning another OS
3. Don't have to dig up a copy of Windows ($200 new
)
4. You use macs to avoid complications!
5. Put your time to better use: Less Gaming options.
...having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. -- TJ
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#12 2008-07-04 11:16 am
- Chickenhawk
- Friends don't let friends hunt drunk

- From: The bad air state
- Registered: 2005-06-01
- Posts: 4887
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
re #3 against, if he's at a university, then he probably can pick up a copy of XP for cheap or free.
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#13 2008-07-04 11:52 am
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
- Moderator

- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16859
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
re #2 against, learning to use multiple OSes is like learning to speak multiple languages. You really ought to do it.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#14 2008-07-04 12:40 pm
- test
- Member
- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5036
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Personally, I'd go with Vista if it will work, preferably a 64 bit version. But if XP really is the only way to do what you have to do then there really isn't much choice. It is kind of discouraging though - XP really is more or less the OS9 of the Windows world.
Last edited by test (2008-07-04 12:41 pm)
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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#15 2008-07-04 2:21 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
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- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16859
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
test wrote:
XP really is more or less the OS9 of the Windows world.
No. Not even close.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#16 2008-07-04 3:07 pm
- test
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- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5036
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
dvpierce wrote:
test wrote:
XP really is more or less the OS9 of the Windows world.
No. Not even close.
I'll grant XP is still supported by MicroSoft, while Apple treats OS9 like a mistake it would like to forget. But from a functional standpoint XP compares to Vista about like OS9 does to OS X, at least in my experience.
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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#17 2008-07-04 3:25 pm
- Chickenhawk
- Friends don't let friends hunt drunk

- From: The bad air state
- Registered: 2005-06-01
- Posts: 4887
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Except for the whole fact that OS X was a positive improvement over OS 9...
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#18 2008-07-04 3:41 pm
- test
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- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5036
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
I find Vista much better than XP in every way except for greatly increased RAM use. If RAM is tight, especially if Windows is to run virtually, then Vista may not be workable. And if the software you need to run only works on XP then you don't have any choice.
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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#19 2008-07-04 5:08 pm
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
test wrote:
XP really is more or less the OS9 of the Windows world.
That would be Win98 or ME. OS 9 had a lot of pretty design and software features, but it was an algorithmic lungfish--hyperevolved but lacking modern necessities that even AMIGA-OS from 1987 had, namely fully automated preemptive multitasking.
...having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. -- TJ
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#20 2008-07-04 7:05 pm
- Bat
- Adult's Play
- Royal Wombat

- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 24085
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Even '95 managed memory itself, and fairly well.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#21 2008-07-04 9:10 pm
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
Oh yeah, user controlled memory management. What a great idea that was. TBH, I was shocked when I discovered it. Whats so difficult about a full random access heap?
...having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. -- TJ
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#22 2008-07-05 1:39 am
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
i don't understand this os9 bashing. it was hella good and just recently died with the introduction of leo.
Core Mini 1.66ghz 2048ram 320gb
DLSuperDrive Tiger uses for stupid intel stuff
12 Aluminum 1.5ghz 1280ram 250gb
SLSuperDrive Panther uses for Logic Express
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#23 2008-07-05 5:54 am
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
I'm not saying it was bad. It had a great many features that were very nice to use. But its underlying architecture was primitive compared to XP. It was more in line with Win95-98. (which I don't think were as good)
...having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. -- TJ
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#24 2008-07-05 1:34 pm
- test
- Member
- From: Collingwood, Ont., CANADA
- Registered: 2002-12-13
- Posts: 5036
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
As far as I can tell XP is just as big pile of kludges as OS9. The only advantage XP has over OS9 is that the publisher still supports it. Or, from a more realistic perspective, the biggest advantage OS9 has over XP is Apple had the decency to give it a proper funeral and not let the rancid corpse fester on the front lawn.
Patience is a virtue of the weak for it makes them stand still long enough for the strong to crush them with ease.
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#25 2008-07-05 2:09 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
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- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16859
Re: To XP or Not to XP....that is the question....
test wrote:
As far as I can tell XP is just as big pile of kludges as OS9. The only advantage XP has over OS9 is that the publisher still supports it. Or, from a more realistic perspective, the biggest advantage OS9 has over XP is Apple had the decency to give it a proper funeral and not let the rancid corpse fester on the front lawn.
Umm... XP is quite comparable to OS X in terms of stability and features, and it's lower-overhead. Are you sure we're talking about the same OS?
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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