Windows XP on a Mac Contest Winner
Windows XP on a Mac Contest Winner
by , 8:35 AM EST, March 16th, 2006
Colin Nederkoorn's contest to create a dual-booting Intel Mac that runs both Mac OS X and Windows XP is officially over, and a winner has been announced. According to the Windows XP on an Intel Mac Web site, the winner, known as "narf," will get the US$13,854 prize.
Part of the requirements for the contest winner include posting the steps to set up a dual booting Mac on the contest Web site. The proceeder has been verified, but is not yet available.
Prior to the winner announcement, many people felt it wouldn't be possible to set up an Intel-based Mac to boot either Mac OS X or Windows XP because the Mac does not include BIOS, which is a low-level hardware component that Windows relies on during the startup process.
A video showing an Intel-based iMac booting Windows XP is available at the Engadget Web site.
Observer Comments
Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:50 am Subject: Before you break out the Champaign...
It seems like a brilliant scam.
1. Get a bunch of people to donate thousands of dollars.
2. Video record a Dell starting up.
3. Play it full-screen on an iMac. (It was too dark to see the mouse and keyboard actually being used).
4. Keep the money and go drinkin' with your mates.
5. Brilliant!!!
I'd wait to see if the process can be duplicated (if it is ever published).
Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:42 am Subject: proceeder or procedure?
Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:19 pm Subject: They have posted instructions and download files
There is a download link on the page now. I downloaded it to check it out (even though I only have a PPC Mac). Inside you will find a detailed instructions file, a boot.img, a .efi file, a src folder, and a nero project to get you started on making a slightly modified Windows XP SP2 CD (looks like you need to do this on a PC).
Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:39 pm Subject: Looking at the donations. . .
Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:21 pm Subject:
It would seem to me that though this is definitely newsworthy, I would think that if one could find a way to run windows programs in OSX without the virus laden windows holes that would be exciting. It would scare me to run windows on my Mac without all the expense and frustration of anti-virus and anti-spyware. Thats one reason I use a Mac.
QuoteRoyalJimP wrote:
It would seem to me that though this is definitely newsworthy, I would think that if one could find a way to run windows programs in OSX without the virus laden windows holes that would be exciting. It would scare me to run windows on my Mac without all the expense and frustration of anti-virus and anti-spyware. Thats one reason I use a Mac.
Totally agree. Also if you have to break your workflow to reboot your computer just to run one program, it destroys the convenience of having both OSes together. It's much tidier to have a Windows-type layer in OSX running apps headlessly at full speed. I don't know if we'll ever get that though.
Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:14 pm Subject: The process is up on the web to get an intel Mac to boot XP
Well guys the process is up on the web for anyone to try now.
Including the modified files necessary to make a bootable XP installer disc. Go to http://download.onmac.net/ for the instructions and files to dual boot an intel Mac into OSX or Windows XP.
RoyalJimP wrote:
"I would think that if one could find a way to run windows programs in OSX without the virus laden windows holes that would be exciting."
It seems this can be done by using WinTel software by OpenOSX. Here is their site.
http://openosx.com/wintel/
And an article in MacWorld about the software;
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/03/15/wintel/index.php
Have a good one, BB ![]()
Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:25 pm Subject: Re: Windows XP inside of OSX
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
RoyalJimP wrote:
"I would think that if one could find a way to run windows programs in OSX without the virus laden windows holes that would be exciting."
It seems this can be done by using WinTel software by OpenOSX. Here is their site.
http://openosx.com/wintel/
And an article in MacWorld about the software;
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/03/15/wintel/index.php
Have a good one, BB
Unfortunately it is dog slow, at least compared to native running.
Now if only they'd gotten a version of Windows to run on a Mac that's less totally worthless than Windows XP, like Windows 98 which is also worthless but much less so, then they'd REALLY have something.
I mean, dual-booting the absolute worst version of Windows on a Mac is kind of pointless, isn't it?
QuoteIntruder wrote:QuoteAnonymous wrote:
RoyalJimP wrote:
"I would think that if one could find a way to run windows programs in OSX without the virus laden windows holes that would be exciting."
It seems this can be done by using WinTel software by OpenOSX. Here is their site.
http://openosx.com/wintel/
And an article in MacWorld about the software;
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/03/15/wintel/index.php
Have a good one, BB
Unfortunately it is dog slow, at least compared to native running.
I haven't tried WinTel since I'm not paying $25 for what is essentially open source software (bochs). I have been able to get Linux running in Q (Qemu with a nice GUI) and by all accounts it's faster than WinTel. I would try Windows only I don't have a Windows install disk handy.
Anyway, the Qemu folk are making daily progress and it looks promising, although I'm sure it'll never be as fast as Windows running natively.
There hasn't been any talk about MS about making a Virtual PC for the Intel Mac. However, because someone was able to make windows work on the IntelMac, they may want to re-visit creating a VPC for IntelMac. Why allow people to load Windows XP for free when they can charge them for it. (Lets not fool our selfs that Mac users will purchase a licensed Windows XP software) Also, MS has the upper hand because they have, license, or make an agreement with Apple to get the technical specs for Intel OS X and the Intel CPU to make Virtual PC run efficently.
So my prediction is that M$ will create a Virtual PC for Intel Mac in the very near future. Within the year.
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