I'm going to be getting Windows for my sons 2008 dual quad core Mac Pro and need to know which version of Windows to get. Which version should I get to access all eight cores? Also, would any Windows viruses affect the home network or Mac OS X on any other machines? Thanks for the advice.
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Which version of Windows should I get?
- Thread starter tony3d
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I'd go with Windows 7. Also, no Windows malware can run on or affect Mac OS X.
Mac Virus/Malware FAQ
Windows 7 is the least crappiest version and it's actually not bad. Unless he has any specific needs, the Home Premium version should be just fine. The windows kernel will be able to initialize all the cores on the MP.
It's hard to say about any viruses, there are a lot of them out there, most of them these days seem to want to either turn your PC in to a bot, or just keep directing you to a web page to signup for a service to "fix" your PC. Just make sure the Windows install has the latest updates and install Microsoft Security Essentials and it should be a pretty solid install.
You will need to get the 64-Bit version of Windows 7. 32-Bit will be unable to take advantage of all of the Mac Pro's RAM and Power. This is unrelated to the EFI32/64 stuff.
I have 7 Professional on Mac Pro locally and Win 7 Enterprise on VM's. Appears to be good enough. Whatever you do don't get "Ultimate". That was a waste. I bought it for Vista (DX10 was the only reason). I was just pissed at MS's upgrade model. You HAD to get Ultimate if you previously owned Ultimate so the stupid upgrade was $249.00. So Professional New - no upgrade was cheaper. So lame.
I'm not aware of any viruses that spread, but just to be safe I deleted the windows dll that alows the windows partition to see the OS X partition.
I know I'm paranoid, but I feel safer knowing that if my windows install gets compromised that it won't be able to see any of my personal data in OS X.
I know I'm paranoid, but I feel safer knowing that if my windows install gets compromised that it won't be able to see any of my personal data in OS X.
Alternatively, you could find the nearest window and jump out of it. Have you used/seen windows 8, its has to be the worst operating system Microsoft has ever made, and that's saying something.
Actually I've being playing with the release preview of Windows 8 and I'm finding it to be quite stable and fun to use. I was concerned at first about the metro design but it was really intuitive and when I go back to Windows 7 I find myself missing the tiles.
No..
Even the new To me G5 has 16. All the other desktops have/had 24 or 32.....
iMacs can take 32 now along with all other Sandy Bridge.
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Microsoft just announced cheaper upgrades for Windows, about $40 US even if you're upgrading from XP.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/...07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx
I'd love to upgrade the PC box I have but I'd need more RAM and a faster CPU, both of which are hard to do at a good price on my current setup.
The metro is weird at first as its geared more for touch. I think the usability aspects need tweaking. But for the OP at least its free. I've found it quite solid within BC. As you say there some fun bits like the copying progress indicators.
Of course this is just my personal preference but I hate, HATE, those tiles, just like I hate "Launch Pad". It just feels very disorganized and cluttered. It works with phones, when you only regularly use maybe 4 apps, but in computers when I need maybe 20?
Right click on them and you can make them smaller - also rearrange - very similar to iOS.
These companies don't want 2 OS and pretty much everything is moving to mobile/tablet worldwide.
Forcefully and without want or need of it's users, yes. The push feels like a shove. Kind of like "the cloud". It sucks but they can't think of anything better right now so...
Exactly, and once we've all been shoved off the end, forced to use mobile OSes for desktop computers, someone will come along and give people what they want.
If Apple merges OSX and iOS with OS XI or whatnot, and Window's keeps this path up with Windows 8 then 9, I think we'll see record Ubuntu downloads.
Windows 7 Professional x64. It is hands down the best version of Windows to date and is one of the, if not the best OS out there right now. And as long as you know how to behave on the interent (not going to any questionable sites etc.) You don't have to worry about viruses. But just in case, you can instal Microsoft Security Essentials. You just install it and forget about it.
Where as Win 7 Ultimate x64 is totally different eh? And you couldn't tell the dif if it was 32-bit instead?Pretty astute as there are only 3 real OS's to choose from. Linux distros count as 1. Don't see much difference in 7 as in Vista which was barely different than XP. All they did was fix things that should have not been broken. Their user elements are still concocted by 5-year olds who love to have windows in windows in windows in... Just to get to a simple TCP/IP setting or something. It plays games great though
Where as Win 7 Ultimate x64 is totally different eh? And you couldn't tell the dif if it was 32-bit instead?Pretty astute as there are only 3 real OS's to choose from. Linux distros count as 1. Don't see much difference in 7 as in Vista which was barely different than XP. All they did was fix things that should have not been broken. Their user elements are still concocted by 5-year olds who love to have windows in windows in windows in... Just to get to a simple TCP/IP setting or something. It plays games great though
Hmmmm? Windows 7 Professional is the best all around version in my opinion. Most people do not need Bit Locker or Bit Locker to go which is the only difference between Pro and Ult. x64 is vastly superior these days with better stability, more ram support etc. And you're kidding yourself if you say Vista and XP are "barely different". I almost spit my drink all over my keyboard when I read that. You are correct when you say Windows 7 fixed things that should not have been broken, but I don't see what's bad about that.
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