loading xp

[CowZ]

Okay so I know that you can load winxp via bootcamp. But do you guys know about installing windows as a separate OS when you bootup the laptop and loading it as is without going through bootcamp? Recently I got accepted to a school and the exams will be done on laptops running examsoft software. I'm under the impression that the school may/may not turn off internet access while the computer is running so I really need all the features of the software to be in working order to not be misconstrued as cheating. Thanks for any insight =)

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: CowZ
Okay so I know that you can load winxp via bootcamp. But do you guys know about installing windows as a separate OS when you bootup the laptop and loading it as is without going through bootcamp? Recently I got accepted to a school and the exams will be done on laptops running examsoft software. I'm under the impression that the school may/may not turn off internet access while the computer is running so I really need all the features of the software to be in working order to not be misconstrued as cheating. Thanks for any insight =)

BootCamp is not VMWare. BootCamp is a boot loader and partition manager. You launch the Assistant in order to easily partition the drive, then once you install Windows you can hold ALT at boot to choose between Windows and OS X. You are running XP natively at that point, there is no emulation, it is just like running it on any other computer.

 

[CowZ]

Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up. Ive always been under the impression that bootcamp runs windows via windowed mode in osx. So I also take it that when you are in xp you lose the gesture that the trackpad gives you as well?

 

[aphex]

Careful running examsoft on a mac. At our school they would allow you to use it, but if you had any problems at all they won't help you get it up and running during the test while they will on standard PC's. Examsoft required the computer to restart in a locked down state to have complete control over the environment (locking down such things as the network connection and pretty much everything else). Also, it was only allowed via bootcamp and not virtualized via VMWare/parallels.

That being said, as much as I love mac I went out and bought a windows laptop for the primary purpose of taking my exams. It wasn't worth the risk to me of having an issue mid-exam. Examsoft sucks on a standard config (I've seen it lock up numerous times), no need to give it any more reason to screw up.

 

[Kmax82]

True.. maybe grab a small Dell/HP/Acer/MSI netbook?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: CowZ
Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up. Ive always been under the impression that bootcamp runs windows via windowed mode in osx. So I also take it that when you are in xp you lose the gesture that the trackpad gives you as well?

You lose some but not all. Tyranicus reports that the Glass trackpad is much better than the older ones in Windows, but I haven't tested it yet. You can have 2 finger clicking and scrolling, but it is a little wonky by comparison to OS X. I think that mostly has to do with how Windows handles trackpads and acceleration again as compared to OS X.

 

[Tyranicus]

The unibody drivers support tap-clicking in Windows, as well as 2-finger scrolling and 3-finger swiping. The trackpad is way too sensitive in Windows however.