PowerBook is dead; MacBook Pro is here (Intel-based)

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Apple have said publicly that they won't stop people from running Windows on their Mactel machines. That makes Apple machines the only computers that can run all three major operating systems.

Update...

http://www.betanews.com/article/XP_Wont_Run_on_Intel_MacBook_iMac/1137003330

XP Won't Run on Intel MacBook, iMac
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
January 11, 2006, 1:15 PM

With the announcement of the first Intel based Macs yesterday, many users have rejoiced in being able to dual-boot both Mac OS X and Windows. Unfortunately, this is not the case; due to Apple's use of the extensible firmware interface (EFI) rather than BIOS, current Windows releases will not run on the systems.

On Tuesday at Macworld, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller said the company would not specifically block the use of Windows on Mac hardware. Instead, limitations in Windows itself will prevent its use on the new MacBook Pro laptop and iMac.

With the switch to Intel processors, Apple also moved from Open Firmware to EFI, which is an updated BIOS specification developed by Intel. Advanced features include the ability to boot into an EFI shell and run diagnostics and power up the CPU into a fully functional state immediately.

EFI also separates the control of devices from the operating system, meaning it can initialize hardware before loading the OS. This feature would allow for a system to connect to the Internet and download updated drivers before booting up.

Intel initially deployed EFI as part of its Itanium architecture. As such, Microsoft only included support for the BIOS replacement in its IA64 and later x64 operating systems. While Microsoft plans to add EFI support in 32-bit versions of Windows Vista, a final release isn't due until the end of the year.

Microsoft's 64-bit versions of Windows will also not work despite supporting EFI, because Apple's Intel platform is strictly 32-bit at the moment.

For its part, Microsoft encouraged Apple to build hardware compatible with Windows.

"We have an open specification and a process for certifying the hardware. We welcome all efforts in this area and we'd support Apple the same way we support every other PC manufacturer," a company spokesperson told BetaNews. "Anyone, including Apple, can purchase and re-sell Windows for use on their industry-standard hardware."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Agathon
Civ has sucked since Civ II (which is still a pretty good game). Civ I was the best of them all (due to its originality at the time), and SMAC was better than all of them.

If I want to play a strategy game, I will play Victoria or EUII, both of which make Civ IV look like noobsville.

I don't think I can ever agree with you on anything anymore. That last paragraph was wrong on so many different levels (I don't seem to recall either EU II or Victoria winning any PC Game of the Year awards, while CivIV is running away with them).

[Nostromo]

Niche games like EU II will never win a GOTY award. It doesn't mean they're not great games. EU II is a very good game. But Victoria is another matter... Based on the reviews I read, it sounds like a bad game. So I decided not to buy it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd expect some would say CivIV is a 'niche' game as well . Seeing as how TBS isn't a big market anymore.

Anyway, I'd MUCH rather play Civ4 than EU2 (and yes, I've played both).

[Apocalypse]

Victoria was pretty good I thought.

HOI actually won a number of awards.

[Nostromo]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'd expect some would say CivIV is a 'niche' game as well . Seeing as how TBS isn't a big market anymore.

Anyway, I'd MUCH rather play Civ4 than EU2 (and yes, I've played both).

Unfortunately, I can't play Civ 4 on my computer. And it looks like a lot of fun And even though EU2 is a very good game, Civ 4 looks like a much better game, whereas EU2 is a much better simulation.

[Last Conformist]

Tangentially relevant - the two most common reasons people have given me for buying an iBook are i) it's small and lightweight and ii) it's cute.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui




I don't think I can ever agree with you on anything anymore. That last paragraph was wrong on so many different levels (I don't seem to recall either EU II or Victoria winning any PC Game of the Year awards, while CivIV is running away with them).

It's alright... I still love you.

[Q Classic]

While Agathon has been right before, in the case of CivIV, he's nuttier than UR, Serb, and Fez combined.

===

That said, I'm just shaking my head at this development. Why?

Well, a friend of mine (not so bright, he is) went out and bought a Powerbook not 3 months ago, over my strident objections that if he waited only a few months, he'd be able to get one three to four times as powerful for the same price. (Yes, I realize at the time, everyone was expecting this in Q2-3 2006; I was forecasting it Q1, largely because the technology and manufacturers were already likely lined up by that point, and I'd been messing with the Intel PowerMacs at work for several months by that point.) He then bought extra RAM for it, and couldn't figure out how to install it. (Shows that not even the Mac is idiot-proof.)

He didn't care, borrowed money (about 25% of the cost) from another friend, just so he could play around with GarageBand--except he has yet to open that program. (I was messing around with it on my Cube, and he had no idea what it was.)

...so, my disappointment lies not with the release of Intel PowerBooks (I won't call them MacBooks, because I think the name sounds dumb), and more with the fact that I really can't say, "I told you so," because he also just recently got dumped.

Life just isn't fair, is it?

[Asher]

While we're on topic, a rant:

1) Why is the new firmware for iPod 45MB? Aside from Apple being "user friendly" by giving me the firmware for every iPod in existance, instead of just mine. Christ.
2) Why doesn't the iPod Updater actually work? (See picture)
3) The new iTunes is buggy: it becomes INCREDIBLY slow after about 5 minutes of use, reloading it fixes it..
4) The new iTunes introduced a "helpful" ad at the bottom of the display by default, showing "related" songs to what you're playing in an attempt for you to buy them (which means each time you play a song it sends that information to Apple's servers by default )
5) There are pretty major undocumented changes made in the new firmware: lots of people are upset that holding down MENU doesn't turn off the backlight anymore, but instead brings you the root menu. They changed behavior without documenting this, and there is no option to revert to the old behavior...
6) Users of the 60GB iPod with Video report videos simply...do not work after the first 5s or so (no sound).

[Imran Siddiqui]

Eh... go for it anyway .

[Nostromo]

They changed behavior without documenting this, and there is no option to revert to the old behavior...

Apple doesn't believe in options. I wish there was a way to turn off the stupid auto-pause on my iPod...

[Agathon]

While Agathon has been right before, in the case of CivIV, he's nuttier than UR, Serb, and Fez combined.

Because I prefer simulation style games over boardgame style games... that doesn't make any sense.

[Apocalypse]

Originally posted by Agathon


Because I doesn't make any sense.

Fixed it.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Apocalypse

Fixed it.

I guess sentences with more than noun verb noun are too complex for you Southern cow molesters.