Test: is your Mac Intel really Vista-ready?

cosmos 1999cosmos 1999
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
We can officially boot into Windows XP SP2 on Mac Intel thanks to Boot Camp.

And early 2007, we will be able to install Windows Vista.



But Windows Vista is pretty hungry:

- the minimum configuration ("Vista-Capable") needs at least a 800 MHz x86 CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a DX9 compatible GPU, and 15 GB of available space on your HDD.

- the recommended requirement ("Vista-Premium") in order to display the full effects with "Aero Glass" graphical user interface: at least a 1 GHz x86 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and a a DX9 compatible graphic card with a WDDM video memory driver, with 64MB dedicated VRAM for a 17"/19" LCD and under, 128 MB for a 20" or 21" LCD and up to these 23/24 inchers, and 256 MB for beyond (like a 30").



So, user of a brand new MacBook or Mac mini (GMA 950), or iMac or MacBook Pro (Radeon Mobility X1600 with 128MB or 256 MB) with Boot Camp and Win XP:

Can you boot your Mac Intel into Windows, download the new "Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor" program (beta, 4 MB) from the new Window Vista "Get Ready" web site, and tell us which note between 0 and 5 you get with your Mac?

Is the Macbook (GMA 950) Vista-Capable?



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    intel says yes. probably not aero, but who knows.



    http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/
  • Reply 2 of 12
    cosmos 1999cosmos 1999 Posts: 149member
    There is a biased information from Intel about the "Vista-Capable" class computers, because the Aero GUI is not required to achieve this minimum level qualification. So depending on its components, a "Vista-Capable PC" could be able to get XP GUI at best, and another could be able to display Aero with some translucency.



    But we have good news according to PC World (March 07, 2006): "Acer laptop with Intel's 945GM Express Chipset and integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics easily handling Premium's "translucent glass" and rolodexing screens."
  • Reply 3 of 12
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    An interesting tidbit for you: the bootcamp Windows XP that I have shows 128mb of memory is being used / allocated for video, which is double what it shows in OS X. This is using Apple's Windows XP driver cd.
  • Reply 4 of 12
    archstudentarchstudent Posts: 262member
    tbh vista probably will be inferior to XP SP2 until 2008
  • Reply 5 of 12
    cosmos 1999cosmos 1999 Posts: 149member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sandau

    An interesting tidbit for you: the bootcamp Windows XP that I have shows 128mb of memory is being used / allocated for video, which is double what it shows in OS X. This is using Apple's Windows XP driver cd.



    Do you have a Mac Mini? Memory allocation varies with GMA 950. Apple says Mac OS X allocates 80 MB minimum to the GMA 950 from the main memory, and more if needed up to 250 MB max (Intel says 64MB min and 224 MB max).



    Have you downloaded and tested the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor program?
  • Reply 6 of 12
    cosmos 1999cosmos 1999 Posts: 149member
    Apparently GMA 950 is compatible with all the effects of Aero Glass

    You can see a video of a PC with GMA 950 running Aero Glass user interface from a Windows Vista build, pretty well!
  • Reply 7 of 12
    mikefmikef Posts: 698member
    Very cool! Xgl on the 950 is brutal on Linux, but I suppose that's probably driver related.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    maccabeamaccabea Posts: 15member
    ok guys.. i'm still debating on whether or not to get the MB or the MBP. If I do get the MB, i plan installing 2gig of RAM...so u think Vista will run smoothly with full effects if I get the MB with 2gig? This is a huge decision for me and I'm really having a hard time deciding. I'm not much of the gamer, really, but I want to run my mac apps smoothly and if I decide to get Vista, I want that to run efficiently too!
  • Reply 9 of 12
    mikefmikef Posts: 698member
    How would anybody know how well Vista runs on the MB or the MBP when it hasn't been released yet? Yeah, there are Betas, but they aren't optimized and still contain debug code.



    If it's a big issue, wait until Vista is released. Hopefully the excessive heat problems of the MB/MBP are fixed by then...
  • Reply 10 of 12
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    Love to check out my MBP, but:

    Quote:

    The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor beta is currently unavailable, please check back soon. We apologize for the inconvenience.



    Any other sources for download?
  • Reply 11 of 12
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Cosmos 1999

    We can officially boot into Windows XP SP2 on Mac Intel thanks to Boot Camp.

    And early 2007, we will be able to install Windows Vista.



    But Windows Vista is pretty hungry:

    - the minimum configuration ("Vista-Capable") needs at least a 800 MHz x86 CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a DX9 compatible GPU, and 15 GB of available space on your HDD.

    - the recommended requirement ("Vista-Premium") in order to display the full effects with "Aero Glass" graphical user interface: at least a 1 GHz x86 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and a a DX9 compatible graphic card with a WDDM video memory driver, with 64MB dedicated VRAM for a 17"/19" LCD and under, 128 MB for a 20" or 21" LCD and up to these 23/24 inchers, and 256 MB for beyond (like a 30").



    I thought GMA950 was fully DX9 compatible. The claimed processor and memory footprint is not that bad, IMO about the same as what makes Tiger useful. I'd say maybe with a graphics and memory upgrade, most desktop computers made in the last six years are capable. Really, stuff an old computer to the gills with RAM and it's often surprisingly useful. The main reason a person would want a newer system is for multimedia and games. Even then, I'm often the type to stay behind an OS release for a while. Windows XP has some nifty (though mostly subtle IMO) functionality improvements, but I'm still primarily a W2k user.
  • Reply 12 of 12
    ipeonipeon Posts: 1,122member
    If Intel Mac's can't handle Vista, neither will any of the other Intel PCs. Take your FUD and MS's propaganda elsewhere bud.
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