forbes Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 I'm just wondering if anyone with a new MacBook (not pro) with the onboard Intel GMA950 can test a couple of things. 1. Will it support Windows Vista's new Aero with all the bells and whistles? Even if you don't have access to a beta copy you try the new Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor tool here. I've seen a supposed video of of aero on the mac mini, but would just like to check? 2. More importantly, will it support the xgl or aigxl projects on Linux? I believe that intel graphic chipsets are usually well supported within linux, but have head that there may be a problem with the way the GMA950 on the Mac Minis and MacBooks are configured. Easy test could be with the Kororaa LiveCD maybe. Any advice (particularly confirmed experiences) or more insight would be wonderful. many thanks, forbes. Before you say it, I know I am crazy for wanting to run anything other than OS X, but thats not the point of this thread so please don't bother going there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 1. Will it support Windows Vista's new Aero with all the bells and whistles? Even if you don't have access to a beta copy you try the new Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor tool here. I've seen a supposed video of of aero on the mac mini, but would just like to check? You will get Aero with GMA 950. It is the miniumum, but it will work. I heard Microsoft might make support for GMA 900, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nylock10 Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 Read this, it might help you: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2411 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 Welcome to the forum, forbes! And no you're not crazy for wanting to run Windows on your Mac - that's what this section of the forum is all about! Another good article: http://yourtech.typepad.com/main/2006/05/o...f_the_most.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_4e Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Wow! After reading Mashugly's article that he posted (Vista Specs) I quickly became very frustrated and a little worried. My new MacBook is on its way with all of the requirements except the 128 MB of graphics memory. I didn't quite understand what would come as a result of running Vista on my MacBook and would greatly appreciate some feedback. Thanks a ton, kevin Edit: Fixed broken link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Are you saying that I won't get aero on my Macbook? Can't Microsoft make their eye candy less VRAM hogging like Apple did? Stupid Bill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_4e Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Well I came across this while searching to find whether or not my MacBook would be able to fully support Windows Vista. According to Everything Apple (Actual Article Here) "Intel has this to say about the chipset and Vista compatibility: "Mobile Intel® 945GM Express Chipset family platforms using 512MB of system memory or greater (which the MacBook has I believe?) meet all current requirements for the Microsoft Windows Vista* Capable PC program." Hopefully there shall be no problems and we will all be very happy. Let me know if I'm right or miserably wrong. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatoncat Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Let's clear this up once and for all... Aero (aka Aero Glass) is the advanced user interface found in Windows Vista that requires several more advanced graphics card features. If your system does not meet the minimum requirements for Aero, it will run in the Basic User Interface (modeled after today's Windows GDI+ User Interface). The GMA950 works with Aero, and can take advantage of the most advanced user interface Windows Vista can provide. Yes, there is a 128 MB requirement for the frame buffer. This is where Apple's "the amount of memory dedicated to the graphics card can change" section kicks in... Typically, the GMA950 in both XP and Mac OS X uses between 64 and 80 MB of RAM. Now, in Vista (and probably Leopard, depending on the UI elements changed), that usage will increase to 128 MB. So, if you want the best Vista experience possible, make sure you have more than 512 MB of memory, and, of course, you have to install that memory in pairs in order for the GMA950 to perform properly. I guess I should also note that if you do not install in pairs, there is a very likely chance that Vista will disable Glass due to the bandwidth constraints introduced by not running in dual-channel mode. So, bottom line: All Intel-based Macs fully support the full Windows Vista user interface. But, there's one more thing... Aero is not included in Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Starter Edition. In addition, Aero will not activate without your system passing Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy verification. Home Basic and Starter versions will run a modified version of Aero known as Standard User Interface. Standard carries the same requirements as Aero, and provides much of the optimizations, but lacks 3D effects and glass-like transparencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 So in simple terms does this mean we should just have more that 512 MB of RAM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 in order to run aero glass, you need a video card with shader model 2.0 and a directx 9 compatible gpu. that is all... [rant] i dont understand why people need to talk about vista being a resource hog since its requirments are comparable to os x tiger - and considering half of the people who flame vista havent even tried the beta yet (just a bunch of brainwashed bigots). i know i may sound like an ms lover but im not, i just dont think yelling at the problem makes it go away. microsoft has actually coded a fairly good release this time. yes there are problems with vista notably the delay to release winfs, the insanely stupid idea of backwards compatibility (anyone who requires legacy support these days should buy a new rig!), the fact that its been delayed a long time, its got 50 million lines of code etc. etc. etc. and no, im not saying that os x tiger isnt an amazing os (because it is) and the way things look now, id take it anyday over windows xp (since im not a particularily hardcore gamer). im not going to speculate on leopard but im sure it will have a whole new array of features that will blow people away. all im saying is that wait for vista to come out before you start bashing it. [/rant] requirements: 800mhz/512mb ram/15GB + HDD/Direct X9 GPU w/ SM 2.0 recommendations: 1ghz/1gb ram/40gb hdd/directx9 gpu w/sm 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 in order to run aero glass, you need a video card with shader model 2.0 and a directx 9 compatible gpu. that is all... [rant] i dont understand why people need to talk about vista being a resource hog since its requirments are comparable to os x tiger - and considering half of the people who flame vista havent even tried the beta yet (just a bunch of brainwashed bigots). i know i may sound like an ms lover but im not, i just dont think yelling at the problem makes it go away. microsoft has actually coded a fairly good release this time. yes there are problems with vista notably the delay to release winfs, the insanely stupid idea of backwards compatibility (anyone who requires legacy support these days should buy a new rig!), the fact that its been delayed a long time, its got 50 million lines of code etc. etc. etc. and no, im not saying that os x tiger isnt an amazing os (because it is) and the way things look now, id take it anyday over windows xp (since im not a particularily hardcore gamer). im not going to speculate on leopard but im sure it will have a whole new array of features that will blow people away. all im saying is that wait for vista to come out before you start bashing it. [/rant] requirements: 800mhz/512mb ram/15GB + HDD/Direct X9 GPU w/ SM 2.0 recommendations: 1ghz/1gb ram/40gb hdd/directx9 gpu w/sm 2.0 So your saying that if I geta black macbook with no added RAM I will be able to run Aero?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 So your saying that if I geta black macbook with no added RAM I will be able to run Aero?!?!? since the gma is a shared card, you would be able to run vista but you would suffer from performance problems, id reco 1 gig. that being said, my friend has managed to run vista beta 2 (ultimate) with aero glass on his 1.73 pentium m with 512mb of ddr 333 and a gma 900. it doesnt exactly fly but he can run it. + nowhere in my post did i say that you should run vista with only 512mb of ram and a gma 950 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u1m2 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I have used Vista for a reasonable time now and the GUI just didn't feel snappy with either nvidia or microsoft drivers. Also it's not just the gui but many apps seemed to launch kind of slow and I didn't even enjoy the speed of the explorer (regular not IE) for example when creating large number of thumbnails or even opening crowded folders from time to time. I had a 6600 back then to be precise and I kind of wished it could be better since it should have provided more than enough graphics power to run the aero in my opinion. A64@2.4 GHz and 1GB Ram are the other parts of the equation. On the plus side I had all the drivers I wanted except my TV cards which I believe I will never have because Microsoft wants me to buy another Vista MCE compatible tuner to make its partners happy... If all the fuss with Vista is just about the GUI (which could have been revolutionary a couple years ago but certainly not so much now) and if we don't get anything significantly improved with Vista in terms of speed, security and reliability compared to XP then I believe it will just be considered a resource hog because there will be no justification for upgrading your operating system if all you'll end up with is the need to upgrade the rest of your PC to be at square one again. I am not one to jump at quick conclusions so I will keep dlding all the new beta releases to see if it will be worth the upgrade come the release date. I expect the final product to be much more reliable, snappy and secure or it's gonna be time to trash Windows forever. I have 5 XP Pro licences and I just hope Vista is good enough so that I can upgrade all my XP's while switching to Open Licence as well. BTW, I will try another install of Vista with my new 7600GT to see what kind of difference it will make. ( Lame Vista gave me a score of 3 last time I checked ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I think it was back in february when Microsoft said vista was " feature complete" So if its feature complete the only thing they are working on now is preformance and security. I'm pretty sure thats all we will see from vista till it ships. Also, There is a reason to go vista. DX10 API will only work in Vista. so if you buy that $700 ATI card in the futer and put it in an XP machine. dont expect to be playing Halo 2 anytime soon. Speaking of Halo 2, I belive it is only Vista that will incorporate Live anywhere. thats enough of a reason for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u1m2 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I could just as easily buy a PS3 and forget all about gaming on my PC and DX10 will not be my concern anymore, there are other options that will let me have my cake and eat it so I am not sold for DX10. I couldn't care less for IE 7 or WMP 11 either, I want a robust OS that will let me do my work in a safer, more reliable environment that is the only thing that I care about. If Vista gives me that, Bill is 5 x 100$+ richer... Will Vista come in Home/Professional Versions and will we be able to upgrade using our Windows XP installation so that we can pay less ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I am almost 99.9% sure you can upgrade from windows XP to vista, hell you may even be able to do it from Windows 98. there are a couple of versions: Home Bastic Home Premium Business Enterprise Ultimate Eatch better than the last. If you wanted to upgrade from home Basic to Ultimate, there is a program where you buy it over the internet and it instantly upgrades But back on topic. WILL A MACBOOK RUN AERO. I am this close to just buying one and trying it out myself if no one tells me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogi Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 three things.. 1) I have a black macbook and I setup bootcamp to dual boot w/ XP sp2. Works great. 2) I _UPGRADED_ XP to vista beta 2. Yes you can do it and it works. 3) There are reports of the 900 series intel graphics to be able to run aeroglass. The current version of vista beta 2 I have does NOT load the driver correctly. The driver is the Intel Lakeport Graphics driver. its a WDDM that is supposed to work. I've read some mac minis run it great in the old builds of vista. I guess we have to wait for a newer/better driver to come out for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 I found this when I searched google for macbook Aero. "There's also Windows Vista to consider. Although Vista fully supports the MacBook's Intel graphics chipset, which should thus be able to display Vista's incredible Windows Aero ("glass") UI, the problem now is that Vista can use only 32MB of system RAM on the MacBook for the display, and that's not enough for Aero. Instead, you get a muddy, XP-like UI that's pretty unattractive. Perhaps this problem will be addressed in the future." Oddly this was the second link. the first was this exact page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applemacman Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Anyone with the official Beta 2 have luck w/ Aero Glass on a MacBook? http://www.tuaw.com/2006/06/08/an-easier-m...with-boot-camp/ At that site, there's a picture of a black MacBook running glass. Is it because of the ram, or is the newest beta just better at recognizing the intel chip and drivers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kab3wm Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Anyone with the official Beta 2 have luck w/ Aero Glass on a MacBook? http://www.tuaw.com/2006/06/08/an-easier-m...with-boot-camp/ At that site, there's a picture of a black MacBook running glass. Is it because of the ram, or is the newest beta just better at recognizing the intel chip and drivers? I'm installing right now on my black macbook ( default configuration ).. I'm a beta tester for Vista and I'm installing the latest 'Ultimate' build, we shall see here in about an hour. I'm doing the install on top of XP. ( Clean install, not upgrade ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kab3wm Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 I'm installing right now on my black macbook ( default configuration ).. I'm a beta tester for Vista and I'm installing the latest 'Ultimate' build, we shall see here in about an hour. I'm doing the install on top of XP. ( Clean install, not upgrade ) I ended up realizing I was going to need more space and ended up deleting the partition from Bootcamp assistant, re-doing it, and doing the install from the bootable DVD instead of performing the installation from WindowsXP. I followed Brandon Live's instructions from the 'Vista installed' thread.. worked perfect on my MacBook. Could definitely use some more RAM, but the basic stuff seems to run pretty smooth. No glass. I had to use Windows update to get the 945 drivers and now my widescreen resolution is supported. Also got the atheros driver for wireless from windows update and that works now. Still no audio though. Has anyone tried using the drivers Apple provides through Bootcamp for XP for Vista? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogi Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 No glass. I had to use Windows update to get the 945 drivers and now my widescreen resolution is supported. Also got the atheros driver for wireless from windows update and that works now. Still no audio though. Has anyone tried using the drivers Apple provides through Bootcamp for XP for Vista? I have a black Macbook and have had vista beta 2 installed on it for quite awhile. I could never get glass working... then I upgraded my ram. If you have more than 512mb ram you can force the Intel Lakeport Graphics driver instead of the 945 driver. Be sure to set your theme to the Aero theme. GLASS WORKS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kab3wm Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 I have a black Macbook and have had vista beta 2 installed on it for quite awhile. I could never get glass working... then I upgraded my ram. If you have more than 512mb ram you can force the Intel Lakeport Graphics driver instead of the 945 driver. Be sure to set your theme to the Aero theme. GLASS WORKS!!! Sweet.. thanks for the info. Looks like I'm goin shoppin. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartboy919 Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Looks like I am going shopping to!! Ok, you have more that 512, hbut what ram are you using? 1 GB stick or 2 512's? Did you upgrade yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applemacman Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Grrr. Is there no way to force the base 512 ram to make glass work. (im broke!! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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