Installing XP on Macbook Air?

Give Windows as much space as you think you'll need. If it's just being used for general stuff, 32GB is excessive. I've got Vista sat on a 20GB partition on my PC, and it's got over 5.5GB free. XP will be happy on even less than that.
 
I used 15 gig for my xp partition, didn't see the point in it being any more, is it is only ever going to be used rarely, so if i need to store things i will just use an external drive, either flash or my firewall. I only need the xp so i can run newsleecher tbh.
 
Nothing/none.

You can use Boot Camp (Applications > Utilities > Boot Camp) to increase the partition size on the fly :)

Just slide the side of the partition window to the right and click Apply, it's simple.
 
Hey Six6Six just like you i had to buy the superdrive to install XP. i've got a strange problme i was wondering if you also got. I removed Mac OSX i just wanted XP but every so i deleted all the HDD from within windows installer and created a single new drive XP install went fine but now every time i restart the MBA i get the folder with the question mark the only way to start XP is if i install a bootable CD then get that to boot from C:


id apprctiate any help on this strange problem


Thanks in advance.

R121
 
R121 said:
Hey Six6Six just like you i had to buy the superdrive to install XP. i've got a strange problme i was wondering if you also got. I removed Mac OSX i just wanted XP but every so i deleted all the HDD from within windows installer and created a single new drive XP install went fine but now every time i restart the MBA i get the folder with the question mark the only way to start XP is if i install a bootable CD then get that to boot from C:


id apprctiate any help on this strange problem


Thanks in advance.

R121
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I would beleive that you need OSX on the machine for xp to works as bootcamp is just an emulator that works like a free standing machine it still boots from OSX and the xp drivers are very different on the mac running windows solely just wouldnt work right.
 
Yes, ^ that is correct.

The folder with a ? means that OS X is trying to boot, but cannot find a bootable OS X image.

FYI: When you dual boot you have to hold cmd down to choose an OS, otherwise it carrys on with the default OS (OS X)

A good way around this would be to install OS X and XP, but select XP as your automatic choice. This way, you only need to hold cmd if you want to boot in to OS X.

Why would you buy the Air and not want OS X? :(
 
Thats for the quick replys!

EVH i brought hte MBA becase i travel a lot for work and i currnently need windows 99% of the time and OSX 1% but i see my client base already changing OSX is being used more and more and im sick of telling people i cant support MAC's so i will hopefully duel boot my MBA wthin 6-9 months to get used to MBA.

I have found the solution to running Windows only on MBA its simple run disk utility form the msx install disc 1 and create a MBR partition to install XP or Vista ONLY.


Thanks for the replys
 
R121 said:
Thats for the quick replys!

EVH i brought hte MBA becase i travel a lot for work and i currnently need windows 99% of the time and OSX 1% but i see my client base already changing OSX is being used more and more and im sick of telling people i cant support MAC's so i will hopefully duel boot my MBA wthin 6-9 months to get used to MBA.

I have found the solution to running Windows only on MBA its simple run disk utility form the msx install disc 1 and create a MBR partition to install XP or Vista ONLY.


Thanks for the replys
Click to expand...

In that case wouldn't you be better dual booting? That way, 1. you can get a feel for OSX and the tools just now and 2. you wont need to format the machine and reinstall everything in 6-9 months anyway?

I would have bought a macbook, but that is just me :)
 
Jumpers i need the extra hdd space atm.
magic boy I hate IBM's 10 year old designs. if anything it was out of the MBA or the Dell 1330 I suppose i wanted something differant to all the other IT contractors & the dell had a 4 week wait for the LCD sceen option and thats almost another tax year away :D.

R121
 
Hxc said:
IBM/Lenovo's design is bussiness, MBA is....not.
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electric ant said:
MBA looks awesome, Thinkpad does....not.:p
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For business use I'd take a Thinkpad over any other PC laptop every time. ThinkPad's are the best engineered and built mass market portables bar none.

Working in IT Support I have far more respect for an external contractor that uses a ThinkPad (or a business range HP laptop) than some blinged up Vaio or Dell XPS.

Looks are a personal preference. I use an MBP at home mainly because of the OS, but the styling appeals as well. I've also got an IBM T42 for work and like it for different reasons including the slabby black styling. It's appearance is as a result of a well thought out engineering and design.

Apple will never make headway into the business market for notebooks until they sort out basic requirements like docking stations. It's a shame.
 
Magic boy your right I would not use the MBA for serious work but when your dealing with the board level you'd be supprised at how a little gimik is a good ice breaker we'll the MBA just adds to the list of things i take into meetings with me i also have a OQO a eePC and a couple of tablet PC's and a raft of mobles (I know its sad). Now all these directors have started to get MAC's which mostly started out becasue they had a ipod and wanted something to sync there itunes for home. Magic Boy you are also right that macs have a long way to go before they could start getting into the corperate market.
 
Much as it is a horrible looking machine the Thinkpad is a far better business based ultra-portable.

The MacBook Air is not really a business machine but is rather a machine that people who need to project a good image need. If a Graphic Designer came round to do a quote for some work he'd get more Kudos off of me if he had a MBA rather than some Wintel machine.

Oh and I want one but simply cannot justify the expense. :(
 
The strange thing is that upper management and directors hanker after bling kit even if it's utterly flawed. I worked for IBM on an outsourced contract a few years ago. Standard laptops were usually HP with the odd ThinkPad. The directors couldn't possibly have the same as the minions, so they kicked up an almighty fuss (ended up quite high up the IBM management ladder) just to get Sony Vaio's. Even then IBM refused to support them properly.

Same sort of thing with my current local government employer. Various service directors are wanting MacBook Pro's now and get very stroppy when told they can't have them.
 
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