A recent Boot Camp system requirements upgrade posted on the Apple official page reveals the fact that 2015 versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will not support Windows 7, effectively meaning that users will no longer be able to install the popular OS system on these versions.
More exactly, no Windows 7 support is included for the 13-inch 2015 MacBook Pro, and also the 13 and 11-inch 2015 versions of the MacBook Air. The only Windows operating system supported by these versions will be Windows 8, including the more popular 8.1; this will require a 5.1 Boot Camp software version. These are the first iterations of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that skip Windows 7 compatibility since it was first introduced in 2009.
Boot Camp is a utility within Apple’s OS X that permits simultaneous installation of Windows or Linux operating systems that run along the main OS, with users being able to choose to boot into either when the device starts. It was implemented starting with 2006, since the MacBook’s transition to Intel-based chipsets.
This move might dissatisfy a large part of Mac users that use the Boot Camp feature, as Windows 7 is still by far the most used and popular desktop OS, with StatCounter figures estimating that more than half of desktops worldwide have it installed. The newer Windows 8 and its 8.1 variant don’t reach even half of this percent combined, with the 8.1 barely being more popular than the 14-year old XP.
However, those that don’t like Microsoft’s latest OS might have an escape way set with Windows recently announcing that its upcoming Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade for both genuine and non-genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Windows 10 support has not been yet announced nor hinted by Apple, but it is expected that it will be available shortly after the operating system’s official launch this summer. However, it is unclear whether Windows 7 or 8 MacBook users will also have the possibility to download it as a free upgrade, or if a physical copy will be needed.
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consoleclassix says
Windows 7 is best. Windows 8 is worst ever! Windows 10 is ? Wait and see.
Oh man! I hate Apple that remove Windows 7 from support. People have to use VMware Fusion to install on Apple computer to use it than Boot Camp right? I think guess.