Apple Boot Camp - now with Windows 7 support
After promising to have an update available before the end of 2009, Apple has finally updated its Boot Camp software utility to allow customers to run Windows 7 on Intel-based Macs.
While the main purpose of this update is to add support for Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate), it's also a bug fix update. Listed as fixes are:
- Fixed issues with the Apple trackpad
- Turns off the red digital audio port LED on laptop computers when it is not being used
- Adds supports the Apple wireless keyboard and Apple Magic mouse
This update is recommended for all Boot Camp users, irrespective of whether they want to run Windows 7 or not. That said, the update doesn't seem to be glitch-free for all. The main complaint on the Apple Support forum seems to relate to the ATI graphics driver being outdated, which is causing problems for some.
As a sidenote, if you are planning on upgrading your Windows Boot Camp install to Windows 7, there's a utility to help you do that. If you have a late 2009 Mac, there's a Windows 7 driver pack available. There's also an NVIDIA graphics firmware update for the iMac and Mac Pro. Also, here's a link that outlines which Macs support 64-bit Windows (much thanks to my blogging colleague Ed Bott for that find, via Twitter).