Kevin Dente's Blog

The Blip in the Noise
Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?
A common meme going around the blogosphere right now is "my next Windows laptop will be a MacBook". Although I understand the sentiment  - they do make very nice laptop hardware - I wonder if these people have noticed something rather important (at least, important to me). From the pictures I've seen of the MacBook, it still only has one mouse button. I don't know about you, but I don't relish the idea of running Windows without a right mouse button.

It's possible that I'm wrong, that the pictures are deceptive, and there's actually two buttons in there (or maybe some kind of two zone button bar, similar to their mouse). But without that, the idea of a VistaBook is a non-starter to me.


Published Thursday, January 12, 2006 11:16 AM by kevindente

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Comments

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:10 PM

..."it has two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports..."
rings a bell?

Srdjan

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:22 PM

What, you mean plug in a mouse? Ever try using a mouse sitting in coach on an airplane? Sorry, not a good enough solution for me.

Kevin Dente

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:23 PM

And the fact that that it's firmware isn't BIOS compatible...

Chris Martin

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:23 PM

what do you mean plugin? Never heard of wireless?

Srdjan

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:29 PM

Chris - the BIOS issue supposedly isn't a problem for Vista (although it is for XP).

Srdjan - Wired or wireless is irrelevant. You're still talking about using a mouse. No thanks.

Kevin Dente

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 3:56 PM

Apple is using EFI (http://www.intel.com/technology/efi/) instead of BIOS in the new Macs, XP-32bits doesn't support it, but XP-64bits and Vista do.

Rolando

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:10 PM

Using OS X with only a one-button mousepad isn't a problem for me. The OS UI is designed well enough that I rarely need to access a context menu. For those times when I do, I just hold the ctrl key and click the mouse button. I'm sure a similar shortcut key could be set up under Vista.

Actually, the two button mousepad on my Dell laptop annoys me. The two buttons are so close together that I'm always hitting the right one when I mean to hit the left one.

A bigger problem for me in either case is that the damn mouse pad is below the keyboard. I'm 6'4", when I'm in an airplane seat I don't have a lot of room to go moving my arms around to hit mousepads. So I end up bending my wrist at weird angles to move the mouse. Hurts like hell after a while.

Scott

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:11 PM

Macbook is still a 32-bit processor so you can't run the XP64 bits on it. EFI has a BIOS emulation mode, but Apple isn't using it on their laptops.

Scott

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:58 PM

why would you pay for a mac and then put windows on it?

ILL SULLY THIS DELIGHTFUL HARDWARE WITH AN INFERIOR OPERATING SYS*OH SHIT I LOADED A PICTURE NOW IM VIRUSED*

nick martini

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:59 PM

Yeah, what you're actually forgetting is the fact that anyone who buys a Mac to install Windows on it is a moron.

h. r. puffnstuff

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:47 PM

Would love to use a Mac and OSX but I need to use Windows (yes, I really do) The only way I can move to Apple is if I can use Windows on the same machine for some of the time. The only way Windows users can migrate is Apples that support both OS (and I can't wait)

corminodad

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Saturday, January 21, 2006 11:25 AM

you're all iMorons. windows is the choice of use for the rest of the world. of course people want to use windows for the long run while having a pretty desktop/laptop. if they can boot in osx as well, all the better, to get them started with using the os. also, you iMorons are just eating crow because for years you've all been saying "oh the g4 is good, and the g5 is better, than intel's crappy cpus on microsoft's crappy os", now look at you all, just a bunch of lemmings. yes, macs are prettier. faster? no, that's always been established as hype. easier to use? yes, if your intelligence is equivalent to forrest gump. better? when you're carrying around steve jobs' distortion field. you believe whatever jobs says. admit it and just say sorry for being so stupid.

georgebush

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Saturday, January 21, 2006 11:29 AM

and one more thing: you're all still idiots. give up the one-mouse button excuse. everybody, and i mean everybody, even little children, use two mouse buttons. everybody. why? because not everybody wants or has a cute little mac driver to pretend to the touchpad that it has two mouse buttons. not everybody has two arms so they can use the stupid ctrl or clover (and wtf is that called anyway?) button for the right-click. and not everybod wants to carry around a freaking mouse (wireless or wired, you idiots) to use a right mouse button. ergo, you're all still lemmings and idiots to believe in steve jobs saying you don't need two mouse buttons. hey i think he once said that the g5 is the world's fastest cpu. and you believed him, you losers.
I'm George Bush, and I rule the world.

georgebush

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Friday, July 28, 2006 11:15 AM

You do rule george.  Mac OS is an over polished hyped up linux.  The reason you can't get viruses on mac's is because they don't do anything, or allow you to do anything serious when it comes to the basic platform.  This is why no one develops softare for mac's really.  And the only software developed from mac's usualy started off on linux.   Like all of the web browsers.   Don't get me wrong,  I'm not to fond of linux either.  But after you spend the 5 hours it takes to get everything working propper  and mounting your old NTFS file system it's not to bad asside from the opensource 3d rendering software.  Mac's are for people who were to dumb to not get spyware while using windows.  Or for people who just want a 'cute little computer' to accessorize with their volkswagen.  The operating system is still weak when compaired to windows and hte work windows has done in the development community.

wow

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Wednesday, October 11, 2006 7:10 AM

Wow. You guys get all excited about OSX don't you? if you don't like it just don't use it. I'm getting a Macbook but I also have a PC so won't be putting Windows on it. If others choose to then so what? Just use your Right mouse button and then choose "Back".

Your mum.

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Wednesday, November 08, 2006 2:54 PM

I've been running Vista on my MacBook Since beta two. I have 2 gigs of ram in it and it runs like a dream. Vista needs a least one gig :-). All the drivers are there except the trackpad. Now when that does happen, the machine will work as follows: tap with one finger on the trackpad: left click, tap with two fingers: right click. Problem solved :-). Until then the work around is a program called AutoHotkey. It allows you to map the enter key on the keyboard above the trackpad to right click. I'm now running RTM Vista and everything is still working great. The MacBook Vista machine is awesome!

mzeb

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Saturday, January 27, 2007 1:15 PM

Place two fingers on the trackpad and click the button below it.  That is right click.

DR

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:25 AM

No it isn't. Didn't work for me.

And secondly, when all the games that I play work on OSX then I'll use it all the time. Until then, it's Windows for me.

Dang

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Monday, April 09, 2007 9:40 AM

To right click on a macbook all you have to do is hold down ctrl while you click.

nobody

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:14 PM

If you guy's would actually try and do a search or use the help menu and explore, you can set the pad up so that in mac os or windows right click is simply done by hitting the pad with two fingers (two finger tap) instead of one!

Martin

LOL

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Wednesday, November 07, 2007 2:08 PM

LOL WOW THATS SO CLEAVER OF APPLE "Place two fingers on the trackpad and click the button below it.  That is right click."  THANKS ALOT IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS ANSWER

macbook vista right click not working??

macbook vista right click not working

right click on macbook vista

DC#

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:49 AM

wat the fck is dis "dc" bloke tryin

yway to d fcker, all u gotta do is go to the trackpad setings(which is in "system preferences", which can be found in d dock-i'm expl so much cuz all of u all seem to kno nthin bout d mac book) nd select "tap trackpad usin two fingers fr secondary click). nd u can double-click by tappin on d track pad wid 2 fingers..........so now u can romace wid ur windows- happy?? mr. gay boy

insomniac

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Sunday, December 02, 2007 4:04 PM

Ok, I'm an environmental consultant.  NOT an "environmentalist".  I run my own consulting company and have been using PC platform computers exclusively for years.  I'm interested in, and checked out a Macbook recently because I'm upgrading the equipment to PC XP systems in my small home office NOW, so that I don't get painted into the VISTA corner.

So, I'm intrigued by the fact that I can run XP on a Mac.  I have NO experience with Mac but welcome the chance to learn and try something new, to test drive it to see if I can free myself to some extent from Bill Gates' periodic mandatory upgrades.  From what I've heard, VISTA SUCKS.

So, I am doing the homework and I come to this site to see a bunch of you i-heads squabbling like a bunch of schoolchildren over Mac v. PC.  It's like Harley v. Rice Burners, Sail v. Power boats.  What the FUCK is wrong with people that everything's gotta be a contest??

After reading the alleged "input" from this site, I'm not sure that I want to have the apparently necessary and requesite lobotomy performed in order to qualify me to both use a Mac, AND to drive a mini-van.

So, all you i-heads, particularly to the asshole who said to install Windows on a Mac you have to be a moron, I think YOU need to be re-lobotomozed to hopefully re-stimulate your few brain cells.  Oh, and while you're on your way to get that done, stop somewhere and suck shit through a straw.  Asshole.

Any questions?

Environmental Terrorist

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Tuesday, January 29, 2008 4:29 PM

Yo, you guys have got far too much time on your hands, but your time is my time saving. putting two fingers on the pad and clicking does work in XP. shweet shweet

captaincodstraps

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Tuesday, February 19, 2008 3:03 AM

ctrl+click is not working on my macbook

varun

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Sunday, December 07, 2008 8:09 PM

Using Windows XP or Vista with one-button touchpad, just put two fingers at the same time on the touchpad, and click the button... the right click menu will open.

Ricardo

# re: Running Windows on a MacBook - forgetting something?@ Thursday, September 23, 2010 11:28 AM

First... I agree with georgebush that MAC is people with the IQ of "Forrest Gump" LOL on that one... very good.

Second, I realize that mac makes people dumber and more ignorant with so call "easy" that they made.

Third... so many people ask me to install windows on their so called "powerful" Mac.... Duh... If you think mac is good, why install windows...

The best solution for the people on number 3 is to throw away their mac and buy a windows laptop.... and yes.. you can play lots of games too....

Lastly been trying to sell the mac for someone who has "repented" back to Windows... and what... no one's want to buy it... Too expensive, to not useful, cannot play games, bla bla bla

super windows on mac?